Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Contra Costa bus systems offer Summer Youth Bus Pass for unlimited rides June 1 to Aug 31, 2023

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Half-off passes on sale now through June 30th only.

Kids don’t want to be stuck at home for the summer, and parents don’t want to be stuck driving everywhere.

Give your kids their own set of wheels with a Summer Youth Bus Pass.

The Summer Youth Pass is the perfect way for youth riders to get around Contra Costa County during the summer. Passholders can take unlimited rides on Tri Delta Transit, West CAT, and County Connection local and express buses for an affordable and discounted price.

For only $30*, youth 6-18 can take unlimited bus rides from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2023 – one of the best summertime bargains for getting around Contra Costa County!

Click here to purchase your pass https://511cc.org/youthpass or come to our office.

*Actual pass price $60. Advertised $30 price reflects a $30 supplement per pass provided by 511 Contra Costa. Passes receiving the 511 Contra Costa supplement are limited in quantity and available only while supplies last.

 

DA: 2023 police use of force death of Richmond man “lawful and justified”

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A screenshot from video of a body-worn camera shows a Richmond Police officer shooting Kevin James McDonald on June 28, 2023. Herald file photo

66-year-old Kevin James McDonald was in home with suspect arrested on multiple firearms charges.

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Martinez, CA – The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office’s report on the use of force death of 66-year-old Kevin James McDonald in Richmond is now publicly available.

The Law Enforcement Involved Fatality Incidents (LEIFI) report summarizes the results of the District Attorney’s Office’s independent criminal investigation, including a summary of an autopsy, the outcome of a coroner’s inquest, a legal analysis of the facts, and a determination of criminal liability.

District Attorney Diana Becton emphasized: “Six years ago, my office made a commitment to transparency by releasing Law Enforcement Involved Fatality Incidents reports publicly. Since then, we’ve continued this practice. I firmly believe this policy has helped build public trust and improve public safety in Contra Costa County.”

In June 2023, the Richmond Police Department investigated a firearm offense by a Richmond resident. On June 28th, they arrested that suspect and secured a warrant to search his home for evidence. Prior to searching the residence, officers were made aware that another individual, Kevin McDonald, who wasn’t a suspect, also lived at the home.

A team of officers responded to the home and announced their presence and purpose upon arrival. After receiving no answer, they entered the home to secure the scene, continuing to announce themselves as they searched.

During the search, officers approached a closed bedroom door and announced themselves again before opening it. Inside, they found Kevin McDonald seated nearby, armed with a loaded assault rifle. He raised the weapon toward the officers. Faced with an immediate threat of deadly force, Detective Robert Branch and Sergeant Alex Caine fired at McDonald in self-defense and to protect others. Struck by gunfire, McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene. (See related article)

The Contra Costa District Attorney’s office reviewed the officer-involved shooting that occurred on June 28th, 2023. The legal analysis considered all the available evidence (totality of the circumstances). Based on this review, the District Attorney has concluded that the officer’s use of deadly force was lawful and justified. No charges will be filed in this case.

For more details about the incident, read the full LEIFI report for Kevin James McDonald. Video footage from one of the officer’s body worn cameras can be viewed here. WARNING: Graphic, violent content.

West County: Rodeo tattoo shop owner, real estate investor pleads guilty to tax evasion

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Defendant admits to scheme of failing to disclose more than $3 million in income earned from his companies, falsely reporting expenses

Faces maximum prison term of 5 years, $250,000 fine

By U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California

OAKLAND – Salman Salman pleaded guilty today to one count of tax evasion in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. The plea was accepted by the Honorable Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr., United States District Judge. The announcement was made by United States Attorney for the Northern District of California Ismail J. Ramsey and IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office.

Salman, 47, of Rodeo, Calif., was charged with a scheme to evade taxes by filing false Form 1040 joint income tax returns for himself and his wife for tax years 2016 through 2019. Specifically, Salman admitted to falsely underreporting income he and his wife enjoyed from three businesses he owned and operated during the course of the scheme, The Plug Tattoo & Piercing, Inc. in Richmond, S&S Real Estate Investment Group, and Synergy Investment Group Ohio, Inc.

