A coalition of law enforcement agencies has arrested four Nuestra Familia gang leaders and 30 gang members. Several of those caught were allegedly given orders to commit murder and other violent crimes by imprisoned gang leaders who sent them encrypted messages via cell phones.
Crime & Safety
Map from the attorney general's office showing the California counties where the Nuestra Familia gang operates.
Gang leaders orchestrate crimes from prison using cell phones
September 1, 2010 – 9:23 am
To ride with the scraper bike king, helmet required
August 30, 2010 – 11:00 am
If you want to ride with the scraper bike king, you better wear a helmet. Tyrone “Baybe Champ” Stevenson Jr., known around Oakland as the “king” and creator of the scraper bike movement, announced his new rule of the road Saturday near Oakland City Hall.
Disabled parking placards in downtown Oakland; are they legit?
August 20, 2010 – 7:16 am
Placard fraud costs the city income in meters and parking tickets. Furthermore, because cars bearing placards have unlimited time and don’t need to be moved every hour or two, fraud prevents parking turnover; that can severely limit parking options for everyone, disabled or not.
Supporters rally on the anniversary of Hasanni Campbell’s disappearance
August 11, 2010 – 10:01 am
Wearing royal blue shirts that said, “A little boy not forgotten, Hasanni Campbell,” a smattering of people representing the non-profit organization Citizens for the Lost gathered in front of the Wiley Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland to remember the missing Fremont boy on Tuesday.
No new information on Hasanni Campbell one year after disappearance
August 10, 2010 – 2:36 pm
It’s been one year since Hasanni Campbell went missing. The little boy, who had cerebral palsy and used braces to walk, would be six years old now. The Oakland Police Department still considers the boy’s foster father, Louis Ross, a primary suspect in his disappearance.
Oakland celebrates National Night Out with 452 block parties
August 4, 2010 – 11:51 am
Carrying bowls of pasta salad, watermelon, and meat to grill, on Tuesday night people left their houses and streamed into hundreds of neighborhood gatherings being hosted throughout the city as part of National Night Out—a nationwide block party that encourages people to get to know their neighbors and promotes community safety.
A shepherd prevents wildfires in the Oakland hills
July 28, 2010 – 9:00 am
Francisco Ballesteros is a modern-day shepherd, but the sheep and goats he’s tending aren’t being raised for meat or milk—they’re here to prevent the spread of fire.
With fewer officers, Oakland’s policing strategy changes
July 25, 2010 – 4:23 pm
Since the layoff of 80 police officers, Oakland’s policing strategy has changed, and neighborhood safety groups are grappling with how to react. The Oakland Police Department plans to focus more on emergencies and less on community problem-solving and the investigation of non-violent crimes.
Lawyers guild investigating excessive force accusations
July 20, 2010 – 3:20 pm
Wearing a white tank top spotted with blood, Susan Harman, a 69-year-old former school principal and resident of Oakland, told a crowd of reporters that she was a victim of police aggression during the protests following the July 8 Johannes Mehserle verdict. The tank top she was wearing was the same one she had on that night when, she said, while peacefully protesting she was pushed down, hit on the head with a baton and arrested.
Mayoral candidates share their plans on public safety
July 16, 2010 – 12:56 pm
“Ladies and gentlemen, you could be taking dance lessons in Jack London Square or having a drink. But no, we’ve had too important a week, haven’t we?” With that, Aimee Alison, host of the KPFA Morning Show and founder of OaklandSeen.com, opened the Oakland mayoral forum on public safety held Thursday evening, July 15th at the Lakeshore Baptist Church.
An anarchist gives his take on Mehserle protest “freedom fighters”
July 16, 2010 – 11:43 am
As the Oakland Police Department works to identify the people involved in the property damage and looting during the protest following the Johannes Mehserle verdict, one anarchist, who came from out of state and was arrested that night, speaks about anarchists’ role in the Oakland riot and the “grassroots global civil war.”
Oakland Police Department releases photos of alleged looters
July 15, 2010 – 5:17 pm
The Oakland Police Department has released photos of people allegedly looting and destroying property during the protests following last week’s verdict in the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant. They published 15 photos on the department website in the hopes that citizens will come forward to identify those in the photos.
What prison might mean for Johannes Mehserle
July 15, 2010 – 8:00 am
Johannes Mehserle won’t be sentenced until later this year, but his involuntary manslaughter conviction could mean he faces up to 14 years in a state prison. Because the notoriety of his crime, the ex-BART police officer could be gravely at risk among other prisoners, but the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has a system to protect high-profile inmates like Mehserle.
City, community groups express pride following protests
July 14, 2010 – 8:22 am
As Oakland awaits next month’s sentencing of Johannes Mehserle, the BART police officer convicted last Thursday of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 shooting of Oscar Grant, authorities, community groups and onlookers congratulated each other on the mostly non-violent protests that followed the verdict last Thursday. Joint planning among city, police and community groups helped keep the peace, they say.
After dark, peaceful Mehserle verdict protest turns violent
July 9, 2010 – 7:15 pm
As the sun set behind City Hall and the City of Oakland’s official rally came to an end on Thursday night, a few people in black hoodies began weaving throughout the crowd, pulling bandanas up over their faces. What had been a peaceful afternoon demonstration was about to become a chaotic night during which a few violent protesters, mostly people from other cities, vandalized the downtown.
Amidst the anger, Oaklanders peacefully discuss Mehserle verdict
July 9, 2010 – 8:57 am
On Thursday afternoon, protestors and media convened in downtown Oakland for what many feared would be a violent reaction to the verdict in the trial of former BART officer Johannes Mehserle. But following the verdict, several Oakland gathering spots offered an alternative to the mass downtown protest, where people could peacefully vent their feelings and talk about the future.