Tag Archives: Berkeley police chief
Berkeley introduces parking boots for repeat offenders
Parking ticket repeat offenders could be in for a rude surprise after October 18, the date the Berkeley Police Department is introducing the “smart boot”, a wheel-clamping device they say will enable a cheaper, more efficient parking enforcement system, and, ultimately, be more customer friendly for the city’s scofflaws.
The immobilizing boots will replace the current habit of impounding cars whose owners have failed to pay five or more parking tickets which are 30 days old, or older. The City decided to adopt the system in February. Berkeley is only the second city in California to introduce smart boots. Oakland introduced them in November 2009, and they are in use in dozens of cities nationally.
The “smart” part comes in because the boot can be removed by the car’s owner, once they have paid a $140 fine, plus the outstanding money due on the tickets. A call to a 24-hour phone hotline, operated by Paylock, and a credit card payment can, said BPD Lt. Diane Delaney at the smart boot media launch, have a motorist on his or her way in five minutes. … Continue reading »
Police focus on pedestrians
Just a few days after the one-year anniversary of the death of five-year old Zachary Michael Cruz, the Berkeley Police Department have announced a concentration on pedestrian safety this month.
Last year, 106 pedestrians were injured in collisions in Berkeley. All three of the city’s fatal collisions involved pedestrians in the crosswalks. The police effort will focus on speeding, cell phone use and pedestrian right-of-way violations, among other infringements of the law. Officers will also receive additional training … Continue reading »
The Berkeley Wire: 11.6.09
Eating animals — or not: Jonathan Safran Foer tonight at UC [Facebook]
Berkeley chooses new police chief — hails from Seattle [Oakland Tribune]
Concerns over the safety of the city’s sewers [Daily Californian]
A teach-in tomorrow on cuts to California public education [Laney Tower]
Registration for Tuolumne family camp opened today [City of Berkeley]
[Photo: douglasfredericsmith/Berkeleyside photo pool]
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