By Allen Payton

As part of the change in leadership in the Antioch Police Department, four officers were promoted, given their oaths of office and pinned to begin their new positions, during a ceremony before a standing room only crowd of family, friends and fellow police, at the Antioch Police Facility on Thursday, January 7^th.

Desmond Bittner was promoted to Lieutenant, Jimmy Wisecarver was promoted to Sergeant, and both Mike Mortimer and Matt Koch were promoted to Corporal.

“This is the changing of the guard and these gentlemen are going to be part of it,” said Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando, who presided over the ceremony.

He then spoke about each of the four officers who have served together for the past eight years.

Cantando said to laughter from the audience, that Bittner told him “Myself, Koch and Mortimer were all explorers together and we all used to ride with Jimmy because he was the cool officer to ride with.”

He spoke of Wisecarver being a second-generation member of the APD, following in the footsteps of his father Jim, Sr. who, with his wife, was in the audience to support their son.

Speaking about Mortimer, the Chief said “He’s looked a lot different over the last three or four years” speaking of his undercover work.

“Mike could have easily been in a rap video, with hair and attire,” Cantando said to more laughter. “But he cleans up pretty good. It was my pleasure to tell him to get a haircut.”

When it was time to promote Corporal Koch, I was advised by other agencies not to,” Cantando said. That was because they like working with him on a multi-jurisdiction task force.

Then, Antioch Mayor Wade Harper, who administered the oath of office to each of the men, shared his thoughts.

“To me this brings the finest hour to our city to our PD,” he said.

He then spoke of the murder clearance rate for 2015, which “was almost 100% except for a technicality.”

“Police arrested suspects sometimes within days of the homicide,” Harper stated. “That’s not necessarily because of me, but because of the fine men and women of the police department, both sworn and unsworn.”

After being sworn in, each officer had a chance to speak in order of rank.

“I want to thank God,” Bittner said. “He has a plan and I trust his plan.”

He thanked his family and all those who were there and had helped him in his career, then spoke of the other three being promoted, that day.

“It’s an honor to be up here with these three, great guys,” Bittner shared. “I look forward to working with them in our new capacities.”

Then, Sergeant Wisecarver spoke

“I definitely have a lot of people to thank, all of my friends and family to support me now and throughout all the time,” he said. “This promotion and the new assignment that I’ve been given means the world to me. My dad worked here in this department and he really set a standard. I strive to reach that standard.”

“I value those opportunities that I’ve been given,” Wisecarver continued. “Thank you to Captain[s] Orman and Aguinaga for believing in me.”

Corporal Mortimer was next to speak.

“Looking in this room there are so many people that have been here for the last eight years,” he said. “At 16 years I started here.”

He got choked up as he thanked the Chief for “believing in me” and “Orman and Aguinaga for being with me every step of my career.”

He also thanked “Acting Captain Moorefield for his leadership. He’s taught me everything.”

“I especially want to thank Desmond who’s been my friend since childhood,” Mortimer shared. “He’s been with me through everything.”

“I want to thank my wife and daughter,” he continued. “You are my support systems and know how much I love this job.”

“Obviously, Mike has a big heart so it’s nice to see people get emotional up here,” Cantando commented.

Finally, Corporal Koch shared his appreciation and thoughts.

“I want to thank the Chief for this opportunity,” he said. “I also want to thank my wife. This has been a stressful time over the last few months.”

Then he spoke about his daughter and how she would ask “You going to work, daddy? OK. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I want to thank the gentlemen I’m sitting next to,” Koch continued. “It’s been great to pick each and everyone of your guys’ brains to choose my own way.”

He then thanked a variety of officers.

“Watching your leadership styles and being able to follow in your footsteps is an honor for me,” he added.

Cantando offered his final thoughts.

“There are people in this room that have definitely impacted these gentlemen,” he said. “So, I thank you for that.”

He then spoke about sitting on a chief’s interview panel, the day before.

“We were asked ‘What is one of the most important things about being a police chief?’” he stated. “Unanimously, what we talked about is promotions. We are promoting the values of the PD and the expectations. The men sitting up here today have the confidence of the command staff.”

“They’ve worked very hard,” Cantando continued. “They weren’t given it. They earned it. These gentlemen are the future of APD. “

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are reviewing the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC’s) performance as the transportation planning agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. So MTC is asking “How are we doing?”

What: Public Listening Session Sponsored by FHWA and FTA

Date: Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Where: Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, Dahms Auditorium

101 Eighth Street, Oakland (across from the Lake Merritt BART Station)

Can’t attend the meeting?

