Jim Smith, 81, also worked as a mail handler and served as vice president of the Berkeley Property Owners Association.
Berkeley Safe Neighborhoods Committee
Posted inCrime & Safety
More than 80% of Berkeley officers have looked to leave BPD, cop union says
Available Berkeley police staffing is down to 135 officers, and 80% of the department is investigating whether to leave, a Berkeley Police Association rep said Monday night.
Posted inCrime & Safety
Gangs in Berkeley: Police break silence
This week, for the first time ever, Berkeley police were given carte blanche to speak openly about gang activity in town, and what can be done to help those who may be drawn to it.
Posted inSchools
After initial stumble, police and schools aim to team up
Representatives from BUSD and the School Board — Superintendent Donald Evans, Susan Craig and Ty Alper — ask the community for feedback about its policy related to sharing information with police. Photo: Emilie Raguso Representatives from BUSD and the School Board — Superintendent Donald Evans, Susan Craig and Ty Alper — ask the community for feedback about […]
Posted inCommunity
Neighbors, police vow new push on crime prevention
Community members and police met Monday night to discuss crime prevention efforts. Photo: Emilie Raguso A Berkeley community group focused on crime prevention pledged to up its game Monday night, and representatives from the Police Department said they plan to ramp up their own collaboration with neighbors. Those efforts may be particularly important given the double-digit increase […]
Posted inCommunity
Partying at UC Berkeley may have just gotten harder
A large crowd of Halloween revelers gathered in Berkeley in what officials described as a riot. Photo: David Yee Citing a riot on Halloween and three alcohol-related deaths near the UC Berkeley campus in recent years, Berkeley officials approved new rules Tuesday night to address rowdy parties and other problems associated with group housing widely […]
Posted inCrime
Berkeley schools, police, city join forces on youth crime
A tree outside the Berkeley Zen Center that became a memorial after one of its members was killed in broad daylight last fall. Authorities say a Berkeley Technology Academy student was responsible for the fatal attack. Photo: Emilie Raguso A tree outside the Berkeley Zen Center that became a memorial after one of its members was killed in broad […]
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley neighbors take on ‘noisy and drunken parties’
Residents, city staff and representatives from UC Berkeley met Monday to discuss parties around campus. Photo: Emilie Raguso Dozens of concerned neighbors met Monday night at the Berkeley Police Department to strategize about how to cut down on “noisy and drunken disturbances,” particularly in Berkeley’s Southside neighborhood. The city of Berkeley is working on an […]
Posted inCity, Community, Crime & Safety
Mental health calls #1 drain on Berkeley police resources
Thirty-five percent of calls to the Berkeley Police Department are for people who are having a mental health crisis. Here, police officers restrained a man who was later taken for a mental health evaluation as two mental health workers (left), try to calm him down. Photo: Emilie Raguso Responding to people with mental health issues […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Berkeley police captain to become Benicia chief
Capt. Erik Upson. Photo: Berkeley Police After 17 years with the Berkeley Police Department, Capt. Erik Upson has been selected to run police services in Benicia beginning later this month. Upson announced the move internally Monday, and the city of Benicia followed up with an official statement Tuesday. He is set to begin his new job as […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Always on call: Inside the Berkeley Police dispatch center
What makes a dispatcher tick? Berkeleyside spent six hours in the comm center to find out. Photo: Emilie Raguso For most people in crisis, the first point of contact for help is not the officer or the firefighter, but a voice on the phone line. A missing loved one, a car crash, a harrowing encounter with a […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeley Police crime alert experiment underway
A pilot program by the Berkeley Police Department to send out email and text alerts using a web-based service called Nixle has been live for about two weeks. Nearly 2,000 people have signed up for the service, and the Police Department has sent out eight notices since the launch of the program May 1. The […]
