Earlier this year, the Berkeley Police Department relaunched its monthly newsletter to let community members know about notable arrests and incidents, as well as crime prevention tips and safety resources.
Along with beat maps and police contacts for each neighborhood, the newsletter highlights arrests and open cases in Berkeley from the prior month. The third edition of the newsletter came out Friday.
Help from the community
In the publication, police ask for help from residents related to several cases, including the homicide of Zontee Jones on Feb. 4. Police continue to work the case, but ask anyone who might have information about the incident to call the department’s homicide detail at 510-981-5741.
Police also released information, including surveillance photos, about two property crime cases last month. On Feb. 19 at 4:15 p.m., the man pictured above allegedly stole money from Chipotle Restaurant on Telegraph Avenue.
On Feb. 22, police say the people pictured to the left worked together to steal wallets from shoppers at Berkeley Bowl West. Police said the woman would distract customers so the man could steal wallets from women who had set a purse down in the shopping cart.
Police asked residents with information about the suspects in the Chipotle or Berkeley Bowl incidents to get in touch by calling the Property Crimes Unit at 510-981-5737.
Noteworthy arrests
Police also included narratives in the newsletter about several arrests during February.
On Feb. 4, police said a woman in the 1300 block of Grizzly Peak Boulevard woke at 2:15 a.m. when someone rang her doorbell and, soon afterward, tried to break into her home. The woman saw someone drive away from her house after ringing the bell and banging on her gate. The driver returned several minutes later with two other people, and the woman called the Berkeley Police Department. Police responded quickly and ultimately arrested all three people, according to the newsletter.
On Feb. 10, police arrested two auto burglars following reports from community members who noticed suspicious activity. In the first case, which took place in the afternoon, a worker in the 700 block of Allston Way heard glass breaking, then saw a man reaching into the window of a parked vehicle. Police responded and Officer John Ettare arrested the burglar in connection with the Allston Way incident, along with the burglaries of two other vehicles nearby.
In the second instance, a resident spotted a man on San Mateo Road walking up and down a dead-end street at night trying the door handles of parked vehicle. The resident called police, and watched the man as he found an unlocked automobile and rummaged through it. Police responded and Officer Derek Radey found the man hiding under a pick-up truck. Radey arrested him on suspicion of auto burglary and prowling.
Other helpful information
The March newsletter also contains information about how to make anonymous crime tips; municipal codes related to “problem parties”; prevention tips about graffiti and burglars; and city and police contact information. One section describes how to make online crime reports for certain types of incidents.
Two events are coming up in April related to public safety. On April 17, the Berkeley Safe Neighborhoods Committee will have its annual meeting for neighborhood block captains. On April 27, there’s a city-wide emergency exercise to help residents prepare for an earthquake. (Stay tuned to Berkeleyside for more information about the emergency exercise, and see the newsletter for basic details about both events.)
Residents can sign up to receive the monthly police newsletter by sending an email to police@cityofberkeley.info, or to their local beat officer. The newsletter is also posted online on the Police Department website.
Related
Berkeley Police Department Neighborhood Update, Issue 1
Berkeley Police Department Neighborhood Update, Issue 2
Berkeley Police Department Neighborhood Update, Issue 3
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