The Berkeley Safe Neighborhoods Committee (BSNC) Committee
Public Safety Building, 2100 Martin Luther King Jr., Way
Berkeley, California
October 13, 2008,
6:30 – 8:00 pm
MINUTES
1) Opening
Remarks – President, Greg Wineger
2) Neighborhood
Introductions:
2200
Stuart St.
2100-2200
Oregon St.
Mable/Derby,
1300, 1400
El
Dorado/Sutter
Lassen
Neighborhood
Rosa
Parks
Henry
Cedar Neighborhood Group
Rock
Neighborhood Group
1600
Chestnut St.
80
Summit Rd, Summit Lane
3) BPD Report –
Lt. Andy Greenwood
Nov. 5th, Crime meeting
about homicide in South Berkeley:
Incident occurred
near Derby/Sacramento at the
Memorial. No witnesses have
stepped forward.
Rape series in North Berkeley in
late July: Perpetrator has not been apprehended.
Police patrols have increased to
address the increase in robberies:
Robberies have
Increased from 30-35 to 50 per
month. At the Marin Circle, two
males were apprehended in the silver European sports car that was previously
reported seen in the area. Air
guns were found in their car. Air
guns look real but not a violation to carry.
4) Some
Neighborhood Group proactive activities:
Crime
walk: neighbors get together in the evening and walk the neighborhood.
They
carry flashlights, whistles, and cell phones. They look for normal and abnormal activities in the
neighborhood.
Collective
dog walks: Neighbors walk their
dogs together in the evening. Say hello
to people on the street.
BSNC
offers neighborhood watch training to new neighborhood groups. If
interested,
contact Trudy Washburn [use bsnc{at}bsnc.org].
5) Approval
of Minutes from September 10, 2008 meeting.
6) Nomination
Committee
For
2009 BSNC Board: a) the nomination committee will select names, b) Self
Nomimation.
For
Self-nomination for the BSNC Board, contact Trudy Washburn [bsnc{at}bsnc.org].
The
issue rose about the nomination process of the BSNC Board members.
Was
it democratic? Should the Bylaws be changed?
7) A statement
made: BSNC does not seem to be effective.
There are different groups springing up: South Berkeley Crime Prevention
Council and Community Involved Policing Group to name a few. The BSNC should be the
umbrella and it
appears it is not effective and different groups forming to address their own
issues. There should be a united
neighborhood group that will address different issues. One that will address
business, churches, schools, property owners, and neighbors? Perhaps, the BPD should
not be
involved with the neighborhood groups and they could operate independently of
the BPD.
8) Yahoo Group website. The BNSC Board
approved the setting up of the website.
It is to facilitate crime communication between the BPD and
neighborhoods.
Lt.
Andy Greenwood read the letter that will be sent to BSNC Captains. He will prepare
and send out “Opt Out”
letter to block captains, independent from our subsequent invite letter. A meeting
will be set to clarify dates
and responsibilities, and the Board will meet in advance of the next meeting to
ensure a smooth rollout process to Block Captains. That group will be Lt. Greenwood, Patricia Subia, Greg
Wineger, and Trudy Washburn.
A
By-Laws Committee was established to present suggestions on how the ‘ guiding
principles’ might be made more useful in today’s environment.
9)
Neighborhood Reports:
South
Berkeley. Some homes host
barbecues in the neighborhoods as a front and sell drugs behind the scenes.
Stalker
in the neighborhood. The Lauren
Group is trying to get a restraining order. The Area Coordinator has to go up the chain of command to
get permission for a restraining order.
The
shooting in South Berkeley has created fights in Berkeley High School. Non-high school
students are hanging
around the campus. School
officials are asking the DA for Stay Away Orders.
Liquor
Store/McGee Ave. Market. There is
drug dealing, marijuana smoking, and sideshows (dangerous reckless driving and
screeching in a car). There are a
few families controlling the neighborhood.
In
the parks, there seems to be more drugs, people carrying guns and/or smoking
marijuana.
2200
Sutter Street.
Bancroft
Way and 7th Street.
Certain families create problems in the neighborhood.
10)
Other issues:
Again,
a point was brought up: BPD does not have enough police officers on the force. There
are currently 187. In three schools, three school police
officers positions were not refunded.
Berkeley
has a crime problem that has to be addressed.
Again,
the issue was raised that BSNC needs to be more organized, proactive, and
effective.
The
November meeting is to be determined.
