The victim has been identified as Alberto Santana-Silva, a 21-year-old male from Fremont who is not affiliated with UC Berkeley, according to UCPD Lt. Marc DeCoulode.

UCPD officers responded around 5:38 a.m. to calls regarding shots fired near signpost 16, DeCoulode said.

Upon arriving at the scene, UCPD officers found the victim with gunshot wounds. He was next to his car, which was several yards away from where the shooting occurred. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by Berkeley Fire Department.

DeCoulode said a number of people were in the area when a disagreement or argument occurred, and Santana-Silva intervened and stopped the disagreement. A few people left, but within roughly 20 minutes, an unidentified person came back, walked up to Santana-Silva’s car and shot him multiple times.

According to DeCoulode, the investigation is ongoing.

Daphne Chen is the lead city government reporter. Contact her at daphnechen@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @dchen_dc.

The post Man shot dead at Grizzly Peak Sunday morning appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Around 4:30 a.m., UCPD issued a 10-minute warning to the protesters — who had been occupying and farming a southern portion of a university property, known as the Gill Tract, since Saturday afternoon — to vacate the property or face arrest.

One protester, a UC Berkeley affiliate, was arrested for trespassing and resisting an officer, according to UCPD spokesperson Lt. Eric Tejada. Tejada said the protester was registered in the student directory but could not confirm whether this person is an active student.

The rest of the protesters moved off of the land willingly, and the university allowed the protesters to keep coming back to the land to collect their belongings, according to Claire Holmes, campus associate vice chancellor of public affairs.

Around 9:20 a.m., a tractor was brought in to remove the crops occupiers planted over the weekend, and two more individuals were arrested for trespassing and refusing to follow police orders. A fourth person was arrested around 10 a.m, Tejada said.

Occupy the Farm made a public announcement Sunday morning that they planned to break down their tents early Monday morning and continue to farm throughout the day, said Occupy the Farm spokesperson Matthew McHale.

“The UC’s use of police intervention was completely unnecessary and unreasonable, especially after we publicly declared we were leaving later today,” McHale said.

University officials took action this morning because they wanted to choose a time when they felt they could vacate the lot as safely as possible and with the least amount of disruption to the community, Holmes said.

Currently, Occupy the Farm protesters are in close proximity to the property and have called for a public reconvergence at 5 p.m. to decide what to do next, said  Lesley Haddock, a demonstrator and a UC Berkeley junior.

According to Holmes, police are still near the tract to monitor the situation, and there will be police present throughout the day.

Contact Megan Messerly at mmesserly@dailycal.org

The post UCPD arrests 4 protesters after Occupy the Farm raid appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The suspect was hiding near the intersection at approximately 12:05 p.m. and jumped out at the 20-year-old female victim as she walked by, according to the UCPD crime alert released Tuesday. The suspect allegedly took her cell phone from her hand.

The suspect fled the scene in a white Toyota Camry, which was last seen driving eastbound on Durant.

The victim, whose affiliation is unknown, was not physically injured during the encounter. UCPD and BPD searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect.

According to the UCPD crime alert, the suspect is described as: A black male in his early 20s with a medium build, wearing a gray shirt and black gym shorts.

Contact Andrea Guzman at aguzman@dailycal.org.

The post Strong-arm robbery reported at Dana Street and Durant Avenue appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The female victim was walking on Fulton Street at approximately 9:20 p.m. when she was approached from behind and confronted by a male suspect, according to a UCPD crime alert released Monday. The suspect pulled out a gun and demanded the victim’s property, taking her cell phone and wallet.

The suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction. The victim, whose affiliation to UC Berkeley is unknown, was not physically injured during the encounter.

UCPD and BPD searched the area but were not able to locate the suspect.

According to the UCPD crime alert, the suspect is described as:

A Black male in his late 20s, 240 lbs., with a heavy build, wearing a black hat with a red bill, black windbreaker, black polo shirt and dark jeans.

Contact Andrea Guzman at aguzman@dailycal.org.

The post Female is victim of armed robbery on Fulton Street appeared first on The Daily Californian.

A 20-year-old female was walking in the area at approximately 1:58 a.m. when she heard footsteps behind her, according to the UCPD crime alert released Monday. The victim heard a voice say, “Don’t move.” She was grabbed by the neck by one of the suspects. The other suspects took the victim’s property, which included a laptop and iPhone.

The victim screamed and was pushed to the ground, according to the alert. The suspects fled the scene northbound on Hillegass Avenue toward Dwight Way.

The victim, possibly a UC affiliate, sustained minor injuries. UCPD and BPD searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects.

According to the UCPD crime alert, the suspects are described as:

Suspect #1 – A Black female in her 20s, with a light complexion and wearing a turquoise sweatshirt.

Suspect #2 – A Black male in his 20s, with a dark complexion, wearing a white t-shirt and black beanie.

Suspect #3 – A Black male in his 20s, with a dark complexion, wearing a white t-shirt and black beanie.

