Safe Community

Maintain a community environment where people feel safe, fairly treated by the law, and secure from crime.

Opiate Overdose Coalition for the Bay Area
This measure tracks the number of training sessions conducted.  The Behavioral Health Services Department (BHSD) has sponsored the Santa Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project (SCCOOPP) since 2015. The Coalition is comprised of physicians, nurses, community leaders, county partners, community members, parents, providers, treatment programs and prevention practitioners. The Coalition has developed and executed outreach and trainings on the health effects of improper prescription or recreational use of opioids to universities, community colleges which resulted in campus wide mandatory education on the improper use of opioids, high school districts, community-based organizations, treatment programs, community and family members, county agencies, law enforcement agencies throughout the County and residential and outpatient substance abuse providers.
Increase Positive Outcomes for Homeless Pets
The Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency is committed to improving the live-release rate for pets that enter our shelter. Through continuous improvement to facilities and veterinary care, we are able to host more healthy animals as they await adoption. In addition, strong foster care programs and constant collaboration with other community partners improves the quality of life for the animals resulting in higher live release rates.
Protecting Human Health: Number of Catch Basins Inspected and Number of Larvicide Treatments Applied
Vector Control District intends to protect the health of people by addressing unhealthy practices in the environments where people live, eat, and play by tracking the amount of contact with potential vectors and vector-borne diseases. The number of adult mosquito traps set is an indicator of the potential risk to the general public and the number of complaints from the public represents the level of reactive cases the Department responded to.
Protecting Human Health: Number of Parcels Inspected and Receiving Non-chemical Weed Abatement to Reduce Fires
The County protects the health and safety of people by addressing structure fire hazards existing on properties in the environments where people live, eat, and play.  Inspections are done to ensure that there is safe defensible space to minimize the risk of fire spreading to a structure. If the property does not meet the established Minimum Fire Safety Standards, staff educates property owners and encourages voluntary compliance by clearing space around the structure. The number of inspections performed is an indicator of the potential risk to the general public.
Reduce Homeless Pet Population
In an effort to reduce the population of homeless pets entering local animal shelters, the County aims to increase the accessibility of affordable spay/neuter services for both owned and homeless pets in the County.  The County tracks the number of spay/neuter surgeries performed at private veterinary clinics through the County’s low-cost spay/neuter program.
9-1-1 Emergency Call Answering
County 9-1-1 Communications strives to exceed the State’s mandated response time by answering more than 95% of 9-1-1 calls in 15 seconds or less.  Historically, mandated response times have been exceeded, and County 9-1-1 Communications aims to increase the percentage of calls answered within 15 seconds to serve the public and first responders better.  Call answer times are measured using data from California’s 9-1-1 Emergency Call Tracking System (ECaTS).
Impact of Reentry Efforts
The Office of Diversion and Reentry Services works to ensure that clients leaving the Reentry Resource Center understand what their next steps are and have all necessary information and direction to follow through on referrals to additional resources and services. To monitor their services, Reentry tracks the number of exit interviews and resulting exit plans using surveys.
Protecting Human Health: Number of Food Facilities Inspected, and Critical Hazard Violations Issued
The Public Health Department protects the health of people by ensuring safe food handling practices in the environments where people live, eat, and play. Staff visit food facilities throughout the county to educate and enforce the policies and practices of safe food handling. The Department tracks the number of food facilities inspected, and the number of critical hazard violations issued as an indicator to the potential risk avoided to the consumer.
Decrease the Total Number of Children Served in Out-of-home Placement
The Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) mission is to keep the children safe, families strong, and ensure that any child or youth who is at risk or has suffered abuse or neglect is safe, cared for, and grows up in a stable, loving family. The goal of the Department is to decrease the total number of children served in out-of-home placement by 20% each calendar year.
Increase Relative/NREFM Placements
The Department of Family and Children Services’ (DFCS) mission is to keep the children safe, families strong and ensure that any child or youth who is at risk or has suffered abuse or neglect is safe, cared for and grows up in a stable, loving family. It is the belief of the DFCS that if out-of-home placement for children and youth is necessary, placement with relatives or a non-related extended family member (NREFM) is the preferred resource and one that will maintain the child’s familial connection. The preferred placement option is one where children can be less impacted by trauma, where they can grow up in stable and loving family and where they are on a path to reaching their unique potential.
Diversion of Clients From Jail to Services Provided in the Community
The Behavioral Health Services Department measures the successful diversion of qualified clients from the jail system into Behavioral Health Criminal Justices Services programs that meet the needs of each qualified client. The goal is to increase the percentage of clients diverted from jail into appropriate levels of community-based services.
Victims per Person Crime Served
The Office of the District Attorney measures the number of new victims served in each year, as compared with the number of crimes against persons (homicide, assault, etc.) that the Office charges. The measure allows the Office to measure its success at ensuring that victims are aware of its services and take advantage of them.
Case Diversions and Deferrals per Case Referred 
The Office of the District Attorney tracks the number of criminal cases that were declined, diverted, or deferred from traditional prosecution, criminal court, and potential custody implications, as compared with the number of cases referred by law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution by the District Attorney’s Office.


Pretrial Case Indicators
The Office of Pretrial Services determines case success by three indicators:
  1. Safety (New law violations): Rate of cases that closed without Court revocation due to new crimes.
  2. Compliance: Rate of cases that closed without Court revocation due to violations of release conditions.
  3. Appearance: Rate of cases of that closed without Court revocation due to failures to appear in court.