GLN Minutes: 9/16/15

Attendance: 15 neighbors, including 3 from OPD, Amy from Bay Alarm, Jennie Gerard from Abel’s office

  1. Crime Report trends from Officer Bui (Data from 8/16/15 to 9/15/15)
    • Beat 14Y (Between Lakeshore Ave, Oakland Ave, I-580, Piedmont Border)
        • 2014 Robberies: 3 (July); 1 (August); 2 (September)
        • 2015 Robberies: 4 (July); 2 (August); 3 (September)
        • 2014 Auto Burglaries: 12 (July); 9 (August); 15 (September)
        • 2015 Auto Burglaries: 12 (July); 4 (August); 2 (September, partial)

      Officers are increasing patrols from 8PM – Midnight in both Grand Lake and Adams Point, especially on side streets, to help reduce these numbers. Due to Prop 47 (Reduced penalties for some crimes initiative), property crimes with a value of less than $950 are now considered a misdemeanor, and may not be prosecuted as easily; a ‘cost of doing business’ for criminals now? The 2015 auto burglary numbers seem to have been helped by a couple of recent key arrests. Neighborhood auto burglary hot spots continue to be early morning in front of Peets and Starbucks.

      • 2014 Home Burglaries: 2 (July); 4 (August); 3 (September)
      • 2015 Home Burglaries: 2 (July); 2 (August); 0 (September, partial)

      The Rose Garden area is the current hot spot for home burglaries. The best deterrents are alarms, cameras (even if they are fake), locked doors, trimmed foliage.

    • Beat 16X (Between Lakeshore Ave, almost Park Blvd, I-580, Piedmont Border)
      • No report this month
  2. Next Door
    • There was a discussion about what is posted and read on the Next Door neighborhood blog. Note that OPD can not see what is posted there, so don’t count on them reviewing the available threads of information.
    • Comments were also made about how communications can be personal and vindictive with online communications, including the Yahoo group, Nextdoor & facebook.
  3. Calls for involvement
    • It is possible to watch how OPD calls are dispatched – if interested, contact Rene Sykes.
    • OPD is always looking for civilian members of oral board review teams, contact Rene Sykes.
    • GLN continues to offer help to make the online crime reporting tool more effective, contact Rene Sykes.
    • GLN continues to press for Oakland to beef up dispatch and its own 911 system. It was recommended that we take this issue to the Public Safety Committee. The next step with that is tohave a volunteer attend a public safety committee to see how they operate (Andy and Mary will attend the October 13 meeting).
    • Please report neighborhood blight – whether on a public or private facility – to 510-238-3381 or seeclickfix.GLN is currently working with property owners at the Sprint Store (3199 Lakeshore) and the Oakland Diocese (3014 Lakeshore) to clean up graffiti.
    • Monetary rewards are made for some reports of illegal dumping enforcement in Oakland.
  4. Bay Alarm
    • Amy Lentricchia from Bay Alarm made a presentation about their services
    • There are two primary services provided: patrol and alarm monitoring. For patrol, there need to be 20 households within any area affected.