The 2021 Berkeley gunfire map
Berkeley has had at least 35 confirmed gunfire calls in 2021. Last year at this time, there had been 24.
Crime & Safety
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Top Stories
Man with note robs Mechanics Bank in downtown Berkeley
The robber was described as a white man in his 60s wearing a dark blue jacket, surgical mask and shorts, police said.
3 shootings in 3 days: Police investigate gunfire Saturday outside 99 Cents store
Unlike the shootings on Thursday and Friday, there were no reported victims.
Woman shot Friday night in southwest Berkeley
It was the second person shot in the city in just two days.
Berkeley shooting sends teenage girl to hospital
BPD began getting reports of a shooting in the 1100 block of Channing Way, near Byron Street, just after 7:30 p.m.
How seniors and people with disabilities can prepare for wildfires
Issues with mobility, hearing, vision, frailty and intellectual or developmental disabilities make emergency preparedness more challenging. Preparation can help and may save lives.
Policing
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.
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.
Berkeley leaders demand more data about ‘militaristic’ police equipment
Data about where police use rifles, launchers and other “controlled” equipment will now be public. Officials said it’s a matter of racial justice.
Police should track mental health, homeless calls better, new audit says
The 80-page analysis — the first known assessment of its kind — was published Thursday by city auditor Jenny Wong.
Nationwide search for new Berkeley police chief expected to take 6 months
The city says the process will focus on finding diverse candidates and that it will involve robust community engagement.
‘Alarming’ crime uptick brings local leaders together for Zoom town hall
“We must employ a variety of tactics to deter, intervene and investigate crimes,” West Berkeley Councilmember Terry Taplin said during Wednesday’s Zoom.
Homicide
Family still grieves after Berkeley killing: ‘We’re nowhere near healed’
A court hearing this week was the latest reminder for Diante Craig’s family of a loss that continues to feel senseless.
Defendant in Berkeley road rage killing seeks release without bail
Hosea Askew does not dispute that he shot Diante Craig, 29, last year, but his account has shifted. Askew’s attorney says it was self-defense.
Berkeley homicide suspect who fled to Mexico in 2010 is back in jail
The Border Patrol arrested Kevin Alvarado in late July and sent him back to Alameda County to face murder charges.
$30,000 reward still on offer after Berkeley man’s unsolved killing
Patrick Demarco Scott Jr. was waiting for the bus near his Berkeley home when someone shot him repeatedly, killing him. He was on his way to see his grandmother.
Shootings
Update: Mother and son arrested after gunfire on Ninth Street
“I did it, I shot the gun off in the air,” the woman told officers when they arrived in northwest Berkeley on Monday night, according to BPD.
Police investigate daytime shoot-out in Berkeley on Saturday
The gunfire terrified parents in a nearby park. Councilmember Terry Taplin held a community meeting Sunday.
Update: Man shot in Berkeley is expected to survive; roadway is open
The man was shot in the arm, a witness told Berkeleyside. As of 7:45 p.m. Saturday, police said the roadway was open.
Crime log: Gunfire, burglary sting, hate crime attack with guitar, more
A man took matters into his own hands when thieves burglarized his home, and more in the latest crime roundup.
Update: Detectives make high-risk ‘gun violence’ arrest on Acton Street
At 7:15 a.m., police used a loudspeaker to call for the suspect to come outside, then made the arrest without incident.
Traffic safety
Hit-and-run crash killed man found in South Berkeley median, autopsy shows
The man’s death first appeared to have been due to a medical emergency. On Wednesday, police asked for help to find the driver who hit him.
2 drivers killed during fight over freeway crash when third man struck them
Authorities said the men had gotten out of their vehicles to argue about the collision and were standing in traffic when the other driver hit them.
Berkeley police offer $50,000 reward to help find driver from fatal hit-and-run
The vehicle was a “lowered, dark-color, mid 90’s sedan, with tinted windows (possibly a Nissan Altima),” police said.
BPD traffic officer seriously injured in crash on Sacramento Street
The driver was a teenage girl with out-of-state license plates, according to preliminary information.
Man struck in Berkeley crosswalk in alleged DUI crash has died, police say
“It hasn’t hit me yet,” his daughter told Berkeleyside this week. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do without him.”
Motorist who killed pedestrian was driving for DoorDash, lawsuit says
The family’s attorney has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against DoorDash and the driver. The attorney also plans to sue the city, alleging inadequate lighting and signage.
