TBS Today, Aug. 3

We actually took yesterday off for a rare hike in Marin after working much of the weekend and a very long day Tuesday: Visiting with existing readers and meeting a number of new ones during National Night Out on Tuesday night was lots of fun.

We rode along with BPD as well as a staffer from 311, Berkeley's one-stop customer service center.

It was great to hear more from her about everything 311 can do, including a number of new online features designed to make reports more efficient. When it comes to city services, that's always welcome news.

On Wednesday, it was great to get out in nature and mostly off the screen.

Miwok trail to Wolf Ridge in the Marin Headlands. Emilie Raguso

In case you're wondering, we'll consider this Scanner effort entirely sustainable once regular hiking fits into the picture. That's definitely our happy place aside from work.

Today, we have an exclusive report from court Monday where a young homeless man alleged to have attacked a UC Berkeley student in a dark parking lot in March was held to answer on several felony sex crime charges — including one that could result in a life sentence.

After sex crime attack on UC Berkeley student, man held to answer
Felony sex crimes are up 51% in Berkeley this year according to the latest BPD data. Many of the incidents are concentrated around UC Berkeley.

As we researched this story, we also learned that felony sex crimes are up 51% in Berkeley this year according to the latest BPD data.

We hope to learn more about that from BPD.

In case you missed it

Berkeley police: 2 arrested after disturbance on Bonar
The incident came out around 7:45 p.m. Friday with reports of a group fistfight in the 2300 block of Bonar Street in West Berkeley.
Critics, fans of DA Pamela Price clash at Oakland crime meeting
Thursday night’s public safety meeting with DA Pamela Price showed a divide in the community but also common ground.
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