In the plea agreement, Salman admitted that he both understated income from his companies and that he claimed false and overstated expenses as part of his scheme to further reduce his tax obligations. In total, Salman admitted that he failed to disclose over $3.4 million in income he received from his companies for tax years 2016 through 2019.

On December 11, 2023, Salman was charged by information with four counts of tax evasion, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Salman admitted the conduct alleged as support for all four counts in the information, but pleaded guilty to Count Four, which charges him with tax evasion for tax year 2019.

Judge Gilliam scheduled Salman’s sentencing hearing for September 18, 2024. For the tax evasion charge, Salman faces a maximum prison term of five years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and restitution of at least $438,247 to the IRS. As part of any sentence, the court may also order Salman to serve a period of supervised release and to pay additional assessments, however, the court will impose a sentence only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Green, with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Christine Tian of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.

CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.

The IRS contributed to this report.

WETA includes four more Contra Costa ferry stops in 2050 Service Vision

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Source: WETA

Terminals proposed in Hercules, Martinez, Pittsburg and Antioch; plus, additional route for existing Richmond terminal

“A Vision for Water-Based Transportation and Emergency Response on the San Francisco Bay”

By Allen D. Payton

The Bay Area’s Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) board adopted the 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy during its meeting on Thursday, May 9 and the plan includes future, possible stations in Hercules, Martinez, Pittsburg and Antioch. Also included is an additional route for the existing terminal in Richmond, which currently offers WETA’s only ferry service in Contra Costa County.

The plan includes two tiers, with the four additional Contra Costa terminals in Tier 2 which will be added based on demand and current, technological barriers to service. The Vision includes one route between the San Francisco Ferry Building to the Hercules terminal and a separate route to and from the Martinez, Pittsburg and Antioch terminals.

The Vision explains that first, “WETA will enhance existing route frequency to continue growing markets for all-day service.” Then, “WETA will expand by implementing the Tier 1 projects from the map including regional priority projects such as those included in regional plans – including Mission Bay and Treasure Island to the San Francisco Ferry Building, Berkeley to San Francisco, and Oakland to Redwood City.”

That will be followed by WETA exploring “development of Tier 2 projects from the map to further expand the reach of the ferry system as market demand matures and technologies evolve to overcome current barriers to operating service.”

In the plan, “WETA will provide at minimum three types of service on the ferry network: Local service consisting of short distance trips connecting dense urban hubs; Regional service consisting of medium and long-distance trips connecting activity centers; and Special Event service to major venues with existing terminals.”

In addition, “WETA will electrify the ferry system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to their website, “Water transit is a vital part of life in the San Francisco Bay Area. WETA has been developing a shared vision of the San Francisco Bay Area ferry system in 2050, including the level of service and extent of WETA ferry operations and emergency response.

This ‘Service Vision’ informs how WETA operates in the future and what changes will need to be made to get there. The vision will serve as the foundation of WETA’s Business Plan, which will present the specific strategies and actions required to achieve the 2050 Service Vision. Strategies and goals are divided across six Focus Areas.

This service visioning effort is a unique opportunity to re-imagine water transit and address emerging priorities concerning the environment, equity, economic development, emergency response and quality of life throughout the Bay Area.”

According to the staff report for the agenda item #11, the plan was “developed to define a long-term service vision based on input from agency stakeholders, the public, and other parties with an interest in the future of the agency. The goal of this project is to create clear direction for the agency and its staff concerning future expansion efforts, prioritize the use of limited funds, identify resource needs, and help build a broad coalition to advocate for future investment in the regional ferry network. The WETA Board received a presentation on a draft Policy at its last meeting in April 2024. Following that meeting, staff incorporated comments from Directors into the final 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy—including more detailed information about emergency response and first/last mile connections.

During an initial stakeholder and public outreach effort in 2021, staff identified six focus areas

for consideration in the Business Plan. These include:

  1. Regional Ferry Network
  2. Emergency Response
  3. Environmental Stewardship
  4. Community Connections
  5. Organizational Capacity
  6. Financial Capacity

At Business Plan Workshop #1 held in August 2022, the Board identified a set of network expansion concepts for consideration in defining a 2050 Service Vision. Staff undertook a technical evaluation of these concepts and conducted broad stakeholder and public engagement to create a proposal to develop a draft 2050 Service Vision that was presented to the Board during Workshop #2 in April 2023.

