pages: CityCouncil/2021-09-21.pdf, 11
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CityCouncil | 2021-09-21 | 11 | being followed and held up and someone shooting into a house; stated shooting into a house is a serious problem; expressed concern over assaults, rapes and violent crimes. The Police Chief stated the rape assault clearance numbers show that the offenders are known to the victim in all incidents; it is difficult to put a number on crimes in relation to public safety in Alameda; hearing people's stories is important; he intends to take a qualitative and quantitative approach to the incidents; he has given direction to staff to inform him about incidents in order to meet with families to discuss the importance and seriousness of crimes; he is unable to place value on gun crimes; anytime a person is shot at, there is trauma. Councilmember Herrera Spencer expressed support for comments related toward bias, racism and equity; stated the matters are important to the community; discussed the armored vehicle; stated that she understands a temporary policy has been in place for the vehicle; inquired when the policy would be returning to Council for discussion. The Police Chief responded the matter should come before Council after October. Councilmember Herrera Spencer stated the armored vehicle discussion is important; expressed support for the matter returning to Council for policy adoption; inquired whether the Police Chief plans to bring forth a staff recommendation for License Plate Readers (LPR's), to which the Police Chief responded the matter will come to Council October 19th. Councilmember Knox White expressed support for the approach brought by the Police Chief; inquired the steps being taken by Officers and APD to stop shootings. The Police Chief responded most shooting incidents are not random in occurrence; stated disturbances which escalate in a family or neighborhood will need steps taken early to intervene and provide mediation to address underlying issues; there are opportunities to mitigate crimes that are not random; incidents where the use of a firearm to commit a crime are challenging due to offenders looking for the perfect opportunity to commit a crime; offenders are looking for a victim and a location; eliminating crimes means eliminating one of the three elements: offender, victim and location; offenders generally look for a location which is not well-lit and a victim who has been watched and is assumed to have valuable items; Police presence has some deterring effect; however, the issue is part of a bigger discussion; people are committing robberies due to being desperate; lack of opportunities tend to influence people's decision; people are willing to take more of a chance when less hope is present; victims should be more vigilant, be aware of surroundings, protect belongings and take additional prevention steps; APD has provided several tips through social media and the City's website; the tips minimize the opportunity for crime. Councilmember Knox White expressed support for the Police Chief acknowledging the trauma associated with gun crimes; noted the presentation shows robberies are down 20% in the last year; inquired the role of APD in ensuring the community understands Regular Meeting Alameda City Council September 21, 2021 7 | CityCouncil/2021-09-21.pdf |