Four pedestrians struck by drivers, a bizarre case of alleged arson, and much more in this week’s crime blotter.
Mental health
Posted inCrime
Woman charged after setting toilet paper rolls on fire
Berkeley City Hall. Photo: Google Maps A woman who lit two toilet paper rolls on fire at Berkeley’s City Hall while a man in a wheelchair was using the restroom has been charged with a misdemeanor by the Alameda County district attorney’s office. Dawn Carraway, 25 — who has no listed home address — told police […]
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
BART promotes suicide prevention line as incidents spike
Mental health advocate Kevin Hines speaks in front of the new BART signage listing the Suicide Lifeline Number. Photo: Seung Y. Lee BART hosted a press conference in its downtown Berkeley station Tuesday to announce a new campaign to combat a recent spike in suicides on its train tracks. By mid-March, there had already been six crashes and five fatalities, […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeleyside blotter: Crime in Berkeley, March 12-18
Selected calls to the Berkeley Police, via CrimeMapping.com. Scroll down for detailed maps. Click the map above for the list. See the map key here. This overview of recent crime in Berkeley is based on reports to the Berkeley Police unless otherwise noted. Please don’t hesitate to share photos, videos or tips, about breaking news or neighborhood safety issues, via email at crime@berkeleyside.com or on Facebook or Twitter; […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeley police defuse disturbance on Woolsey
The approximate location (accurate only to the block level) of Friday’s call on Woolsey. Image: Google maps The approximate location (accurate only to the block level) of Friday’s call on Woolsey. Image: Google maps Police have detained one man after he reportedly challenged officers to a confrontation in South Berkeley on Friday morning. Berkeley Police […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Man tries to jump in front of BART train in Berkeley
Two people have been rescued from the tracks since Saturday at the North Berkeley BART station. Photo: Austin Cross A distraught man tried to jump in front of a train at the North Berkeley BART station Sunday night, the day after another man tried to commit suicide in the same station, authorities said. According to the […]
Posted inCrime & Safety
Update: Man taken to hospital with moderate injuries after incident at North Berkeley BART; station has re-opened
The North Berkeley BART station. Photo: Ryan Anderson BART has closed its North Berkeley station after a report at 4:26 p.m. Saturday of a person under a train. Scroll to the bottom of this post for updates. According to a statement from BART, the victim was reported under a train traveling from Richmond to Fremont. BART is […]
Posted inCommunity, Events
Out of Darkness walk aims to end silence around suicide
People at the Out of the Darkness Walk pause and reflect during a walk to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. Photo: Vivian Liu People at the Out of the Darkness Walk pause and reflect during a walk to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. Photo: Vivian Liu By Katherine Griffin Nine years ago this […]
Posted inSchools
Noose at Berkeley High raised concerns over past suicide
The noose that was discovered hanging from a tree at BHS on the afternoon of Wednesday Oct. 1. Photo: Anonymous tipster The noose that was discovered hanging from a tree at BHS on the afternoon of Wednesday Oct. 1. Photo: Anonymous tipster Berkeley High administrators considered whether a noose found hanging in a tree earlier this month might have […]
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
City of Berkeley solicits Taser study; anti-Taser group to hold forum Thursday night
Advocates for and against Tasers attended a meeting in May to speak to the Berkeley City Council about whether Berkeley police should be allowed to carry the weapon. Photo: Emilie Raguso Advocates for and against Tasers attended a meeting in May to speak to the Berkeley City Council about whether Berkeley police should be allowed to carry […]
