5 More Things Berkeley Police Chief Meehan Wants You To Know

At a luncheon with the Berkeley Lions Club last week, Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan gave an overview of the department's goals, successes and struggles, and answered questions about crime in Berkeley. Here is the second round of 5 things Meehan wants you to know. . Interested in news about the Berkeley Police Department? Click on "follow this article" or "keep me posted!" below to receive email updates with police news in Berkeley.

The Berkeley Police Department Wants to be More Open with Information

"We don't share as much information as we should," said Meehan. "So we have some plans in the works to be much more open with our information."

One of the changes instigated by Meehan to make the department more transparent has been to publish names and pictures of all command-level officers on the 2011 organizational chart. This emphasizes accountability on the department's end, and also allows the public to know who is responsible for certain divisions.

Berkeley Helps Other Police Departments

When crime occurs closeby or creeps into Berkeley from its Oakland border, Berkeley police work with the Oakland Police Department. But the division of labor isn't necessarily equal when it comes to policing the Oakland-Berkeley line.

"The shared responsibility falls pretty heavily on us," said Meehan, who added that the Oakland Police Department tries its best but has limited staff. "The have challenges," he said.

To help out, the Berkeley Police Department will sometimes respond to crimes in Oakland if the police are overwhelmed. 

"It's just a very difficult situation," said Meehan, referring to the dwindling staff and resources in the Oakland Police Department. "Even though it's not yet affecting us, how can it not over time?"

Reaching Out to Other Agencies is a Top Priority

Good policing sometimes means stepping beyond the city's boundaries. The Berkeley Police Department is reaching out to surrounding agencies and "working much more closely" with the UC Berkeley Police Department, according to Meehan.

The City of Berkeley recently signed on to the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority, which allows inter-department communication between emergency services in the East Bay. 

"For decades, we could not radio university police officers," said Meehan. "Either they'd have to hop into a car with us or we'd have to borrow one of their radios and give it back later."

The Berkeley Police Department will become part of the regional communications system for Alameda and Contra Costa counties within a year, according to Meehan. 

Education is Key to Keeping Kids Out of Trouble

When graduate rates go up, violent crime goes down, according to Meehan. 

"Kids who don't graduate from high school are eight times more likely to end up in jail," said Meehan.

But the trend often starts at home, when students lack support. Parents may be high school drop outs themselves and therefore unable to help their children with homework.

"How about the kids who have abuse problems at home? Or drug addiction problems? Or alcohol problems?" said Meehan. "We send them home with homework and there's no one there to help them. We wonder why they come to school demoralized, unhappy, striking out. They start to show up late to the class, then they stop showing up to the class — then I see them."

Compassion is key to dealing with these children, who are — despite their crimes— still children, said Meehan. "These kids aren't bad, deep down," he said. "We don't know what they've been through."

Right now, in a down economy, education is more important than ever, Meehan added. California's 12 percent unemployment rate is not equitable distributed, he said. College graduates have an unemployment rate of 5 percent. The rate for high school graduates is 12 percent. For high school dropouts, the unemployment rate is as high as 30 percent. 

Safety Starts With Common Sense

• Keep your doors and windows locked, at home and in the car. "Almost all our burglaries and thefts happen because of unlocked doors and windows," said Meehan.
• Get to know your neighbors. Share your routine and let them know to call the police if there is any suspicious activity. 
• Can't get through to 911? Call the Berkeley communications center directly at (510) 981-5911.

Do you have a question for the Berkeley Police Department? Let us know in the comments or email berkeley@patch.com and we will try to find an answer or include your query in our weekly Q&A with PIO Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.