Homeless camps near Facebook a growing safety concern

MENLO PARK -- Homeless encampments are being blamed for at least three brush fires since March near Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, including one that closed a major roadway during rush hour and caused nearby homes to be evacuated.

Menlo Park's fire chief is urging police and code enforcement officials to do something about the camps, at least three of which can be found along the railroad tracks between Willow Road and University Avenue.

"This is the third or fourth time we've been in there in the last four months, and every time it's related to homeless encampments," Harold Schapelhouman, chief of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District, told The Daily News after a 2-acre blaze was reported near Facebook about 12:30 a.m. June 24. "Allegedly it was a cooking fire that got out of control. ... It's not like it's a camping area. The significance of these encampments potentially becoming a threat for the broader community is definitely a concern for us."

Since arresting Sergio Anguianolopez, 35, a transient, for allegedly setting a 13-acre fire near Facebook in March, police have been patrolling the Kavanaugh Tract, a marshy area between University, Bayfront Expressway, Willow and Adams Way at the city's border with East Palo Alto.

According to Sgt. Eric Cowans, that fire was sparked during an argument between Anguianolopez and another transient who were "fighting over drugs and other issues." Anguianolopez previously was arrested by Menlo Park police, in 2010 and 2014, both times for narcotics-related warrants.

"There are definitely health concerns and hazards out there with the garbage and syringes. It is eventually going to be problematic," Cowans said in April. "We've taken an active role in regularly making visits out there and trying to make sure everyone's staying on the up and up. ... Sometimes we'll go out there and we'll contact 15 people and the next day, there'll be three people out there. The one common thing we find is they're all into narcotics."

According to Cmdr. William Dixon, officers haven't run across any homeless people in the camps in recent weeks.

"There are easily two or three specific areas people have definitely been in, based on debris present," Dixon said.

A problem for police is the area is so remote it's only when a fire breaks out that people realize anyone is using the marshland as a residence. The camps are a 10-minute walk from any roads.

"Would I consider them active camps? That I don't know," Dixon said. "Is it something that we get calls for service out there? No. ... For lack of a better term, I can honestly say we are not going to employ a scorched-earth policy. It's ineffective; it doesn't work."

According to Schapelhouman, the fire threat in the tract is much greater now than just a few years ago, as the extended drought has dried out vegetation.

In the March fire, flames reached 25 feet high, and with wind gusting as high as 25 mph, they jumped to the center median of University Avenue and threatened to cross over to East Palo Alto residences.

"Smoke was blowing horizontal, which is never a good thing," Schapelhouman said at the time.

Dixon said if police were able to identify a specific group of people in the camps, something could be done.

"It's certainly something that's more in the conversation than a year ago," he said. "If I had something definitely identified ... I'd say, let's go do something about this."

But, as Dixon and Schapelhouman both agree, a big complication is that individuals living there want to stay removed from the rest of society.

"Not everybody is going to want to be moved into a shelter, and there are people who have a criminal history, alcohol and drug abuse," Schapelhouman said. "From a fire and medical standpoint, we're in the camps quite a bit."

Dixon said the police department actively tries to connect homeless people with county agencies that provide assistance, something which he said has seen a 100 percent success rate in downtown Menlo Park, aside from one longtime transient who shuns assistance.

"I'd like to be able to lend support to anybody who's out there," he said. "I really hate to call it a problem."

Source: San Jose Mercury News, Kevin Kelly
http://www.mercurynews.com/real-estate-news/ci_30099252/menlo-park-homeless-camps-near-facebook-growing-safety

Preventing Accidents at Home During the Holidays

Lights are strung up on houses and trees throughout neighborhoods, snowflakes decorate grade school classrooms, and candy canes fill grocery store shelves. The holidays have snuck up on us yet again.

And with so much going on during this time of year, the old adage “accidents happen” should be kept in mind. The stress of decorating, buying gifts and prepping for the arrival of friends and family can leave even the calmest individuals feeling frazzled. And when your attention is diverted due to stress, injuries or disasters can occur.

An estimated 13,000 injuries result in visits to the emergency room each year around the holidays, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. To keep accidents from spoiling your holiday cheer, follow these safety tips.

Deck the halls

Decorating for the holidays is one of the most widely embraced traditions of the season, but it also can be one of the most dangerous. The most popular decorating-related accidents can be the result of hanging strands of lights, and can include anything from falling off ladders to suffering electrical shocks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the holiday months are responsible for more fall-related injuries than any other time of year.

To keep yourself from becoming a statistic, test all lights before hanging them, and have a friend or family member hold a ladder steady while you’re decorating the roof or a tree in your yard.

