As the presidents of the three largest police unions in the Bay Area of California, our overriding responsibility is to ensure that each and every police officer we represent makes it home to his or her family after every shift.Police officers must swear to uphold our constitution and we also take seriously our responsibility to protect the First Amendment rights of the public we serve. Unfortunately, recent events threaten to bring these two great responsibilities into conflict.Our members and ...

Quick Tips While Holiday Shopping - Leave your purse at home. Consider keeping just your ID and two credit cards in your front pocket.Never leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle. Thieves won't hesitate to quickly smash your window and take your belongings.Use your car alarm if you have one. Consider purchasing one if you don't.Stay alert to your surroundings.Write "Check ID" on the signature line on the back of your credit cards. Remind the cashier if he or she fails to ask for it. It m...

Eight CHP canines joined the ranks of the California Highway Patrol on Friday. Their graduation marked the end of an intensive 11-week training course. Three of these canines and their handlers have been assigned to serve the Golden Gate Division, which covers the nine Bay Area counties. The CHP Canine Academy pairs a canine with an experienced officer, and puts them through 440 hours of intensive training in criminal apprehension and narcotics detection. The training program meets all guideline...