Community
Police Chief Issues Plea to Community to Help Reduce Violent Crime
The Oakland Police Department reported some arrests and incidents in a news release on July 19, along with a plea to the community from the chief of police.
The Oakland Police Department reported some arrests and incidents in a news release on July 19, along with a plea to the community from the chief of police.
“We cannot reduce crime alone,” Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong said. “We need our community to partner with us, along with other key and critical organizations such as the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP), and other city departments. Together we can reduce violent crime as we stand up for a safe Oakland.”
While some of the crimes, including two homicides and two armed robberies since July 15, had been released previously by the department, several incidents had not, including the following:
An unidentified Oakland man was arrested at 6:01 p.m. July 14 in connection with a shooting earlier that afternoon in the 9500 block of A Street. No injuries were reported, but an occupied vehicle was struck by bullets. Two guns were recovered during the arrest. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
A man walked into a local hospital with a gunshot wound at 2:43 a.m. Sunday, July 11, from a shooting in the 500 block of International Boulevard. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
Police responded to a report of shots fired at 11:43 p.m. Saturday, July 10, in the area of 22nd Avenue and International Boulevard, where they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
A man walked into a local hospital with a gunshot wound at 11:37 p.m. Saturday, July 10. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 10:23 p.m. Saturday, July 10, in the 1200 block of 52nd Avenue and found an Oakland man with a gunshot wound who died at the scene. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Homicide Section at (510) 238-3821.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at Bancroft Avenue and Havenscourt Boulevard, where they found a man with a gunshot wound. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
Officers responded to a report at 5:37 p.m. Saturday, July 10, of an armed robbery that resulted in a shooting at 90th Avenue and Plymouth Street. Police found a woman with a gunshot wound. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
Police received a report at 12:28 p.m. Friday, July 9, that a gunshot victim was being transported privately to a local hospital. Police said the shooting occurred in the 400 block of 30th Street. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Felony Assault Section at (510) 238-3426.
Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
City Government
Vallejo Community Members Appeal Major Use Permit for ELITE Charter School Expansion
Vallejo community members, former Solano County judge Paul Beeman and his wife Donna Beeman, filed an appeal against the approval of the Major Use Permit for the expansion of ELITE Public Schools into downtown less than two weeks after the Planning Commission approved the permit with a 6-1 vote.
By Magaly Muñoz
Vallejo community members, former Solano County judge Paul Beeman and his wife Donna Beeman, filed an appeal against the approval of the Major Use Permit for the expansion of ELITE Public Schools into downtown less than two weeks after the Planning Commission approved the permit with a 6-1 vote.
ELITE Charter School has been attempting to move into the downtown Vallejo area at 241-255 Georgia Street for two years, aiming to increase its capacity for high school students. However, a small group of residents and business owners, most notably the Beeman’s, have opposed the move.
The former county judge and his wife’s appeal alleges inaccuracies in the city’s staff report and presentation, and concerns about the project’s exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The Beeman’s stress that their opposition is not based on the charter or the people associated with it but solely on land use issues and potential impact on their business, which is located directly next to the proposed school location.
The couple have been vocal in their opposition to the expansion charter school with records of this going back to spring of last year, stating that the arrival of the 400 students in downtown will create a nuisance to those in the area.
During the Planning Commission meeting, Mr. Beeman asked Commissioner Cohen-Thompson to recuse herself from voting citing a possible conflict of interest because she had voted to approve the school’s expansion as trustee of the Solano County Board of Education. However, Cohen-Thompson and City Attorney Laura Zagaroli maintained that her positions did not create a conflict.
“I feel 100% that the attorney’s opinion is wrong,” Beeman told the Post.
He believes that Cohen-Thompson has a vested interest in upholding her earlier vote as a trustee and is advocating for people to ratify her opinion.
Cohen-Thompson declined to comment on the Post’s story and Zagaroli did not respond for comment.
The Beeman’s further argue that the school’s presence in the commercial district could deter future businesses, including those who sell alcohol due to proximity to schools.
According to Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC), the department can deny any retail license located within 600 feet of a school. Only one alcohol selling business is located within that range, which is Bambino’s Italian restaurant at 300 feet from the proposed location.
The project’s proponents argue that the school would not affect current or future liquor-selling establishments as long as they follow the ABC agency’s guidelines.
The Beeman’s also referenced Vallejo’s General Plan 2040, stating that the proposed expansion does not align with the plan’s revitalization efforts or arts and entertainment use. They argue that such a development should focus on vacant and underutilized areas, in accordance with the plan.
The proposed location, 241 Georgia Street aligns with this plan and is a two minute walk from the Vallejo Transit Center.
The General Plan emphasizes activating the downtown with, “Workers, residents, and students activate the downtown area seven days a week, providing a critical mass to support a ‘cafe culture’ and technology access, sparking innovation and entrepreneurship.”
City staff recommended exempting the project from CEQA, citing negligible impacts. However, Beeman raised concerns about increased foot traffic potentially exacerbating existing issues like theft and the lack of police presence downtown. He shared that he’s had a few encounters with kids running around his office building and disturbing his work.
Tara Beasley-Stansberry, a Planning Commissioner and owner of Noonie’s Place, told the Post that the arrival of students in downtown can mean not only opportunities for surrounding businesses, but can allow for students to find their first jobs and continue to give back to the community in revitalization efforts.
Beasley-Stansberry had advocated for the students at the March Commission meeting, sharing disappointment in the way that community members spoke negatively of the teens.
“To characterize these children as criminals before they’ve even graduated from high school, that’s when I had to really take a look and I was kind of lost as to where we were as a city and as a community to where I couldn’t understand how we were viewing these children,” Beasley-Stansberry told the Post.
She added that the commissioners who voted yes on the project location have to do what is right for the community and that the city’s purpose is not all about generating businesses.
ELITE CEO Dr. Ramona Bishop, told the Post that they have worked with the city and responded to all questions and concerns from the appropriate departments. She claimed ELITE has one of the fastest growing schools in the county with mostly Vallejo residents.
“We have motivated college-bound high school students who deserve this downtown location designed just for them,” Bishop said. “We look forward to occupying our new [location] in the fall of 2024 and ask the Vallejo City Council to uphold their Planning Commission vote without delay.”
The Vallejo City Council will make the final decision about the project location and Major Use Permit on April 23.
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