Wrap presents, not bandages

Few things are more central to the holiday season than wrapping presents and hanging ornaments. Many people get excited to spoil their loved ones with gifts, and to get the ornaments out of storage to make the house more festive.

Though they’re part of the fun of decorating, these common holiday rituals can result in visits to the hospital if you’re not careful.

Think about it: Wrapping presents exposes you to slicing your hand with scissors or paper, and ornaments can fall or shatter, resulting in lacerations if someone steps on a piece of broken glass.

To help combat potential cuts:

• Take your time wrapping presents, and devote your full attention to the task.
• Always supervise children when handling scissors and wrapping gifts.
• Refrain from hanging breakable ornaments on low tree branches where kids or pets could knock them off.
• If an ornament does break, keep children and pets away from the area and clean up the mess immediately, making sure even the tiniest shards of glass are removed from the floor.

Lift with your legs

Many people must travel to be with loved ones during the holidays, and that may mean lugging around a heavy suitcase. And with loved ones coming to visit, it’s important to shovel snow out of driveways and sidewalks to reduce injuries.

These tasks may seem innocuous, but they can be far from it. The CDC reports that more than 50,000 winter-related back injuries occur each year.

When shoveling snow or transporting luggage — though it may sound silly — make sure you stretch beforehand, wear appropriate attire (including shoes with traction), keep a steady pace, hydrate, and lift with your legs while keeping your upper body straight to reduce strain and tension on your back.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

It’s extremely likely that you’ll hear this classic holiday song this month. It’s also likely that your home may be at risk for structure fires.

Strands of lights with frayed wires, Christmas trees, space heaters, candles, flammable items placed too close to open flames, and cooking all present risks for home fires during the holidays.

According to the National Fire Protection Association statistics for home fires between 2009 and 2013, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are two of the top three days of the year for home candle fires; Christmas tree fires resulted in $17.5 million of property damage per year; and decorations (excluding Christmas trees) were the first items ignited in about 860 home fires, causing an average of $13.4 million worth of property damage per year.

While fire typically is covered by standard home insurance, no one wants to go through the hassle.

Keep your home safe, take these precautions:

• Test trees before bringing them into your home to ensure they’re not dried out, thus becoming a fire hazard. This is done by hitting the trunk of the tree against the ground. If a lot of needles fall off of the branches, keep searching for a healthier tree.
• Check all lights before hanging them on trees or other flammable decorations.
• Keep stockings and other flammable items a safe distance from the flames of the fireplace or decorative candles.
• Never leave space heaters or food cooking on the stovetop or in the oven unattended, and keep items that can easily ignite a safe distance away (typically a minimum of three feet).

This holiday season, make sure that your home insurance is up to snuff and will protect you, your family, and your home in the event of disaster such as an injury or home fire.

Source: Zillow Blog, Shannon Ireland
http://www.zillow.com/blog/prevent-accidents-at-holidays-189848/

Real estate agent mistaken for burglar, held at gunpoint

Real estate unfortunately is not a totally safe occupation. We Realtors have to worry about more than not making that sale, but also our personal safety - case in point Beverly Carter. Well, apparently a Realtor was mistaken for a burglar and was held at gunpoint by a neighbor.



A 61-year-old man on Thursday mistook a real estate agent for a burglar and held him at gunpoint until officers arrived at a home the man was selling on Helican Springs Road, Athens-Clarke County police said.

The man said he went to the house upon being notified of a burglar alarm activation there, and when arriving he saw unfamiliar vehicles and people in the driveway, according to police.

“Because of past break-ins, (the man) drew his Glock 23 pistol,” police said. “As it turned out, it was a real estate agent he had never met showing (the) house to a prospective buyer.”

Neither the real estate agent nor the would-be home buyer wished to press charges, police said.

Source: Athens Banner Herald, Joe Johnson
http://onlineathens.com/blotter/2015-12-18/real-estate-agent-mistaken-burglar-held-gunpoint

Realtor Saftey Month

One year ago, a fellow Realtor lost her life by just doing her job of showing properties. Ever since then there has been greater awareness on Realtor safety which I whole heatedly agree with. During my career I've had my fair share of sketchy characters to deal with at open houses and while showing houses, and thankfully nothing happened. I sincerely hope that with this awareness campaign that is underway will stop any other Realtors from becoming victims in the future.



It’s been one year since real estate agent Beverly Carter went missing and was later found murdered after showing a vacant home to a prospective buyer in the rural area of Scott, Ark. Since that dark day on Sept. 25, 2014, Brenda Rhoads, Carter’s friend and managing broker at Crye-Leike, REALTORS®, in North Little Rock, Ark., has been working hard to promote safety awareness in the real estate industry.

