This is a partial list of recent crimes in Berkeley based on information from the Berkeley Police Department and the UC Berkeley Police Department.
See also BPD’s weekly calls for service and the San Francisco Chronicle’s regularly published list of arrests in Berkeley. For other sources of information on crime in Berkeley see Community CrimeView and Crimemapping.com.
February 14th:
Residential Burglary via likely unlocked front door – 1600 block of Ward Street – #2012-8290
On Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at approximately 10:32 a.m., a BPD Patrol Sergeant assigned himself to a call for service in the queue. He went to the 1600 block of Ward Street and learned that sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. the day before (February 13th) an unknown suspect or suspect accessed the victim’s bedroom and stole a MacBook. The young woman said that the door to the home is often left often for a number of reasons. The Sergeant located the serial number of the computer the next day and was able to enter into APS – Automated Property System – a searchable database of stolen property.
Burglary to Business – 2100 block of Allston Way – #2012-8452
Sometime between Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at about 10:00 p.m. and Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at about 8:35 a.m., an unknown suspect or suspects entered a business located in the 2100 block of Allston Way via either a key or an unlocked door. They prowled the interior and stole a gray register and cash. The BPD officer who handled the preliminary investigation called a BPD CSI to process the business for anything of evidentiary value. This investigation is ongoing.
Burglary of a Commercial Property – 800 Block of University Avenue -#2012-8285
On Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at about 9:43 a.m., a property manager called BPD to report a burglary of a property that the company she works for owns and manages. Sometime between 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 10, 2012 and the time she called, an unknown suspect or suspects smashed a glass pane and smashed through some drywall to access the interior of the building. The suspect or suspects stole an unknown quantity of copper wire and fixtures from the interior and copper piping from the exterior. A member of BPD CSI was called by the BPD patrol officer to process the scene.
February 15th:
Car Stop Turns to Gun Arrest – Harmon & King Streets – #2012-8512
On Wednesday, February 15, 2012, BPD Drug Task Force officers made a traffic enforcement stop of a car that did not stop at a stop sign at Harmon and King Streets. Officers talked to the two occupants and smelled a strong smell of burnt marijuana coming from inside the passenger compartment. The driver of the car, an Oakland man, told officers that there was a gun in the car. Officers removed him and the passenger, a Richmond man, from the car. Officers conducted a probable cause search of the car and found a .45 caliber, semi-automatic pistol in the backseat. Officers also found 2 loaded magazines next to the gun. Officers ran records checks which revealed that the passenger is active to CDC parole for robbery and the gun was confirmed to have been stolen during a residential burglary in Oakland. The DTF officers arrested both the driver and passenger for multiple weapons violations in addition to a parole violation of the passenger and booked them into the BPD Jail.
Vehicle Stolen – 1100 Block of Page Street #2012- 8444
On Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at about 7:53 a.m., a community member called BPD to report that his wife’s car had been stolen. The handling officer learned that the 1997 black Mazda Miata had been parked at about 8:00 p.m. the evening before in the driveway of the home in the 1100 block of Page Street. Sometime overnight, between 8:00 pm and 7:30 a.m., an unknown suspect or suspects stole the car. The officer documented the auto theft then entered the car into SVS. (Stolen Vehicle System)
Tree Branch Falls & Damages Parked Car – 3200 block of Adeline – #2012-8475
On Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at about 10:05 a.m., a community member called to document some city liability. A BPD officer responded to the 3200 block of Adeline and met the caller outside a business. He told the officer that he legally parked his wife’s 2007 Black Lexus ES350 and moments later heard a crash while in a business. He looked outside and saw that a large tree branch fell from a city Evergreen Pear tree and landed on the hood, windshield and roof, causing moderate to major damage to the car. The officer called the City of Berkeley Forestry Dept who sent a crew to cut the branch and haul it away. A BPD CSI took some photographs of the tree and the car.
City of Berkeley Police snapshots:
- BPD currently has 162 police officers. This includes all ranks.
- Between Monday, February 13, 2012 at 6:30 a.m. and Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 4:20 p.m., BPD officers responded and investigated 29 calls for service of audible home or business alarms and 3 calls for service of silent alarms. All were deemed secure, human error, wrong codes, no codes for workers etc.
- Between Monday, February 13, 2012 at 6:30 a.m. and Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 4:20 p.m., BPD officers responded and investigated 52 calls for service classified as “disturbances.” These calls ranged from yelling, verbal arguments, fights, unknown noises, refusing to pay for coffee and other assorted issues.
