OPD poised to emerge from 23 years of federal oversight
This interview aired in the June 10, 2026 episode of Crosscurrents. Click the button above to listen. Oakland’s Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2003, but this year that will be coming to an end. The oversight began after a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of 119 residents, most of them Blac
Teen Hit as Bullets Rip Into Family SUV on East Oakland Street
A 26-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after police say he opened fire on a family SUV in East Oakland last Saturday, hitting a teenage passenger while two adults and four children rode inside. The SUV was headed southbound when the gunfire started, according to law enforcement. Officers...
Person dies, another hospitalized for leptospirosis, Berkeley health officials say
An outbreak of leptospirosis centered around a large encampment in North Berkeley has spread to at least two humans, killing one and hospitalizing the other, city officials announced Wednesday. The patients, who lived together in an RV about a mile from the homeless encampment at the intersection of Eighth and...
Commentary: Not Surprised Oakland’s Prop E Failed
“I’m not familiar with that” was OakDOT Director Josh Rowan’s answer to a question about the homeless encampments and fences blocking the Lake Merritt Channel bike and pedestrian paths, at a SPUR talk last year. District 2 Councilmember Charlene Wang said the same thing when I asked about it at a ribbon cutting for a p
Man who bred rats dies after catching leptospirosis, city says
A man with leptospirosis died in Berkeley in May after living in a "severely rat-infested RV" not far from the Harrison Street encampment, the city has confirmed. A woman who lived with him also caught leptospirosis — but has since recovered "after a lengthy hospitalization," the city said Wednesday in a new public hea
Contractor claims Oakland Councilmember stiffed him on deal
A company that specializes in helping cities recruit police officers has accused Oakland Councilmember Charlene Wang of wrongfully breaking off a deal to help the city set up a talent pipeline for OPD. Police Hiring Solutions, a Washington-based consulting firm, filed a legal claim against the city of Oakland on...
East Oakland Food Stop Erupts in Gunfire, Driver Hit Multiple Times
A 40-year-old man was shot multiple times while sitting in his car in East Oakland around 9 PM yesterday, authorities said. After the gunfire, he managed to drive several blocks back to his home, where he got help. He is in stable condition after being treated for at least three gunshot wounds.
Beach hazards statement issued for Bay Area coast
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A beach hazards statement has been issued for much of the Bay Area coastline Wednesday — just as a days-long heat spike descends on the region. The National Weather Service is warning of an increased risk of sneaker waves and strong rip currents due to a long-period southerly swell. The statement
Another body found in a Bay Area waste facility
(KRON) — For the second time this month, a body has been discovered in a Bay Area waste facility. The San Jose Police Department told KRON4 that officers responded to a report of a dead body at the Zanker Resource Recovery Facility in the 700 block of Los Esteros Road at around 12:50 p.m. Wednesday. […]
Lawsuit and resignation rattle Oakland trash pick-up org
A prominent advocate for homeless people left, and then sued, the Oakland nonprofit he started, while its board of directors was investigating him for financial mismanagement. Vincent Ray Williams III filed a lawsuit against Urban Compassion Project on May 28, claiming the organization owes him back pay, lied about him