Fatalities
85-year-old woman who died in South Berkeley fire was joyous and candid
Ernestine Bankston was well-dressed, sharp and had a bright mind.
In brief
Woman who died in Berkeley apartment fire is identified
Ernestine Bankston, 85, was identified as the victim in the early morning fire, the coroner’s office reported.
Driver arrested on suspicion of DUI after striking pedestrian on San Pablo
A pedestrian suffered major injuries after being hit by a driver in a van on San Pablo Avenue on Thursday afternoon, police report.
Fires
East Bay park district disputes fire agency’s effort to dictate wildfire management policy
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District has cited the East Bay Regional Park District for code violations, but does it have authority to do so?
Wildfire season complicates efforts to keep Berkeley schools safe from COVID-19
On bad air days, schools are instructed to close windows and doors and let the air purifiers work. But during the pandemic, that solution comes with its own problems.
How to defend your Berkeley home from wildfire
How do you protect your property? What does the law require? What help is available? What if you rent? What do you need to know about fire insurance?
Crime trends
Cyclists report armed robberies of bikes while riding in the East Bay hills
“Our community needs to be made aware,” said a cyclist who asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is underway.
Police investigate robbery series that started in mid-March
Berkeley Police Chief Jen Louis said detectives have “some very promising investigative leads” and that she’s put extra officers on patrol.
Annual crime report sees shootings rise for the third straight year
The 2020 Berkeley crime report shows that shootings have risen as other crimes have dropped.
Berkeleyside interactive maps: Cyclist and pedestrian injury crashes in 2019
In recent weeks, Berkeleyside has been crunching the numbers for 11 months of injury-crash data from the Berkeley police. We’ve created interactive maps and pulled out highlights. Dive into the data.
Police review boards upheld 2 misconduct reports in 2018; 1 was overturned
Berkeley’s Police Review Commission sustained just two allegations of misconduct in 2018, and one was later overturned on appeal, according to the PRC’s annual report.
Sex crimes
Berkeley High alum, 19, posted stolen nude photos of underage girls online, police say
Police said Liam Burgmann also amassed more than 100 child pornography videos of youth between 3 and 12 years old.
A haunting photo led this yearbook teacher to uncover alleged sexual assaults at Berkeley High
Last March, Genevieve Mage saw a 2003 yearbook photo of her colleague Matthew Bissell inappropriately hugging a 17-year-old student. She couldn’t let it go.
Suit claims former Berkeley High teacher sexually assaulted students for years, district covered it up
Shortly before the suit was filed, a district Title IX investigation found that former chemistry teacher and football coach Matthew Bissell engaged in a years-long pattern of inappropriate behavior.
Trackers Bay camp counselor arrested in child pornography investigation
According to Trackers Bay, neither camp programs nor campers “are involved in this matter in any way.”
Assaults
Police: Man with knife shatters window at Bobby G’s Pizzeria, scares patrons
The man hurled two rocks, shattering the window and injuring a man’s shoulder, before he was arrested, police said.
Man charged with attempted sexual assault of UC Berkeley student
Gabriel Jordan is also facing separate rape charges from a 2019 attack in Oakland.
Berkeley crime log: Gunfire, Monterey Market carjacking attempt, more
Police are investigating an attempted carjacking outside Monterey Market, gunfire on Sacramento Street, and the violent attempted robbery of a dog during a walk on Channing Way.
Wanted man arrested after car chase; other stops net guns and drugs
Police reported several felony arrests this week and Berkeleyside also received multiple inquiries about an arrest Thursday night.
Disaster preparedness
Red Flag and Extreme Fire Weather warnings: What they are and why they matter
Bay Area fire officials and weather experts say getting residents to take the alerts seriously is an ongoing challenge — and has never been so important.
Last chance: Enter our ‘go bag’ photo contest to win a free air purifier
Submissions are due Monday. Snap a picture of your ‘go bag’ and tell us how you chose to pack it.
Ready, set, ‘go bag’! Enter Berkeleyside’s wildfire preparation photo contest
We’re looking for emergency supply kits packed safely, smartly and, if it’s your style, with a hint of creativity or even humor. Winner gets a free air purifier.
Berkeleyside’s wildfire guide: Everything you need to know to prepare for and survive wildfires
Preparation advice, evacuation guidance and answers to your questions about air quality, power outages and defending your property.
Recent stories
‘No questions asked’: $40K reward posted for return of stolen jewelry collection
There has been a series of burglaries targeting the jewelry collections of elderly residents in the Berkeley and Oakland hills, one of them told Berkeleyside.