Upon receiving direction from the Board to look more broadly at opportunities to expand the ferry network, staff worked with its consultant team to incorporate this feedback into an updated draft 2050 Service Vision and set of feasibility criteria for future expansion projects.

The draft service vision and feasibility criteria were refined upon review with key project stakeholders, the Community and Business Advisory Groups, and the WETA Business Plan Subcommittee. A consistent source of feedback during the outreach process was support for a WETA pilot program to test the feasibility of new technologies and emerging markets. The product of this process is the final 2050 Service Vision and Expansion Policy.”

The Vision also includes Terminal Rehabilitation & Replacement, improvements to Terminal Access, encouraging Transit-Supportive Land Uses in close proximity to each candidate ferry terminal, and Emergency Response. “WETA serves as the coordinator of water-based emergency response activities in the Bay Area in the event of a major disaster or disruptive event. In this capacity, WETA will work closely with the California Office of Emergency Services and/or the United States Coast Guard and will be directed to perform activities coordinated on a regional and state-wide basis. These include deploying WETA’s fleet resources to evacuate dangerous areas, to move first responders, and to deliver needed supplies. WETA will coordinate with other regional maritime partners to add to this fleet response, and terminal facilities must have sufficient capacity and facilities to accommodate these partner vessels. All new expansion terminals must be designed and built to Essential Facilities Standards. Emergency service to individual terminals will be guided based on state and regional direction.”

In addition to Thursday’s meeting, WETA held a public Board of Directors workshop on the 2050 Service Vision in April. The service vision evaluation memo and presentation slides are available, here:

Here’s the public survey summary report, first published in May 2023.

To learn more about the project, visit Bay Ferry 2050 microsite where you can subscribe to updates, share your feedback and more.

San Pablo City Council approves new homeless outreach services partnership 

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The H3 Partnership is with City of El Cerrito, Contra Costa County Health, Housing and Homeless.

48 unsheltered San Pablo residents in county’s 2023 count

By City of San Pablo

San Pablo, CA – On May 6, 2024, the San Pablo City Council approved a new agreement to expand vital homeless outreach services to the unhoused and most vulnerable populations in San Pablo, through a new regional partnership with the City of El Cerrito and Contra Costa County Health, Housing and Homeless (County H3).

This new regional partnership establishes a one-year program to cost-share a County H3 Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement (C.O.R.E.) services team that works to engage and stabilize unhoused individuals through consistent outreach to facilitate and/or deliver health and basic-need services and secure permanent housing services.

Since 2018, the City of San Pablo has contracted with County H3 services for a C.O.R.E. services team in partnership with the City of Richmond. The original contract was entered into on December 1, 2018, and recently extended through June 30, 2026.  For the past five (5) years, the County H3 C.O.R.E. program has been successfully funded and integrated into the operations of the San Pablo Police Department, who regularly coordinate with a current County H3 C.O.R.E. services team to provide these critical homeless outreach services to the San Pablo community.

Source: Contra Costa Health

In Fall 2023, a new collaboration opportunity emerged to expand these County H3 CORE services with other local cities, who also are facing simliar impacts from increased homeless populations in their communities.  These discussions have resulted in the formation of a new partnership with the City of El Cerrito and County H3 to expand and cost-share another County H3 C.O.R.E. services team in the West Contra County region.

“San Pablo saw an opportunity with the City of El Cerrito to expand homeless outreach services and to partner with another local City to expand the availability of these much-needed services for our most vulnerable populations,” stated San Pablo Mayor Patricia Ponce.  “Regional partnerships with other nearby cities are key, and the County H3 CORE program continues to play a vital role in providing these services to our local communities to address an ongoing and critical issue facing local cities – homelessness.”

Since July 1, 2023, and with the new City of El Cerrito and County H3 partnership, the San Pablo City Council has now approved a total investment of $442,771 of City General Funds to expand homeless outreach services to four days/week (32 hours) using dedicated County H3 C.O.R.E services through June 30, 2026.

