Our first Red Phone caller of the week, a prudent and
health-conscious young woman, asked the Crimson Crusader where to
go for free STD testing. The Crimson Crusader made a few calls and
found out that San Benito County doesn’t offer free STD testing.
But fret not, dear caller, cheap, but not free, STD testing is
available in Hollister.
Our first Red Phone caller of the week, a prudent and health-conscious young woman, asked the Crimson Crusader where to go for free STD testing. The Crimson Crusader made a few calls and found out that San Benito County doesn’t offer free STD testing. But fret not, dear caller, cheap, but not free, STD testing is available in Hollister.
The Crimson Crusader made a call to Katie Desmond, the public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Marmonte. Desmond said Planned Parenthood, a leading sexual and reproductive health advocate and provider, can help. Planned Parenthood makes weekly visits to several Hollister medical facilities. It offers a sliding scale for testing based on income. All tests cost less than $50, Desmond said.
Planned Parenthood has two clinics in Hollister, but neither are full-service facilities. Family Resource Center, at 321 San Felipe Road, is open from 5:30-7:30pm Wednesdays and from 2-5pm Thursdays. Monterey Plaza Medical, at 910 Monterey St., is open from 5:30-7:30pm Thursdays.
Report Resource
Our next Red Phone caller recently had his car burglarized and asked the Crimson Crusader how to obtain an incident report from the Hollister Police Department. The Crimson Crusader knows that being a victim of a crime can be difficult, confusing and sometimes frustrating. The Crimson Crusader made a quick call to Josie Cruz, a police services officer at the Hollister Police Department to assist our caller.
Cruz said crime victims and those involved in traffic accidents need to drop by the Hollister Police Department at 395 Apollo Way. The department is open to the public from 8am to 4pm Monday through Friday. A copy of an incident report costs $7, Cruz said. Those in need of more than one copy should be prepared to spend $7 for each copy. Cruz said crime victims and those involved in traffic accidents can also have their insurance company contact the police department for copies of incident reports.
The friendly men and women of the Hollister Police Department will gladly accept cash, checks and money orders, but don’t take plastic, Cruz said. Incident reports take time to complete and aren’t always ready immediately, she said. Some reports can take two weeks to complete, but Cruz said many are available sooner. Also, keep in mind that not everyone is allowed to get copies of an incident report. Those under investigation for crime may be denied copies of an incident report. And some reports, depending on the nature of the crime, are not allowed to be released under California law. Cruz also said Hollister Police Department police preclude the release of arrest reports.
