If you see a Palo Alto police cruiser passing by, the odds are that the cruiser can also see you, even if the officers inside are gazing in the opposite direction. The Palo Alto Police Department has recently installed new video systems on dozens of cruisers, replacing the recording systems that were first installed on police vehicles in 2006. In addition to the usual enhancements one can expect with video upgrades -- high-definition video and high-fidelity audio -- the new recording systems hav...

Dennis Neverve, Palo Alto's longest-serving police officer, died of an apparent heart attack Sunday March 2nd, one day before he was set to receive a proclamation from the city council. He was 70. Palo Alto police Chief Dennis Burns said the force was reeling from Neverve's death. Friends and family remembered Neverve as an old-school cop who was well-liked and respected. "Within the community, I think a lot of people knew him because he was just a hardworking guy who came to work every day, who...

What Is MDMA? (aka Ecstasy or Molly) “Ecstasy” and "Molly" are slang terms for MDMA, short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a name that’s nearly as long as the all-night parties where MDMA is often used. That's why MDMA has been called a “club drug.” It has effects similar to those of other stimulants, and it often makes the person feel like everyone is his or her friend, even when that’s not the case. MDMA is man-made—it doesn't come from a plant like marijuana or tobacco do. Other c...