“I don’t want Beverly’s death to be in vain,” she says. “If there’s just one person who comes out of this and realizes how important safety is, that’s the most important thing. Beverly would have wanted that.”

A husband and wife have been charged with Carter’s murder. The wife, Crystal Lowery, was sentenced to 30 years in a plea bargain, and the husband, Arron Lewis, will stand trial on charges of capital murder, kidnapping, and robbery in January.

National Association of REALTORS® President Chris Polychron has responded to Carter’s murder — which took place in his home state — by making safety a major priority during his tenure. Rhoads and Polychron participated in a safety discussion, along with broker and chairman-elect of the Texas Association of REALTORS® Leslie Rouda Smith, during NAR’s Broker Summit in Seattle in August.

During the discussion, three points were reinforced:

Know whom you’re dealing with. Brokers are encouraged to create a policy that requires all new clients to come into the office before being shown a property. At the office, photocopies of the person’s ID should be taken and a showing itinerary shared with office personnel.
Use a buddy system. A broker could also encourage agents to pair up for open houses or showings by offering sign-up sheets or opportunities to coordinate during sales meetings.
Be aware of your surroundings. Agents should understand the layout of a property before showings or open houses. Counsel them to put the phone away while walking, stay alert, and look for signs of forced entry before entering a home. Crye-Leike, REALTORS®, has promoted a two-second rule: Take two seconds to look around when you arrive at your destination, after you step out of your car, as you walk toward the home or property, at the door, and as soon as you enter the property.
Carter’s murder has motivated other brokers throughout the country to make safety a part of the industry culture.

Sam DeBord, managing broker of Seattle Homes Group with Coldwell Banker Danforth, says brokers have the power to minimize fears agents might have over losing a client by creating an office policy that makes it mandatory to check clients’ IDs.

“It seems like we hear almost weekly now about [another] assault against an agent,” DeBord says. “I don’t want to be the person who gets that call to say one of your agents went out to meet someone you sent to them and something happened to them.”

Source: Realtor Mag, Erica Christoffer
http://realtormag.realtor.org/for-brokers/network/article/2015/09/making-real-estate-safer-industry

Safety First when listing your home for sale

I always tell my clients this very advice when I'm about to put their property on the market. This video from C.A.R. sums it up in a fun way.

Police suspect rape attacker targeted another Realtor

I know this incident happened in Florida, but this was a fellow Realtor who almost got raped. Being a Realtor has its share of dangers because we are deal with the general public and there some real preditors out there waiting to prey on the unsuspecting. Sometime we really just don't know who we are inviting in to our client's property for the open house or who this person is that we are showing the house to. I take a number of precautions when I am doing an open house or showing a a home, but some agents I know don't seem as careful as I am. Perhaps the below news story from HousingWire might persuade them to be more cautious.



Police in Manatee County, Florida, arrested the suspect in an attempted rape of a Realtor at a home showing on Monday.

Investigators said that the suspect is Bruce Anthony Kotter, 63. They caught him on Tuesday afternoon, and he faces charges of kidnapping and attempted sexual battery.

Detectives think Kotter may have targeted a second female real estate agent about an hour after he attacked the first one. HousingWire is getting more details on the specifics of that attack.

In the first assault, a Realtor in Florida said that a man posing as a client attacked and tried to rape her, but her quick thinking and training allowed her to escape.

She admits she didn’t follow some protocols, such as getting a copy of his license and not going alone.

The Realtor, 69, was showing the home, when Kotter allegedly called her into the bathroom under the ruse that he wanted to show her that the toilet was leaking.

That’s when he attacked her, police say.

The Realtor said Kotter slammed her into a wall during the attack and screamed sexually explicit profanities.

Soon as she could get loose, she fled, and got out before he could sexually assault her.

Source: HousingWire, Trey Garrison
http://www.housingwire.com/articles/34743-police-suspect-rape-attacker-targeted-another-realtor

Occupational Hazard

I got into the real estate business to help people. I got into the business with idea that I would be helping people achieve home ownership, and the worst threat I would face was maybe a lawsuit if I made a mistake or something. I had thought that only people in law enforcement or the military had to worry about actual risk to life and limb.

Well I was wrong about the no risk to life or limb part. You see, as a Realtor I often have to meet with the general public, complete strangers. And some of those strangers can potentially be convicted felons and psychos for all I know. We Realtors always have to think safety when we're doing an open house or showing properties.

Below is a link to yet another story that has come out about a fellow Realtor who almost kidnapped and robbed at gun point, but luckily was able to escape before any harm cam to her. Unfortunately, not all Realtors have been so lucky.

Agent Escapes Kidnapping at Gunpoint

Related:

56 Safety Tips for REALTORS®