“In a time with limited budgets and available funding, regional partnerships with local agencies have become paramount when you look how effective these types of services can become if you have the right partnerships in place,” stated San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez. “San Pablo is grateful to forge regional approaches and partnerships with our local neighboring cities of El Cerrito and Richmond, and County H3.”

According to the 2023 Contra Costa County Homeless Point-In-Time Count, there were 48 unsheltered residents in San Pablo, a decrease of 19 since the 2020 count.

The City of San Pablo hopes to generate additional revenue capacity and identify new sources, including grant opportunities, to expand opportunities to procure additional homeless outreach service providers in the future.

Four street gang members charged for violent robberies of San Pablo jewelry store, other Bay Area businesses

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Oakland-based Ghost Town gang co-conspirators stole bags of jewelry valued at $300,000 to $500,000

Face 10 to 20 years in prison; three have histories of arrests

By U.S. Attorney Northern District of California

OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has handed down a superseding indictment alleging Jakari Jenkins, Demarco Barnett, Garland Devonte Rabon, and Keanna Alloise Smith-Stewart conspired with each other, and other members of an Oakland-based street gang, to rob several San Francisco Bay Area businesses, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Special Agent in Charge Robert K Tripp. The superseding indictment, filed April 18, 2024, was unsealed last Friday at an initial appearance by defendant Rabon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore. The final defendant to appear in court, Ms. Smith-Stewart, made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Westmore on April 30.

The superseding indictment alleges that by March of 2022, the four defendants were all members of, or had association with, an Oakland-based street gang called the Ghost Town gang. The indictment describes a series of armed robberies and burglaries that were committed by groups of co-conspirators.

The first robbery described in the superseding indictment involved Barnett and Jenkins, who along with other members of the gang carried out the armed robbery of a coin and stamp store located on the 10th floor of a building in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco. As part of the plan, members of the conspiracy allegedly rented a car to be used as a getaway car. In addition, members of the conspiracy stole a license plate to be used on the getaway car and met additional members of the conspiracy at the Oakland residence of another gang member. On March 18, 2022, the day of the robbery, Barnett, Jenkins, and at least two additional unnamed co-conspirators entered the store, brandished firearms, and demanded money from the business and the two individuals who happened to be present at the time— the owner and his son. The robbers struck the head and zip-tied the hands of the owner’s son, and absconded with cash, jewelry, and coins having an aggregate value of more than $300,000.

The second armed robbery described in the superseding indictment occurred approximately eight months later. As a prelude to the second robbery, members of the conspiracy pretended to be customers of a jewelry store in San Pablo. The pretend customers left jewelry with the operators of the store. According to the indictment, Jenkins, Barnett, and Rabon arrived at the jewelry store on November 12, 2022, with at least four other co-conspirators and robbed the store of jewelry, including the jewelry that members of the gang previously had left with the store. The robbers arrived in two getaway cars—both Dodge Chargers bearing stolen license plates. Five co-conspirators, at least three of whom were brandishing firearms, entered the store while two of the co-conspirators waited outside in the getaway cars. The co-conspirators stole bags of jewelry valued at approximately $300,000 to $500,000. The indictment describes how all four defendants in the superseding indictment later wore the stolen jewelry, shared the stolen jewelry with other members of Ghost Town gang members, or otherwise made use of the stolen jewelry for their personal purposes.

The superseding indictment also describes the November 24, 2022, burglary of an Audi dealership in Oakland. Specifically, the indictment describes how days before the robbery, Smith-Stewart allegedly purchased a black Audi S5 from the dealership using a fake driver’s license and another person’s social security number. After providing a down payment of approximately $9,500 toward the purchase of the car, Jenkins, Barnett, and another unindicted co-conspirator burglarized the dealership and stole the safe containing the down payment that Smith-Stewart previously had submitted.

