City auditor’s office finds racial disparities in Berkeley police stops
Karin Goh/File
The city auditor’s office presented an audit of Berkeley Police Department that found racial disparities in stops and response times. The audit used computer-aided dispatch to analyze more than 360,000 events involving police between 2015-2019.
The Berkeley city auditor’s office released an audit of the city’s police department focusing on racial disparities in stops and response times to incidents involving mentally ill or unhoused individuals Thursday.
In response to the national conversation on race and policing sparked by the killing of George Floyd, Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett proposed collecting data about police activities as part of a process to discuss police reform. The proposal was later incorporated into Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín’s Safety for All: George Floyd Community Safety Act, which was passed by the city in July 2020.
The Berkeley City Council adopted a set of police reform that will eliminate unnecessary polices stops, require written consent for searches and end requests.
Berkeley overhauls off-street parking with an eye toward greener future
“I know this is scary for people,” said Councilmember Kate Harrison. “It’s a change. But it’s a change I feel we have to make.”
Berkeley says the new rules will reduce the amount of unneeded off-street parking in the city. Photo: John Matychuk on Unsplash
Most new housing projects in Berkeley will no longer have to build off-street parking, a move the city hopes will “more aggressively promote” alternative modes of transportation, such as walking and biking, and advance the city’s climate goals.
Berkeley officials voted unanimously Tuesday night to eliminate the city’s age-old parking requirements which, in many areas of town, required the creation of one off-street parking spot for each new housing unit.
Adeline Corridor Specific Plan approved by Berkeley City Council
Nirvana Ellaboudy/File
The Adeline Corridor Specific Plan outlines development of 1,450 housing units in South Berkeley, half of which are intended for low-income residents. The plan aims to redevelop Ashby BART station into a mixed-use neighborhood center, create a Business Improvement District, strengthen community institutions and make the streets more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Adeline Corridor Specific Plan, which outlines the next 20 years of development in a South Berkeley area near Ashby BART station, was approved by Berkeley City Council on Tuesday after about six years of planning.
The plan outlines development of 1,450 housing units, half of which are intended for low-income residents. In addition, the plan states that it aims to redevelop Ashby BART station into a mixed-use neighborhood center, create a Business Improvement District, strengthen community institutions and make the street