A new legal mandate in the CA Penal Code requires “the field training officers who provide instruction in the field training program to have at least eight hours of crisis intervention behavioral health training to better train new peace officers on how to effectively interact with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability. This course shall include classroom instruction and instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training, and shall be taught in segments that are at least four hours long.” During August to October, all 10 of the ECPD Field Training Officers will be attending this course with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and/or the Concord PD.

El Cerrito Police examined robbery trends from the first half of 2016 and compared them to the first half of 2017. Police department staff recognized an increase from 36 robberies in the first half of 2016 to 45 robberies in the first half of 2017. A closer look at the numbers reveals a less obvious trend, however. Shoplifting-related robberies are crimes in which a thief threatens or assaults a store employee during the commission of a theft. These robberies account for a significant amount of overall robberies and are responsible for almost all of the increase year-over-year. In 2016, 13 of the 36 robberies involved shoplifting. In 2017, 21 of the 45 robberies involved shoplifting offenses. Investigating officers believe that many shoplifters are using the BART system to travel to El Cerrito stores. In August, the Special Operations unit will be partnering with the Richmond Police Department to explore the connection between our local BART stations and theft-related crime in our city.

The El Cerrito Fire Department has been very busy assisting our neighbors throughout the State. On July 9, the Department responded with an engine company to the Alamo Fire in San Luis Obispo. This crew was assigned to this fire until July 13. On July 18, the Department sent an engine company to the Detwiler Fire in Mariposa County, which returned on July 25. On both of these assignments, engine companies were assigned to structure protection and structure preparation. On July 19, the Department also sent two paramedics to the Detwiler Fire to work as Fire Line Paramedics. They returned on July 27. During this assignment, our paramedics completed a back-country rescue of a Cal Fire Captain who was injured in a very remote area. Our paramedics hiked in to provide EMS treatment and set up for evacuation. On July 28, the Department sent one paramedic to the Orleans Complex in Siskiyou County. This paramedic is still currently assigned to this fire. ECFD personnel suffered no injuries during any of these responses.