Finally, the superseding indictment describes the Christmas Eve, 2022, armed robbery of a marijuana business in Oakland and one of its employees. The superseding indictment describes how the worker was leaving the business when Jenkins, Barnett, Rabon, and Smith-Stewart, along with at least four other co-conspirators, arrived at the marijuana business in two getaway cars. The robbers brandished weapons, directed the worker back into the building, and demanded “budded weed” and “money.” One of the robbers struck the worker in the head with a firearm. The robbers searched through the worker’s pockets and stole his bank debit card. The robbers absconded with the victim’s debit card and a bag of marijuana plant trimmings. The superseding indictment describes how on December 26, 2022, Smith-Stewart allegedly used the victim’s debit card at Westfield Mall in San Francisco to purchase more than $1,000 worth of items at Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.

In sum, the defendants are charged with the following crimes:

Defendant

Charge

 Maximum Statutory Sentence, If Convicted

ALL DEFENDANTS

(one count each)

18 U.S.C. § 1951(a)
Conspiracy to Engage in Robbery Affecting Interstate Commerce

(Hobbs Act Robbery)

 – Imprisonment: 20 years

– Fine: $250,000

– Supervised Release: 3 years

– Special Assessment: $100 per count

– Forfeiture

– Restitution

JAKARI JENKINS

(three counts)

DEMARCO BARNETT

(three counts)

GARLAND RABON

(two counts)

KEANNA SMITH-STEWART

(one count)

18 U.S.C. § 1951

Robbery and Aiding and Abetting Robbery Affecting Interstate Commerce

 – Imprisonment: 20 years

– Fine: $250,000

– Supervised Release: 3 years

– Special Assessment: $100 per count

– Forfeiture

– Restitution

KEANNA SMITH-STEWART

(one count)

18 U.S.C. §§ 1029(a) and 2

Counterfeit Access Device Fraud

 -Imprisonment: 10 years

– Fine: $250,000

– Supervised Release: 3 years

– Special Assessment: $100

– Forfeiture

– Restitution

KEANNA SMITH-STEWART

(one count)

18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(5)

Access Device Fraud

 Imprisonment: 15 years

– Fine: $250,000

– Supervised Release: 3 years

– Special Assessment: $100

– Forfeiture

– Restitution

In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order additional fines; restitution, if appropriate; and an additional term of supervised release to begin after any prison. Nevertheless, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defendants Jenkins and Barnett are in custody and are scheduled to make the next appearance before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin on July 15, 2024, in Oakland. Defendants Rabon and Smith-Stewart were in custody and scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Judge Ryu on May 1, 2024.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Harding and Jonathan Lee, with the assistance of Yenni Weinberg and Erick Machado. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the police departments of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Pablo.

According to localcrimenews.com, the five-foot, five-inch tall, 220-pound, 32-year-old Jenkins of Oakland has a  history of arrests dating back to 2013 for multiple weapons, drug and burglary charges, and a hit-and-run; the five-foot, 11-inch tall, 215-pound, 34-year-old Barnett of Oakland, has a history of arrests dating to 2014 for multiple burglaries and a hit-and-run; the six-foot tall, 190-pound, 28-year-old Rabon of Mountain House, has a history of arrests dating to 2015 for multiple burglary and weapons charges; and the five-foot, five-inch, 135-pound, 31-year-old Smith-Stewart of West Sacramento was also arrested on April 29, 2024 by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. No details of the arrest were available.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Former accountant for Richmond business charged with felonies for embezzlement, ID theft money laundering

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Bail set at $2 million

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

A former accountant for a paver company in Richmond has been charged with a six-count felony complaint related to embezzlement, money laundering, identity theft, and tax evasion.

53-year-old Angela Fae Brown from Olivehurst, CA in Yuba County was arraigned today on charges in Contra Costa Superior Court. Between September 2017 and November 2022, Brown engaged in an embezzlement scheme that bilked over 800-thousand dollars from her employer, Viking Pavers in Richmond. Brown used her accounting skills to exploit financial vulnerabilities in the company to illegally enrich herself for nearly five years. She did this by:

  1. Pretending to be the owner of Viking Pavers and creating a fake online account with a payment processing service linked to her personal bank account.
  2. Generating hundreds of phony invoices for services and sending them electronically to the fake account she controlled.
  3. Brown paid these fake invoices with the company’s funds through the online payment processing platform — which funneled the money into her own account.
  4. Brown’s trusted employee status — and access to various financial controls — allowed her to conceal her embezzlement scheme for a long time.

