The patrolling guards are trained to de-escalate violent activity, assist police with arrests and act as a buffer for smaller crimes, in addition to providing hospitality.
Downtown Berkeley Ambassadors
Posted inCity
Berkeley program focused on work aims to offer lifeline to the homeless
The Streets Team program provides work experience to people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless with the goal that it will help them land paid employment.
Posted inSchools
Vandalism, crime cause problems at Allston Way Garage
When lunchtime at Berkeley High rolls around at 11:38 a.m., the gate on the Allston side of the Allston Way Garage comes down. Security guards stand sentry. The gate is not pushed back up until the lunch hour is over at 12:18 p.m. Even though the closed gate is an inconvenience for potential parkers, the […]
Posted inCommunity
Faith groups to sleep on street to support city’s homeless
A group representing more than 40 Berkeley religious congregations will gather tonight to show its support for the city’s homeless population in the wake of proposed new laws that they say would criminalize the homeless, as well as an incident, caught on video, in which a downtown “ambassador” assaulted a homeless man last month. Some participants plan to sleep overnight on BART […]
Posted inCrime
Case dismissed against 2 homeless men after review of Berkeley beating video
The Alameda County district attorney’s office has dismissed the case against two men who pleaded guilty to battery charges last week. The decision came after authorities reviewed a video that showed an interaction, between the men and two Downtown Berkeley Association workers, that began as a verbal altercation and took a violent turn. In the video — which has […]
Posted inCommunity
Activists, homeless demand end to campaign of ‘brutality’
One day after a video that showed a Downtown Berkeley Association ambassador assaulting a homeless man went viral, a group of activists held an action to denounce what they consider an ongoing pattern of harassment against those living on the streets. The group of about 20 protesters held a press conference Friday, March 27, near the […]
Posted inCrime
2 men take plea deals after 1 is beaten on video
Update, April 1: The Alameda County district attorney’s office has revisited the case, dropped the charges against both men, and had a judge declare them factually innocent. See the update. Original story, March 27: Two homeless men shown on video in a heated interaction that turned violent, when a Downtown Berkeley Association staffer appeared to punch one of the […]
Posted inCrime
Video: Downtown Berkeley worker assaults homeless man
A Downtown Berkeley Association ambassador assaulted a homeless man Thursday evening behind CVS in what appears to be a violent incident that was captured on video. That homeless man and an associate were arrested by the Berkeley Police Department before the video came to light. After reviewing the video this week, police asked the district attorney’s office to […]
Posted inCommunity, Crime & Safety, Nature
Two boar heads found in separate locations in Berkeley
Berkeley residents reported finding two boars’ heads and skin pelts in two separate locations Monday morning. The boar-skin pelts were found in front of Black & White liquor store on Adeline and Emerson, and in front of Herbivore restaurant on Shattuck and Haste. Police officers arrived at the former location — which is also very close to vegetarian restaurant […]
Posted inCommunity
Missing at-risk San Jose man found safe in Berkeley
Larry Morris. Photo: San Jose Police A mentally disabled man from San Jose who’s been missing since mid-August was found in downtown Berkeley on Thursday evening, apparently trying to take BART to Fremont. The man was found by a Downtown Berkeley Association manager who was heading home from work. Lance Gorée said he’d learned about the […]
Posted inCommunity
Downtown Berkeley ambassadors help, monitor homeless
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Carmen Francois was on a mission. “We’re supposed to say hi to 60 people in 60 minutes,” she said. Francois, one of Berkeley’s downtown “ambassadors,” didn’t have any trouble meeting the quota. She ducked into businesses and greeted employees by name, asking if they had any safety issues. She waved […]