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Mountain View Police Department
1000 Villa Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
650/903-6344
Directions & Map
Hours
General Business:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.)
Walk-in Crime Reports:
7 a.m. - 7 p.m. (7 days)
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As a parent or caregiver, you have a tremendous influence on your child's life. Your constant and caring involvement can help inspire your child to make healthy drug-free choices. Drug and alcohol abuse is one of the most preventable adolescent health issues today. It is indiscriminate and cuts across race, gender and economic lines. It is a health issue for you, your child, and your family.
Unfortunately, drugs are available in every community to some degree. The police put dealers out of business by arrest and conviction, at least temporarily. But as long as there is a demand for drugs, new sellers appear. The source lies in market demand, which comes from our lifestyles, genetics, brain chemistry, mental health, and how we respond to stress. For the most part, law enforcement cannot address these root causes. However, as a community working together, we can reduce both the availability to children and the overall supply. We can also create community activities and programs for youth that take the place of drugs and alcohol.
Please Report Drug Activity
One of the best ways to reduce drug sales is for people to report it when it occurs. You can report suspicious activity anonymously on MVPD's Drug Tip Hotline (650/961-5800), or via email. Being able to identify the source of a tip can be helpful if we have follow-up questions, but anonymous tips help us identify and arrest drug sellers, too.
Not So Victimless Crime
Drug use is not a 'victimless' crime. On the contrary - drug users endanger the safety and well-being of society. They commit crimes under the influence of drugs and are responsible for a majority of violent crimes. Drug users place non-drug users at risk and cause considerable societal harm. Drug users harass and disrupt the public peace, commit crimes while under the influence, cause accidents and create unhealthy conditions. They destroy families and take rights and freedoms away from law-abiding citizens.
By raising our children as well as we can, and getting counseling assistance for them if they're troubled, we can reduce the likelihood that drugs will interest our children. We can also set a positive example by not using drugs and by using alcohol responsibly. Unfortunately, these measures aren't always enough and often we're not even aware there's a problem until the child is already using drugs.
The sooner we know that a child is having an emotional problem and/or a drug problem, the sooner we can intervene. It's important for parents to be aware of the signs of drug use and get to know the people in a child's life.
Does My Child Have a Drug or Alcohol Problem?
Unfortunately, you cannot assume that your child is drug-free because s/he is getting good grades, is obedient at home, goes to church, works for charity, or is generally a "good" kid. While it may be difficult to maintain this behavior as a serious addict, occasional or moderate users may continue to be functional for a long time.
Here are some indicators that a kid may be using drugs:- Alcohol disappearing from home.
- Breath mints/gum, incense use to cover smells.
- Low hats, hair, Visine® to cover eyes.
- Unable get up on time or return home on time.
- Making excuses.
- Hiding things in their rooms/elsewhere.
- Disappearing allowance.
- Change in usual spending habits.
- Paraphernalia.
- White powder on CD cases, dashboards, mirrors.
- Sudden weight loss.
- Abnormal perspiration.
- Pale skin.
- Dark circles.
- Shaky hands.
- Skipping school/falling grades.
- Sudden mood and/or energy shifts.
- Stealing or other petty crimes.
- Stop bringing friends home.
Talking to Children about Drugs
When your child needs help, talk is your strongest tool. Remember that children are more likely to listen and respond when parents have open discussions about tough issues. Getting angry often makes children shut down and avoid you. You can set a good example by having honest conversations about your concerns. If your child stops talking to you, your ability to change his or her behavior will be dramatically reduced. If you feel that you are 'at war' with your child, you may need family counseling to improve the situation.
What to do if you suspect your child has a drug or alcohol problem- Remove the child from both drug sources and situations where they use drugs.
- Provide counseling and, if necessary, medical care. Unfortunately, love and/or discipline don't eradicate emotional problems and drug use. Counseling is usually necessary. It's difficult to beat addictive drugs even with professional assistance. Without it, a child is facing long odds. There are many non-profit organizations that can help both you and your child with drug-related problems, including the Community Health Awareness Council and other community organizations.
- Never stop listening to your child. If you do, your child will stop listening to you. It's easy in a crisis to feel that tough talk or setting hard limits are more important than listening, but listening may give you important clues about how to help. You may learn that simple changes in the home environment or family's lifestyle might greatly help your child take a healthier path.
DARE: In-school Drug Prevention
MVPD's School Resource Officers go to grades 5, 7 and 9 each year to teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program. This nationwide program provides accurate information about drugs. DARE teaches kids both why and how to say no to friends who encourage them to use drugs. Additionally, School Resource Officers make themselves available to students to answer questioins or have one-on-one conversations about drugs, crime or anything that is troubling them. | | Young Drinkers
"People who drink before they're 15 are four times as likely to be alcohol-dependent or have alcohol problems when they're adults." Newsweek, 5/10/04
 Drugs Used by Children in Mountain View- Alcohol
- Tobacco
- Marijuana
How Kids Get Drugs- Take from parents/relatives.
- Steal.
- Gift from friends/relatives.
- Buy directly from drug dealer.
- Legal substances: an older person buys it for them.
- Legal substances: fake or borrowed ID.
Drug Tip Hotline
(Anonymous)
650/961-5800
Email
School Resource Officer
Ron Cooper
650/903-6712
More Police Contacts |
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Who should I contact if I see an unidentified substance that might be an illegal drug?
Unless the substance is posing an immediate risk to someone's safety, contact the police non-emergency response line: 650/903-6395. In an emergency, always call 9-1-1.
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