August proved to be a mixed month for the Alameda Police Department (APD), who released their monthly department statistics on September 15. The numbers show a few changes from the month before, including some worrisome increases, but also at least one very encouraging trend.
APD August statistics
- Arrests, calls for service, and reports: For the month of August, arrests were down over 37% from July, from 81 to 51, while calls for service and reports taken increased about one to two percent from the month before.
- Robberies and assaults: Robberies increased by 50%, up to nine from six in July, but remain below the peak of 12 robberies in June. Assaults continue a downward trend, with one fewer recorded in the month of August.
- Catalytic converter thefts: The most encouraging trend in the APD’s data concerns catalytic converter theft. Alamedans will be happy to see that the thefts—recently a focus of media attention—are down to almost nil. APD shows a reduction from 49 thefts in May of this year to only two recorded in August. Much of this can be attributed to the arrest and charging of an Oakland resident linked to multiple catalytic converter thefts.
- Motor vehicle thefts: Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for motor vehicle thefts, which was trending downward in July, only to rise by nearly 50% during the month of August. APD tallied 139 stolen car reports during the month. Encouragingly, 121 stolen vehicles were recovered, but that was down slightly from July’s total of 124.
- Collisions and citations: APD had six more vehicle collisions reported in August, a total of 65, which includes those spotted by Mouf, the Post’s intrepid canine reporter. During the same period, APD officers issued 208 traffic citations and 373 warnings to motor vehicle operators.
| May, 2023 | June, 2023 | July, 2023 | Aug., 2023 | July – Aug. Change | Difference % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrests | 78 | 79 | 81 | 51 | -30 | -37.04% |
| Collisions | 52 | 75 | 59 | 65 | 6 | 10.17% |
| Auto Thefts | 92 | 106 | 94 | 139 | 45 | 47.87% |
| Recovered Stolen Vehicles | 72 | 101 | 124 | 121 | -3 | -2.42% |
| Robberies | 8 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 50.00% |
| Catalytic Converter Thefts | 49 | 34 | 16 | 2 | -14 | -87.50% |
| Assaults | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | -1 | -11.11% |
| Calls for Service | 5,962 | 5,936 | 6,209 | 6,334 | 125 | 2.01% |
| Reports Taken | 710 | 759 | 699 | 705 | 6 | 0.86% |
APD notes
The department called out the following incidents:
- Negligent discharge of a BB device: On August 1 at 5:38 p.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of Eagle Avenue for the report of an assault. An occupant of a vehicle fired multiple rounds of what appeared to be a BB gun, possibly with gel pellets, at a pedestrian. Seven additional incidents have been reported to APD since late July. These incidents are occurring across the country, likely due to the growing momentum behind a social media trend encouraging people to shoot at strangers. These cases remain under investigation.
- Brandishing: On August 9 at 9:59 a.m., officers responded to the area of Webster Street and Haight Avenue for the report of a person threatening people with a large knife. Officers located an individual matching witness descriptions in a nearby parking lot. The individual was found to be in possession of a large knife and taken into custody for brandishing and criminal threats. No injuries were reported.
- Carjacking: On August 12 at 12:15 a.m., officers responded to a carjacking in the 700 block of Taylor Avenue. Four subjects demanded the victim’s property at knifepoint and fled in the victim’s vehicle. The victim’s vehicle was later recovered. Evidence located in the victim’s vehicle is being processed. The investigation remains ongoing.
- DUI: On August 19 at 12:45 p.m., officers responded to the Safeway gas station on Fifth Street for the report of an impaired driver. Officers located the driver who showed signs of intoxication. After conducting a series of field sobriety tests, the driver was taken into custody.
- Stolen vehicle recovery: On August 24 at 11:00 p.m., an officer conducting traffic enforcement near Otis Drive and Pearl Street initiated a traffic stop after viewing a vehicle without license plates. The vehicle was listed as stolen out of San Jose and the vehicle was linked to a robbery. The driver was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered.
- Brandishing: On August 27 at 5:46 p.m., officers responded to the 1100 block of College Avenue for a report of an attempted vehicle theft. Officers learned that the theft was unsuccessful, likely due to the use of a steering wheel lock. As the suspect was leaving the scene, the suspect brandished a firearm at a witness. The investigation remains ongoing. No injuries were reported.
- Investigation update: On July 20 at 3:24 p.m., officers located human remains inside of a bag along the shoreline near the Bay Farm Island Bridge. Due to limited identifying factors, the victim’s identity was unknown. Based on DNA evidence, on August 30, the victim was identified. Additional evidence led investigators to a primary suspect. On September 6, a 42-year-old Pleasanton man was arrested. The investigation remains ongoing.
