Each week, the City Manager’s Office provides an update that includes information on programs, services and issues within the City, as well as news, project updates and follow-up information when necessary.
Get up to speed on what’s going on in Coronado with this preview of the latest edition of the Coronado City Manager’s Weekly Update and some bullet points below. Read more detailed information on the City’s website.
- Pokémon Go Craze: They are at Coronado parks, the Library and the beach. They are everywhere lately: people looking intently at their cell phones walking around “catching” Pokémon characters using a popular new app. The Pokémon Go app puts Pokémon in real physical locations and players search for them at all times of the day and night. The app has been downloaded on more than 1 million smart phones since its release July 7. In recent days, there have been news reports of people trespassing, getting injured and even robbed. The City’s Police Department has received some calls from residents about people behaving suspiciously when they are actually playing the game. As more people know about the game, the more popular it appears to be. The City is letting people know about the game, how people look when playing it, and urging players to be aware of their surroundings. Don’t play alone at night or in unfamiliar areas. Don’t play and drive. Be careful about trespassing on private property, and don’t be so distracted that you don’t see obstacles in front of you. The City wants people to have fun but to be aware of their surroundings.
- Polo on the Beach: The Hotel del Coronado is hosting a two-day beach polo weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, September 3-4. The Hotel Del has partnered with Polo America to bring two polo games per day to the sand in front of the hotel on its private property. Coronado has a long history of polo that dates back to the early 1900’s when the City had its own polo field. The City is not a sponsor of the event but is working with organizers to ensure the event has the required permits and inspections of structures for the tents and stages that are planned.
- Police Activity: It was a busy week for Police Officers and dispatchers this week. The following three major incidents were reported:
- On Thursday, July 14, at 12:35 p.m., Police dispatchers received a call of an injured skateboarder in the 900 block of Tenth Street. Officers arrived to find a 17-year-old boy in the road. Witnesses said he was riding his skateboard while holding onto the side of a car as it traveled between 20-30 mph east on Tenth. The skateboarder lost control and fell backwards on the road. Coronado Firefighter/Paramedics transported the boy to a San Diego area hospital. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.It appears that the teen driver, and his passengers, knew the victim. The 900 block of Tenth Street was closed for approximately three hours due to the investigation.
- On Wednesday, July 13, at 8 a.m., Police dispatchers received a call that a vehicle had hit a parked car on Fourth Street as it exited Naval Base Coronado. The vehicle did not stop and continued to Orange Avenue even as officers attempted to stop the vehicle. The suspect failed to pull over, and then continued northbound on Orange. At one point, the driver attempted to drive northbound in the southbound lanes. The vehicle then hit a road sign on First Street in front of Centennial Park. The driver continued westbound in the eastbound lanes of First Street before hitting three parked cars head-on at D Avenue. Officers removed the non-compliant, injured driver from the car without incident, where he was placed in handcuffs and then transported to a San Diego area hospital for injuries he suffered in the collision. He will be charged with hit and run and driving under the influence of a synthetic drug.
- On Monday, July 11, at 5:30 a.m., an officer was flagged down near the San Diego-Coronado Bridge toll plaza by a motorist who reported that another driver had pointed a hand gun at him. The reporting party pointed out the vehicle as it drove through the toll lanes. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop near the 500 block of Fifth Street. The vehicle failed to yield and accelerated to speeds at more than 80 mph down southbound Orange Avenue, where it sideswiped another motorist. The driver continued southbound on Silver Strand Highway at upwards of 100 miles per hour, when the vehicle’s front tire went flat. The driver eventually pulled over just south of Cays Boulevard and was taken into custody. Officers found an Airsoft replica handgun and brass knuckles in the driver’s possession. He was charged with Felony Evading, Threatening with a Replica Firearm, and Hit and Run. He was transported to San Diego County Jail. The victim in the hit and run incident was not injured.
- Pets and Hot Cars Do Not Mix: At 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, Police Services Officer Steven Snodgrass received a call for service about a dog locked in a car in the 1100 block of Isabella Avenue. Officer Snodgrass arrived to find the dog in distress. Luckily, he was able to get the dog out safely and take it to PAWS for safe keeping. Even though temperatures outside were around 70 degrees at the time, it was 105 degrees inside the car. The owner left water inside the car and cracked the windows, but temperatures can rise dramatically in just a few minutes. Sadly, officers respond to calls for pets in hot cars all too often. Please leave your pets at home while running errands.
For the complete City Manager’s Update, visit the City’s website.