A manager eventually suspected Brown’s fraudulent actions and confronted her. Richmond Police who, along with financial forensics analysts from the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, investigated Brown’s actions. She was arrested on April 19th, 2024, and is currently in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility. Her bail is set at two-million-dollars. District Attorney Diana Becton said, “In white collar crimes, it’s of paramount importance for our Special

Operations Unit to use forensic tools to recover stolen funds; funds some have gone to great lengths to conceal.”

Case No. 02-24-00513 | The People of the State of California v. Brown, Angela Fae

  1. PC 530.5(a)-felony: Identity theft
  2. PC 186.10(a)-felony: Money laundering
  3. PC 487(a)-f: Grand theft of money, labor, or real or personal property exceeding $950
  4. PC 529(a)(3)-felony: False personation
  5. PC 186.10(a)-felony: Money laundering
  6. RT 19705(a)(4)-felony: Concealing property with intent to evade tax

— Special Allegation PC 186.11(a)(2) : aggravated white-collar crime – taking more than $500,000

San Pablo promoted police captain to chief

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Newly appointed San Pablo Police Chief Brian Bubar. Source: SPPD

21-year department veteran Brian Bubar

By Matt Rodriguez, San Pablo City Manager

(San Pablo, CA)  The City of San Pablo has formally appointed Police Captain Brian Bubar, a 21-year veteran of the San Pablo Police Department, as San Pablo’s next Police Chief.

“After an extensive and competitive executive recruitment search, I am pleased to announce San Pablo Police Captain Brian Bubar as San Pablo’s next Police Chief,” stated San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez.

Bubar, selected from a field of 13 applicants, served as the City’s Interim Police Chief following the retirement of former San Pablo Police Chief Ron Raman in late December 2023.  Peckham and McKenney, an executive search firm based in Roseville, CA, was retained in January 2024 to conduct the executive search on behalf of the City.

Since 2016, Police Captain Bubar has served in a number of ascending positions of leadership, responsibility and supervision, including several police command positions within the Police Department.  In August 2021, Bubar earned a Master’s Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego, CA, and previously earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University in September 2018.  Additionally, he is a 2021 graduate of the California Commission of Peace Officers’ Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Command College Program.

“Police Captain Brian Bubar brings forward a solid, operational reputation and extensive local community knowledge and experience, with his noteworthy leadership credentials to the position of Police Chief.  He is a dedicated law enforcement professional who understands the importance of community engagement practices, progressive law enforcement training, and the Department’s continued use of technology programs in substantially reducing violent crime in San Pablo,” stated Rodriguez.  “He further understands the importance of law enforcement in connecting with our community to build trust, and to make it more safe and prosperous for the future.”

Chief Bubar’s official start date in his new role is Wednesday, May 1, 2024.  He is the City’s first, Asian-American Police Chief appointed in San Pablo since the City’s incorporation in 1948.  His starting annual base salary is $268,488.  Chief Bubar is married and has three children, and is a current resident of Fairfield, CA.

Celebrate Earth Day 2024 in West Contra Costa County Saturday, April 20

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Plenty of great community events and ways to serve

¡Celebra el Día de la Tierra 2024! Muchos grandes eventos comunitarios

Community activism is powerful and leads to real change!

By Contra Costa County District 1 Supervisor John Gioia

One of the best aspects of Earth Day is that everyone can participate. Everyone can be great because everyone can do something in their own community.

Join me and your neighbors at one of the great Earth Day events in West Contra Costa County. See you there!

Saturday, April 20, 2024

North Richmond Earth Day 2024: Volunteers will work on service projects at different sites in North Richmond, then come together for a fun community festival from 9am – Noon.

Hope Garden Planting Info Here      Wildcat Creek Clean Up Info Here

El Cerrito Earth Day Celebration: Each year the City celebrates Earth Day with a morning of volunteerism and work parties. Join one of the many citywide work parties from 9 am to 12 noon, and a complimentary seedling giveaway by the El Cerrito Community Garden Network with the El Cerrito Garden Club at the City Corporation Yard (across from the El Cerrito Recycling + Environmental Resource Center) Info Here

Pinole Earth Walk: Join community in a walking pledge to protect the planet, with a three mile loop along the bay and creek starting and ending at Fernandez Park from 9am to noon. Info here.

Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Clean Up: Help cleanup Point Pinole! Bags, disposable gloves, and necessary supplies are provided. Info Here

El Sobrante Earth Day Community Cleanup: Earth Day book displays, gardening, speakers, entertainment and other fun and educational activities! Gather at 9:30am at El Sobrante Library 4191 Appian Way. Info here.

Unity Park Earth Day Celebration (Urban Tilth): The Earth Day Celebration is an event aimed at uniting the community to discover innovative methods for leading sustainable lives and nurturing our planet. Info here.

Wildcat Canyon Regional Park: Join the volunteer effort and a morning of Habitat Restoration at Wildcat Canyon Regional Park from 9am to 12pm! Info here

En Español

¡El activismo comunitario es poderoso y conduce a un cambio real!

Uno de los mejores aspectos del Día de la Tierra es que todos pueden participar. Todos pueden ser geniales porque todos pueden hacer algo en su propia comunidad.

Únase a mí ya sus vecinos en uno de los grandes eventos del Día de la Tierra en el condado de West Contra Costa.

¡Te veo allí!

sábado, 20 de abril

Día de la Tierra 2024 en North Richmond: Los voluntarios trabajarán en proyectos de servicio en diferentes lugares de North Richmond, luego se reunirán para un divertido festival comunitario de 9 am a 12 pm.

Información aquí. (Siembra en el jardín de la esperanza)

Información aquí. (La limpieza del arroyo Wildcat)

Celebración del Día de la Tierra en El Cerrito: Cada año, la ciudad celebra el Día de la Tierra con una mañana de voluntariado y grupos de trabajo. Únete a uno de los muchos grupos de trabajo en toda la ciudad de 9 am a 12 pm, y recibe una planta de regalo cortesía de la Red de Jardines Comunitarios de El Cerrito y el Club de Jardinería de El Cerrito en el Patio de la Corporación de la Ciudad (en frente del Centro de Reciclaje y Recursos Ambientales de El Cerrito). Información aquí.

Caminata de la Tierra en Pinole: Únete a la comunidad en un compromiso de caminata para proteger el planeta, con un recorrido de tres millas a lo largo de la bahía y el arroyo que comienza y termina en el Parque Fernández de 9 am a 12 pm. Información aquí.

Limpieza en Point Pinole: ¡Ayuda a limpiar Point Pinole! Se proporcionan bolsas, guantes desechables y suministros necesarios. Información aquí.

Limpieza Comunitaria del Día de la Tierra en El Sobrante: ¡Exhibiciones de libros del Día de la Tierra, jardinería, oradores, entretenimiento y otras actividades divertidas y educativas! Reúnete a las 9:30 am en la Biblioteca de El Sobrante en 4191 Appian Way. Información aquí.

Celebración del Día de la Tierra en el Parque Unity (Urban Tilth): La Celebración del Día de la Tierra es un evento dirigido a unir a la comunidad para descubrir métodos innovadores para llevar vidas sostenibles y cuidar nuestro planeta. Información aquí.

Parque Regional Wildcat Canyon: ¡Únete al esfuerzo voluntario y a una mañana de Restauración del Hábitat en el Parque Regional Wildcat Canyon de 9 am a 12 pm! Información aquí.

 

STAND! for Families Free of Violence to hold panel discussions on preventing domestic violence April 30, May 7

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Interrupting a lethal moment: A multi-disciplinary panel discussion highlighting collaborative approaches to intervene in potentially lethal domestic violence in Contra Costa.

In Brentwood and San Pablo

This informative event will be held in three locations throughout the county to share information on how STAND!, law enforcement, and medical professionals are working together to interrupt high-risk events and interactions between intimate partner victims and offenders.

Panelists include Ashley Palomino, STAND! Intervention Support Services Manager, local law enforcement representatives, and medical experts in emergency treatment of domestic violence patients.

Registration is free. Register at http://standforfamiliesfreeofviolence.ticketspice.com/lap-speaker-series.