Veteran officers have been leaving the department in record numbers, walking away from friends and generous benefits to start over at other agencies. What has driven the exodus?
Spencer Fomby
Posted inCity
Berkeley council may pull police from Urban Shield exercises in 2018
City officials have voted, preliminarily, to keep BPD out of Urban Shield despite protests from the city manager’s office and the police and fire chiefs.
Posted inCity
Watch: Berkeley neighbors take part in active-shooter drill
Despite initial resistance, a neighborhood group held its first active-shooter drill in Berkeley. One participant said she now knows what to do if it happened for real.
Posted inCrime & Safety
Muslim college hosts active-shooter drill for paramedics, Berkeley police
Scores of paramedics and police met Thursday at a Muslim college in North Berkeley to practice how they might respond if gunmen one day target the campus.
Posted inCrime & Safety
Berkeley mayor, councilman pledge to increase police resources
Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín and Councilman Ben Bartlett have promised to increase police staffing and revive a recently disbanded specialized crime suppression unit to help address concerns about safety.
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeley police emphasize ‘culture of de-escalation’
Berkeley police practice de-escalation skills during a drill in the old Pyramid brewery. (The helmets they are wearing are safety gear due to the type of rounds used in the drill.) Here, officers respond to an armed bank robbery scenario. Photo: Emilie Raguso Two officers pull up to a house in Berkeley. There’s yelling coming […]
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, Crime, Crime & Safety
25 years later: Henry’s hostage crisis remembered
Henry’s hostage crisis: Berkeley Special Response Team officers move in. Photo: David Yee Henry’s hostage crisis: Berkeley Special Response Team officers move in. Photo: David Yee The shots rang out just after midnight, leaving seven people injured and dozens held hostage in Henry’s Publick House at the Hotel Durant in Berkeley’s Southside neighborhood. One of […]
Posted inCrime
Berkeley police hope bike registry will deter thieves
An independent bike registry could help cyclists recover stolen bikes and ensure they don’t buy stolen ones to begin with. Photo: Marc Zuo By Francesca Paris Many cyclists in Berkeley know the all-too-common pain of losing a bike to thieves. Far fewer have experienced the opposite: the rare joy of a reunion. The Berkeley Police Department […]
Posted inCommunity
Gang violence, drug use, graffiti spark renewed push to clean up West Berkeley park
City workers have been cutting back and clearing out brush as part of an attempt to clean up Strawberry Creek Park. Photo: Emilie Raguso Stepped up police patrols, trimmed-back bushes and increased efforts to clean up graffiti around Strawberry Creek Park are among a slew of recent steps by the city following two troubling incidents in March, […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Berkeley Police: Gunshots on Harmon and more
Police arrested this man April 5 in connection with a robbery south of campus. Photo: Emilie Raguso Earlier this year, the Berkeley Police Department relaunched its monthly newsletter to let community members know about notable arrests and incidents, as well as crime prevention tips and safety resources. Along with beat maps and police contacts for each neighborhood, the […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety, Schools
Berkeley police identify man whom officers killed
Choung Van Nguyen Berkeley city police identified the man whom officers shot and killed on Monday night as Choung Van Nguyen, 25. Police do not know where he was living right before his death. Nguyen was shot around 10:45 p.m. Monday after he had been involved in a hit-and-run car accident in Albany. Police there […]
