Tonight’s city council meeting could approve the creation of a contract with the Housing Consortium of the East Bay as a contingency plan for interim housing at Rodeway Inn for individuals currently residing in People’s Park.
The Berkeley City Council approved a contract Tuesday with the Housing Consortium of the East Bay, or HCEB, as a contingency plan for interim housing at the Rodeway Inn.
Berkeley slashes social services while police budget continues to grow
Berkeley slashes social services while police budget continues to grow
June 1, 2021
Last week, on the one-year mark since Big George Floyd’s death, Berkeley City Council proposed a budget increase for the Berkeley Police Department. Berkeley Copwatch and other abolitionist organizations are meeting on the steps of Berkeley City Hall at 2180 Milvia calling for defunding Berkeley police every Wednesday at 12 p.m. until the final passage of next year’s budget. Come out Wednesday, June 2, at 12 p.m.!
Community network stages weekly noise protests
Berkeley, Calif., May 31 – A growing network of community organizations is holding weekly demonstrations on the steps of Berkeley City Hall at 2180 Milvia every Wednesday at 12 p.m. until the final passage of next year’s budget. This Wednesday, June 2, will mark the third week this diverse and dedicated group of activists has come together with a “noise demo,
Police Review Commission talks Police Accountability Board applications
Ariel Hayat/File
At its special meeting Saturday, Berkeley s Police Review Commission discussed its transition to the Police Accountability Board, or PAB. With the PAB accepting applicants from now until March 22, applicant diversity for the board, which will consist of nine members, was emphasized.
On Saturday, Berkeley’s Police Review Commission, or PRC, held a special meeting to discuss the transition to a new oversight committee, the Police Accountability Board, or PAB, for which applications are now open.
During the meeting, the PRC presented the expanded powers the PAB will hold and encouraged diversity among applicants. The commission also heard public comments from community members concerned about how racial representation of city residents will be fulfilled in the hiring process.
Berkeley votes to limit low-level traffic stops to reduce policing disparities
Officers will focus on investigative stops and pulling over dangerous drivers rather than “random observations of minor equipment violations,” Police Chief Andrew Greenwood said.
Berkeley police will focus on safety- and investigation-related traffic stops while limiting stops for “low-level” offenses. Photo: Jerome Paulos
Officials voted unanimously Tuesday night to deprioritize traffic stops in Berkeley for “low-level” offenses, such as not wearing a seat belt or having expired registration tags, and focus police efforts instead on driving violations related to traffic safety.
The decision was part of a package of police reform efforts approved Tuesday night to address racial disparities in policing that have been documented in Berkeley and around the nation. A working group convened by Mayor Jesse Arreguín, composed of academics, activists, police and city officials, came up with the re