Berkeley looks at $7M earmark for expanded mental health services
Most of the money is for a new Specialized Care Unit that would respond instead of armed police to people in crisis.
Emilie Raguso
Emilie Raguso (senior editor, news) joined the Berkeleyside team in 2012. She covers politics, public safety and development. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist of the Year by the SPJ NorCal board. In 2021, she won SPJ NorCal's longform journalism award (print, small division) for her investigation into the death of Gulf War veteran Michael Hermon after he was attacked in Santa Rita Jail. Her reporting on homelessness has also been recognized by SPJ NorCal, and she has been part of the Berkeleyside team to win Community Journalism awards from SPJ NorCal three times. Emilie previously launched and ran community news site Albany Patch in Albany, California. Her stories have appeared on the New York Times website, Salon and NPR.
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Articles by Emilie
Police: Man with Molotov cocktails, machete arrested again in Berkeley
Police had been looking for Marty Schwind for a week, BPD said, after he had reportedly thrown a Molotov cocktail at a passing train.
2 men found dead in downtown Berkeley park, 1 man hospitalized
Police do not believe foul play was involved.
Homelessness, public safety, fire safety, arts top of mind in budget talks
The mayor has scheduled a “Budget 101” town hall for Tuesday, June 8.
Berkeley crime log: San Pablo Park gunfire, hate crime arrests, more
Police are reporting three more hate crime arrests in May, and there’s a new community survey out to seek input about the PRC.
Berkeley parents ask for safer streets after fatal crash near Cragmont school
As of this week, police say they still don’t know what caused the May 11 collision, which killed two people.
Plans firm up to remove police from traffic stops, but it’s a long road ahead
State law does not currently allow civilian traffic enforcement, but Berkeley is working to change that.
The 2021 Berkeley gunfire map
Berkeley has had 16 confirmed gunfire calls in 2021. Last year at this time, there had been six.
Police investigate parked car struck by gunfire in northwest Berkeley
Police found bullet holes in a white sedan, and believe there were people inside the car when the gunfire broke out.
Patron threatens staff, fires gun outside Cornerstone bar
“Some people just thought it was kind of a joke and were not taking it seriously,” one patron said. “Some people started getting really scared and started calling family.”
Survey: Help shape ‘new paradigm of public safety’ in Berkeley
Now is the time to have your say about what policing in Berkeley should look like — especially if you’re not big on public meetings.
Man, 28, faces felony sex crime charges after Berkeley assault
Christopher Szabo has a long list of arrests in Alameda County dating back to 2015, according to records online.
Police: Man arrested in the Elmwood after chasing girl, 8
The man had recently been arrested, police said, after entering a secure playground area at an Elmwood neighborhood church “and threatening to take the children.”
Man arrested after home invasion, attempted rape in Berkeley RV
Hugo Espinoza was on probation at the time of his arrest and, as of publication time, remains in custody, according to court records online.
Crime log: Antisemitic hate crimes, violent robbery at Ohlone Park, more
Police arrested a man in connection with a series of antisemitic hate crimes in Berkeley, a local resident found a gun in his yard and more.
Felon charged with stalking, gunfire in Berkeley
During the operation to arrest the man, police said they found a fully-automatic “ghost gun” with a loaded extended magazine hidden in his car.
