I want to take this opportunity to explain the reasons why I changed my vote on the issue of our Police Department participating in the 2018 Urban Shield exercise.

For the past year, the Council Ad-Hoc Subcommittee on Urban Shield has worked extensively to research the Urban Shield program, and our Berkeley Police Department’s training needs.

I am outraged and heartbroken about what's happening on our southern border. Separating children from parents --many of whom are fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries -- is inhumane and goes against decades of immigration policy for the U.S. to be a refuge for people from all over the world. 

An elderly man sitting in a wheelchair on a city street, next to a tent that is his only home. A woman with an emergency room bracelet on her arm going through the trash at a local cafe looking for something to eat.

These images are heartbreaking, but are becoming increasingly common in our community.

This month, the Pathways Navigation center in West Berkeley is finally opening! But there are still a couple of final touches that need to be done that we will be doing this weekend June 9 and 10. Specifically, we need volunteers to help with the following:

This is an exciting time in Berkeley!

Starting June, commercial PG&E customers in the city and most of Alameda County will be automatically switched to East Bay Community Energy, the county's new electricity provider. EBCE will provide at least 38% renewable energy and an additional minimum of 47% carbon-free energy. Customers will also have a choice of receiving the Brilliant 100 service, offering 100% carbon-free power, for a slightly higher fee.

I was saddened and shocked by news that a 15-year-old girl was raped by an unknown assailant in one of our residential neighborhoods. My heart goes out to the young woman and her family. I want you to know that the police are reviewing surveillance footage in the case and interviewing neighbors, however, at the moment, the suspect remains at large.

I wanted to share with the community an email I received this morning from Alameda County Immigration Legal & Education Partnership about the intended ICE raids in the Bay Area. At least 11 people were arrested and put into deportation proceedings, although only 2 of those were in the East Bay. Five occurred in Merced County, two in Sacramento County and one each in Monterey and Napa counties. 

We all agree that Berkeley cannot remain the small town it once was. Yet as we grow and evolve, and approve new housing developments, we need to ask ourselves about what kind of city we want to be.

I am troubled by newly released statistics showing that crime in Berkeley has steadily increased over the past several years. Although the overall crime rate is lower today than it was a decade ago, the recent uptick – a trend replicated nationally – is worrisome and must be addressed.