Contact Andrea Guzman at aguzman@dailycal.org.

The post Female is victim of strong-arm robbery on Hillegass Avenue appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The event was organized by the ASUC Office of the President in conjunction with ASUC senators Sadia Saifuddin, Rosemary Hua and Megan Majd. In order to raise awareness of such crimes on campus, victims of sexual assault shared their stories.

According to a Berkeley Police Department crime report, there were 39 reported incidents of sexual assault in the city of Berkeley in 2012, up from 20 incidents in 2011.

“(Sexual assault) is something that doesn’t discriminate against color or gender,” Saifuddin said. “It’s something that happens to a lot of people.”

According to Bay Area Women Against Rape training coordinator Agustina Perez, 85 percent of sexual assaults are committed by a person whom the victim knows, and only one in 10 victims report the crime.

Student attendees included members of the campus sorority system and the ASUC. The workshop was facilitated by UCPD, University Health Services and BAWAR.

“(Events like Fight Back) allow survivors of sexual assault who are silenced to have a voice,” Hua said. “But it also allows for facetime between UCPD and students (and) facilities a discussion.”

Speakers at the event noted the importance of discussing sexual assault in an open and safe environment.

“The reason why sexual violence is rising at such alarming rates is because people don’t talk about it,” Perez said. “Anything that will get people to talk and create safe spaces is a step in the right direction.”

Community leaders provided attendees with resources to defend themselves against attack.

During the workshop, UCPD officers offered a pepper spray demonstration as well as basic self-defense techniques. Officers said one of the most basic but useful techniques in the case of an assault is to shout for help. The workshop also offered free pepper spray to participants.

“There is nothing that anyone can do that warrants (or) causes rape,” Perez said during her presentation. “The only person responsible for rape is the one committing it.”

Director and Title IX Officer Denise Oldman of the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination said that it is important to know that there are allies in the community for sexual assault victims. She addressed the various resources available to students, including medical, psychological and emotional health services, residential needs and prevention help.

Members of the ASUC and campus community alike said they hope events like Fight Back will educate the students that attended and continue to raise awareness about sexual assault and violence within the UC Berkeley community.

“I feel like it’s important to have events that raise awareness about how critical an issue (sexual violence is) both on campus and in general,” said sophomore Taylor Fugere, who is a member of Greeks Against Sexual Assault and involved in the Gender Equity Resource Center.

UCPD Officer Brendan Tinney said he hopes to see more involvement with sexual assault prevention from other groups on campus, such as fraternities.

“I think there’s some interest specifically in the part of fraternities, at least some of them,” Tinney said. “But I’m waiting for them to reach out. You don’t (only) teach the group that’s interested in the topic.”

Contact Jennie Yoon at jyoon@dailycal.org.

Correction(s):
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that there had been 39 incidents of sexual assault on the UC Berkeley campus this year, a 95 percent increase from 19 incidents the previous year. In fact, there were 39 reported incidents of sexual assault in the city of Berkeley in 2012, up from 20 incidents in 2011.

The post ASUC holds workshop on sexual violence and safety appeared first on The Daily Californian.

El Monte Police Department was notified at approximately 10:40 a.m. by an unknown caller that there were bombs at CSU L.A. and “Cal State Berkeley,” according to the Associated Press. This comes after Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings, which left three people dead and more than 100 injured.

While both law enforcement officials in Los Angeles and Berkeley deemed the threat a low risk, CSU L.A. evacuated its campus, and a bomb squad was dispatched to the scene. The squad eventually found no evidence of explosives. UCPD decided to silently conduct its search of the campus and found no explosives as well, according to department spokesperson Lt. Eric Tejada.

“We determined it was a pretty low-risk bomb threat, so we did some searches of our own and decided to go business as usual on campus,” Tejada said. “Obviously, we didn’t find anything, and it was a very low-risk threat assessment, so we didn’t do a WarnMe messaging or anything like that.”

Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at anguyen@dailycal.org
and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Truc.

The post Bomb threats made to two California universities appeared first on The Daily Californian.

After 10 years of working for the department as a captain, Margo Bennett has been appointed the new UCPD chief of police.

Bennett has been acting as interim chief of police since former chief Mitch Celaya stepped down from the position in December. This prompted a nationwide search for a new chief that saw the initial pool of 71 candidates narrowed down to four before Bennett was finalized.

“I’m totally honored to be receiving this appointment,” Bennett said. “This is a great department to work for, and we got some great people here, so I’m excited and anxious to get to work.”

Bennett has been with the department for more than a decade and has over 35 years of law enforcement experience, according to a statement by Associate Vice Chancellor of Business and
Administrative Services Ron Coley Thursday morning.

“She has an understanding of the culture of our community and the workings of the department that will prove invaluable as we institute the type of significant changes that are necessary to achieve our goals of exceptional security and service,” Coley said in the statement.

