Crime statistics released in December by the Alameda Police Department show numbers down in almost every area during the month of November. The outlier is catalytic converter thefts, which have been steadily increasing since reaching a low for the year in August after a suspected thief was arrested and charged [1] in June. The thefts are still less than a third of the peak observed before the arrest, but increased by 60% from October to November.
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Areas that saw decreases include a 50% reduction in assaults, 26% fewer reports of vandalism, nearly a 14% decline in vehicle thefts, and a 23% decrease in robberies. Among 67 arrests during the month, five were juveniles. 24 arrests were made for felonies, and 43 for misdemeanors and other infractions. Officers issued 98 traffic citations and 91 warnings, and reported a 25% reduction in vehicle collisions. No hate crimes were reported; the last report came in June.
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The department stated that crimes reported appeared to be concentrated around the business districts—South Shore Shopping Center, and Park and Webster streets. Additional patrols were deployed to those areas during the holiday season.
| June 2023 | July 2023 | Aug. 2023 | Sep. 2023 | Oct. 2023 | Nov. 2023 | Change Oct. – Nov. | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrests | 79 | 81 | 51 | 70 | 90 | 67 | -23 | -25.56% |
| Collisions | 75 | 59 | 65 | 53 | 64 | 48 | -16 | -25.00% |
| Auto Thefts | 106 | 94 | 139 | 127 | 137 | 118 | -19 | -13.87% |
| Recovered Stolen Vehicles | 101 | 124 | 121 | 105 | 153 | 99 | -54 | -35.29% |
| Robberies | 12 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 13 | 10 | -3 | -23.08% |
| Catalytic Converter Thefts | 34 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 6 | 60.00% |
| Assaults | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | -3 | -50.00% |
| Calls for Service | 5,936 | 6,209 | 6,334 | 5,651 | 5,544 | 5,116 | -428 | -7.72% |
| Reports Taken | 759 | 699 | 705 | 720 | 789 | 682 | -107 | -13.56% |
Other incidents called out by the department include:
- Vehicle and Pedestrian Collision: On November 8 at 2:15 p.m., there was a collision involving a person driving a vehicle and a pedestrian. The driver violated the pedestrian’s right-of-way as they attempted to use the crosswalk. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. The pedestrian was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.
- Armed Robbery: On November 9 at 5:20 p.m., officers responded to a call on the 900 block of Island Drive for an armed robbery. While loading items into their vehicle, the victim was approached by two subjects who demanded the victim’s property.
- Barricaded Subject: On November 12 at 3:20 p.m., officers responded to the 1100 block of Pacific Marina where an individual was making threats with a firearm. The individual retreated into their residence and barricaded themselves. APD’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) provided several hours of de-escalation and negotiation and the subject peacefully surrendered. A BB gun was found at the scene.
- Vehicle and Bicyclist Collision: On November 16 at 8:16 a.m., on the 2200 Block of Central Avenue, a collision took place involving a cyclist and a person driving a vehicle. The cyclist committed a vehicle code violation that resulted in the collision. The cyclist was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
- Armed Robbery: Also on November 16, at 10:04 p.m., officers were called to the 1500 block of Alameda Avenue for an armed robbery. As the victim exited their vehicle, they were approached by three subjects who demanded the victim’s property. The three subjects left in an awaiting vehicle driven by another individual. The victim may have been followed home after making a transaction at a local bank. Detectives are currently investigating other incidents where a crime occurred after the victims were followed from a business. Those incidents occurred on October 18, November 27, and December 6. The investigations remain ongoing. APD reminded the community to stay vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
- Update – Armed Robbery Arrest: On September 23, officers responded to Bank of America at the South Shore Shopping Center for the report of an armed robbery. While using the ATM, the victim was approached by a subject who demanded the victim’s money. The victim complied with the demands and the suspect left the scene. On November 9, the Alameda Police Department successfully arrested a suspect in connection with the armed robbery.
The City and APD make these and other statistics available on the Alameda Crime Activity page [4]of the City of Alameda website.
Adam Gillitt is the Publisher of the Alameda Post [5]. Reach him at [email protected] [6]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Adam-Gillitt [7].