Berkeley police chief explains response to 'Unity Week' chaos
"These incidents were disruptive and, in some cases, frightening for those who experienced or witnessed them," Berkeley Police Chief Jen Louis wrote.
We have received crime reports directly, and been included on a number of emails from community members, regarding several incidents that occurred downtown on Friday, Oct. 16.
We recognize that these incidents were disruptive and, in some cases, frightening for those who experienced or witnessed them. I want to share how we prepared, how we responded, and what we are doing moving forward.
In anticipation of the event, our Berkeley High School (BHS) School Resource Officer internally shared the information about potential issues and requested additional patrols during the expected peak hours of lunchtime and after school. He also spent the preceding week connecting with downtown businesses to help them prepare for potential disruptions. This included some of the businesses that were directly affected on Friday.
Emilie Raguso
On Friday, we assigned officers specifically to patrol downtown. Throughout the afternoon and early evening, officers, sergeants, and the patrol lieutenant responded to multiple incidents involving groups of students. The circumstances presented significant challenges.
At times, groups of approximately 100 students gathered, engaged in disruptive behavior, and dispersed before officers arrived, only to regroup elsewhere. Several calls involved reports of physical assaults and other disturbances involving large groups of juveniles.
In many cases, the information available did not provide sufficiently specific descriptions to identify those responsible or establish grounds for detention or arrest. Officers maintained a presence downtown, monitored activity, and responded as incidents developed.
Our personnel also faced difficult decisions about when and how to intervene. Some students attempted to provoke officers, including by throwing eggs at police vehicles.
Our officers worked to address disruptive behavior, protect public safety, and avoid unnecessary confrontations that could escalate into uses of force involving juveniles.
The size of the groups and the rapidly changing circumstances required a measured response. During one incident, a sergeant conducting high-visibility patrols confiscated a pack of eggs from a student. The surrounding group became hostile, and the sergeant was subsequently assaulted by an unidentified individual.
We recognize that for those who witnessed these incidents, were victimized, or experienced disruptions to their businesses, our police response may not have been as visible or immediate as they expected.
While our personnel were actively engaged throughout the event, we understand the frustration and concern expressed by our community, and we take those concerns seriously. I believe our officers and supervisors worked thoughtfully to navigate a challenging and rapidly evolving situation. At the same time, we recognize the importance of evaluating our response and identifying opportunities to improve our preparation and coordination for future events.
Our detectives are actively investigating the crimes reported that day. We are also meeting with BHS staff to strengthen planning and coordination for future school-related events.
We are working collaboratively with BHS to follow up on reported incidents and make referrals to Juvenile Probation when appropriate. As many of these cases involve juveniles, we cannot share additional details.
We encourage anyone who was victimized, witnessed criminal activity, or has video footage of these incidents to contact the Berkeley Police Department so we can investigate and take appropriate action.
Our commitment is to maintain a safe and welcoming downtown for our businesses, residents, students, and visitors. We will continue working with our school and community partners to address these incidents and reduce the likelihood of similar disruptions in the future.