The selection process included a forum held at the end of March, during which students had the opportunity to talk with the four remaining finalists and ask them questions about what they would do as chief. The other finalists included Rhonda Harris, chief of police at Old Dominion University; Eric Heath, deputy chief of police at the University of Chicago; and Nate Johnson, chief law enforcement officer for the California State University system.

News of the appointment was greeted with enthusiasm by UCPD, excited at the prospect of working under Bennett.

“She’s done a great job keeping us on track,” said Lt. Eric Tejada, UCPD’s spokesperson. “She has a very inclusive management style and is very aware of the needs of the university.”

Bennett hopes to implement a better way to approach protests on campus, learning from the mistakes made during the Occupy Cal demonstrations in 2011 that saw UCPD officers strike students with batons.

“It’s a situation that many don’t want to see repeated,” Bennett said. “I regret anytime the police take action where people are hurt, especially students … I’m hoping we can develop stronger relationships across the campus to help us accomplish a common good.”

These relationships include all facets of the campus including the students, staff and faculty, according to a university press release.

“Such ties should lead to more individuals contacting the police department about crimes and suspicious activities, and working with the department to ensure that campus events can be handled through the cooperative engagement of all involved,” the statement said.

Andy Nguyen is the lead crime reporter. Contact him at anguyen@dailycal.org
and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Truc.

The post Margo Bennett appointed UCPD chief of police appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Cal Day, for prospective students and parents, will be held this Saturday, April 20, a day also known in marijuana culture as 4/20. Some members of the UC Berkeley community are concerned that the cultural connotations of 4/20, often associated with smoking marijuana, might negatively affect the impression of the UC Berkeley community as a whole to prospective families and reiterate the negative stereotypes associated with Berkeley and drug culture.

According to The Huffington Post, the term “4/20” was allegedly first used by a group of teenagers in the 1970s who would regularly meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke weed.

Today, 4/20 can refer to both the date of April 20 and the time of day and has evolved into an unofficial holiday in which smokers may gather and consume marijuana in a celebratory fashion.

ASUC Senator Mihir Deo expressed concern that the university did not have enough foresight about the cultural connotations of holding Cal Day on 4/20.

“When prospective parents come here, they’ll see this part of Berkeley that doesn’t necessarily define what Berkeley is about,” Deo said. “I think you’ll see some parents who initially wanted their children to go to Berkeley might change their minds.”

According to UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof, this is not the first time Cal Day has been held on 4/20. The last time Cal Day was held on 4/20 was 2002.

In general, Cal Day is strategically held on either the second or third Saturday of April, between Easter and the end of the month, when SIR agreements are due for incoming freshmen.

Despite the 4/20 hype among students, Mogulof trusts that the students of UC Berkeley will make responsible decisions on Saturday. According to both campus administrators and UCPD, there are currently no plans or special procedures in place to monitor marijuana consumption on campus on 4/20, nor have there ever been.

“We will address any marijuana-related activity as appropriate,” said Lt. Eric Tejada.

UCPD Officer Marco Ruiz reiterated Tejada’s point that UCPD does not usually take any extra precautionary measures to monitor students on campus on 4/20. In fact, according to Ruiz, UCPD often sends additional forces to UC Santa Cruz on 4/20 to monitor the annual “Smoke Out.”

Contact Jennie Yoon at jyoon@dailycal.org

The post Campus to proceed with business as usual on 4/20 for Cal Day appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Bennett has been serving as interim chief since former chief Mitch Celaya retired in December. The nationwide search for a new police chief resulted in 71 applications, which were eventually narrowed down to four candidates. Along with Bennett, the candidates were Rhonda Harris (chief of police at Old Dominion University), Eric Heath (deputy chief of police at the University of Chicago) and Nate Johnson (chief law enforcement officer for the California State University system).

“We evaluated a number of solid candidates and it became clear that Margo Bennett was the right choice,” said Associate Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Services Ron Coley in a statement. “She has an understanding of the culture of our community and the workings of the department that will prove invaluable as we institute the type of significant changes that are necessary to achieve our goals of exceptional security and service.”

Bennett has been with UCPD for more than a decade and has had 35 years of law enforcement experience, according to the statement.

The lengthy selection process involved an “inclusive process” in which finalists “met with a wide cross section of stakeholders, including faculty students, police officers, administrators, staff, community members and others,” the email release states.

Among the most significant concerns for students during this process, however, was UCPD’s contentious history during the recent Occupy protests and other major campus incidents.

UC Berkeley junior James Chang, who was involved in Occupy Cal and ran for ASUC Senate, said that UCPD’s role in the November protests still remains a pivotal issue and that he hopes the new chief will strive to prevent similar incidents.

“I would like to see this new chief of the UCPD pledge to make sure that the violence we saw from police officers in November 2011 does not occur again,” Chang said.

The email release states that Bennett is dedicated to developing a “more approachable and transparent culture” in campus policing.

Jaehak Yu is a news editor. Contact him at jyu@dailycal.org

The post Margo Bennett announced as new UCPD chief appeared first on The Daily Californian.