BPD Updates

From Councilwoman O'Keefe's September 2026 newsletter:

Resolution Reinstating BPD’s Ability to Use Tear Gas, Smoke, and OC Spray
Every time we decide to expand law enforcement’s tool belt we should be asking hard questions about necessity, permitted uses, and accountability. The vast majority of East Bay cities already allow their Police Departments to use tear gas, smoke, and OC spray under defined circumstances, and this item seeks to allow our officers to use each of these tools in very specific and well-defined situations. The greatest community concern has been around allowing the use of tear gas, which is understandably an emotional and fraught topic. I want to make it clear that this item would not allow the use of tear gas for crowd control under any circumstances and I would not support such an initiative if it were proposed. However, it can be a useful tactical tool in the event of a barricaded and armed suspect, a hostage situation, or service of a high risk warrant on a dangerous individual. These are the only situations where allowing the use of tear gas is being contemplated, and I am in favor of allowing it, as it grants a nonlethal option to bring an extremely dangerous situation under control. Allowing BPD to access these tools is not about giving police more ways to use force, but to give officers more ways to de-escalate dangerous situations safely. This item strikes a balance between giving our police more options to keep us and themselves safe while maintaining clear guardrails, and that’s why I support it.
See details in City Council Supplemental Packet 1 and Supplemental Packet 2 for the July 14 Council meeting.

Files on this page are Berkeley Police Dept (BPD)

- Area Updates, Neighborhood Updates
- Alerts and News

Starting in 2013, BPD Neighborhood Updates have been posted at

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Police/Home/BPD_Newsletter.aspx

In July of 2016, there was a community meeting where Police Officer Brandon Smith gave a talk about crime prevention. See the slides from Smith's presentation.

Berkeley Police Department online reporting system for non-emergency crimes.