By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
The City is deploying some exciting new technologies in Newport Harbor to further maintain and improve water quality in the bay.
On Thursday, October 5, members of the City’s Water Quality and Coastal Tidelands Committee gathered at Marina Park for a demonstration of two new innovations: mobile trash-collection rovers and state-of-the-art water quality sensing buoys.
The trash rovers are autonomous drones that work like a vacuum on the water, collecting surface trash into a net before returning to the docks. The devices, made by Clean Earth Rovers, can also help clean pollutants such as oil or fuel spills with an attachment boom.
The rovers, which have a 20-hour battery life, can be guided manually or programmed to follow certain routes where trash tends to collect. The City plans to purchase two rovers in the coming months, with the cost largely paid through a grant from the Orange County Transportation Authority.
Committee members were also briefed on the City’s new water quality sensing buoys, or DataPods, which were installed in the harbor in late August. Also developed by Clean Earth Rovers, the buoys are equipped with technology that allows for real-time monitoring of water quality data essential for maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.
The buoys can detect and report changes in water quality in real-time, which is transmitted via cellular signal to a central computer system monitored by the Harbor Department. With the ability to continuously monitor and collect data on key water quality metrics such as temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH levels, City staff can address any issues more quickly and effectively.
Together with the City’s other water-quality efforts, including the Newport Bay Trash Interceptor now under construction, these new technologies will significantly enhance the City’s ability to maintain and improve Newport Harbor’s water quality.
Thank you to our Water Quality and Coastal Tidelands Committee members for their commitment to improving Newport Beach’s aquatic environments, our Harbor and Public Works department teams for their leadership, and Clean Earth Rovers for their partnership.
Police Arrest Two Suspects in Connection with Homicide
On Tuesday, Oct. 3, Newport Beach police arrested two people on suspicion on homicide and robbery following an incident that led to the death of a 46-year-old Newport Beach resident.
On Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1:36 a.m., Newport Beach Police Department officers responded to a call of a man on the ground and bleeding in the area of 34th Street and Seashore Drive. Officers located the victim, who appeared to have a stab wound, and he was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. NBPD officers, detectives and Crime Scene Investigation personnel immediately launched an extensive homicide investigation in collaboration with several other Orange County agencies.
The investigation led to the arrests of Randolph Aguirre, 55, and Desirre Aguirre, 30, in the City of Brea. Both suspects are now in custody.
We understand the impact that violent crimes have on our community, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that those responsible are held accountable. The incident appears to be confined to this location and investigators have no reason to believe there is an ongoing threat to public safety.
The victim was identified as Robert A. Tamaccio, 46, of Newport Beach.
Anyone with information or who witnessed the crime is asked to contact Detective R. Stucken at (949) 644-3797.
NBPD Joins Local Students for National Walk to School Day
Newport Beach Police Department officers joined students from Mariners and Newport Coast Elementary Schools for “National Walk and Roll to School Day” on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
The event highlights the benefits of exercise and practicing pedestrian and road safety with other students, families and caregivers.
National Walk and Roll to School Day “is a great opportunity for families to get outside and get moving together,” NBPD Lt. Eric Little said. “Walking, biking, skateboarding or scootering to school not only provides exercise, but it also helps promote the importance of safe routes to schools.”
The NBPD offers the following tips for students who walk, bike or roll to school:
- Plan your route on roads with sidewalks or paths away from traffic. If there are no sidewalks, walk or ride as far from cars as possible, facing traffic.
- Use crosswalks, preferably at stop signs or signals. If there are unmarked crosswalks, cross at corners on streets with fewer lanes and lower speed limits.
- Always look left-right-left before crossing the street. Continue to scan for traffic as you cross the street.
- Watch for cars entering/leaving driveways or parking spaces.
- Always wear a helmet when riding or rolling.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Keep earbud or headphone volume low enough so you can still hear around you.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week, the Be Well team:
- Transported a person to a crisis stabilization facility to resolve a mental health crisis.
- Transported two people to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for intake appointments and one person to a temporary church shelter.
- Transported a person to a hospital for treatment after resolving a mental health crisis.
- Transported a person to a bus stop to return home to another county after resolving a mental health crisis.
To reach Be Well: The mobile crisis team is dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request service, dial 911 or call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (949) 644-3717.
Homelessness Update
This week the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Continued to shelter people. Twenty people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Enrolled two clients into the Housing Choice Vouchers program and completed their paperwork.
- Enrolled a client into the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program and collaborated with their outreach worker to review their case.
- Transported a client to the hospital for medical treatment.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City’s homeless response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
Click here for information on the City’s Good Giving program: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/how-you-can-help.