Send written comments by March 3, 2016 to:

Stew Sonnenberg, stew.sonnenberg@dot.gov

FHWA California Division

650 Capitol Mall, Suite 4-100

Sacramento, CA 95814

or

Ted Matley, ted.matley@dot.gov

Federal Transit Administration, TRO-9

90 Seventh Street, Suite 15-300, San Francisco, CA 94103-6701

Do you need an interpreter or any other assistance to participate? Please call 510.817.5757 or 510.817.5769 for TDD/TTY three days in advance.

¿Necesita un intérprete u otra asistencia para participar? Por favor llámenos con tres días de anticipación al 510.817.5757 o 510.817.5769 para TDD/TTY.

您是否需要翻譯員或任何其他幫助才能參加呢？請提前三天致電510.817.5757或聽障專線(TDD/TTY ) 510.817.5769

Bay Area soon-to-be, practicing, and retired law professionals are needed to provide assistance to their future brethren at the upcoming 35^th Annual Contra Costa County High School Mock Trial Program, held in the early evenings throughout the month of February, at the Martinez Court Rooms. Last year, 150 Bay Area practicing and retired attorneys and sworn judges, as well as third-year law students volunteered their time with the Mock Trials.

Coordinated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE), Mock Trial is an academic event provided for high school students. The hands-on educational program was created to help students acquire a working knowledge of our judicial system, develop analytical abilities and communication skills, and gain an understanding of their obligations and responsibilities as participating members of our society. This year’s trial: People v. Hayes – a murder case, and features a pretrial argument on the Fifth Amendment.

“I encourage all my fellow law professionals to join us in serving as volunteer Mock Trial judges and attorney scorers,” said Contra Costa County Presiding Judge Steve Austin. “Not only is it a wonderful service to our county’s high school students, but you will really enjoy watching them in action. You will be impressed with the skill these young men and women demonstrate in our courtrooms. Every year I volunteer, I am continually amazed at the obvious time each student has invested to participate in this challenging academic event.”

Teams of high school students work with teachers and volunteer coaches to prepare their version of the criminal case, from both the prosecution and defense perspectives.  Students assume the roles of trial attorneys, pre-trial motion attorneys, witnesses, clerks, bailiffs, artists, and court journalists. Mock Trial judges and attorneys score their performance and provide immediate feedback. Winning teams advance through seven rounds of competition. The county’s champion advances to the State finals. This year, there will be 16 Contra Costa County high school Mock Trial teams competing.

Volunteers will score two competing schools that argue the cases in their assigned court. Each night, will begin with a 15-minute rules and regulations training, then the volunteers will go into their scheduled courtrooms to serve as Mock Trial judge and scorers.  The Mock Trials’ scorers are made up of Bay Area deputy district attorneys and deputy public defenders, as well as public-sector, private-practice, and corporate lawyers. In addition, seasoned law students are also welcome to participate. A practicing or retired judge or commissioner will preside over each trial, and also serves as one of the trial’s scorers.

Teams from the following 16 Contra Costa County high schools will be competing: Deer Valley Law Academy (Antioch), Acalanes (Lafayette), Alhambra (Martinez), California (San Ramon), Campolindo (Moraga), Clayton Valley Charter (Concord), De Anza High (Richmond), El Cerrito (El Cerrito), Hercules Middle/High (Hercules), Heritage (Brentwood), Kennedy (Richmond), Miramonte (Orinda), Monte Vista (Danville), Northgate (Walnut Creek), Pinole Valley (Pinole), and Richmond (Richmond).

Schedule for 2016 Contra Costa County High School Mock Trials:

Preliminaries: February 2, 4, 9, 11, 5:00-7:30 p.m. (Eight competitions each night)

Quarterfinals: February 16, 5:00-7:30 p.m. (Four competitions)

Semifinals: February 18, 5:00-7:30 p.m. (Two competitions)

Final and Consolation: February 23, 5:00-7:30 p.m. (Two competitions)

Mock Trial will be headquartered at the A.F. Bray Courthouse, 1020 Ward Street, in Martinez.

Sacramento, CA – Today, Assemblyman Jim Frazier (D –Oakley), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Transportation, unveiled legislation to provide much – needed transportation funding for California.

AB 1591will raise over $7 billion annually and fund two major initiatives: trade corridor improvements and road maintenance and rehabilitation.

“California must invest in its trade corridors if we hope to develop and sustain economic vitality,” Frazier stated. “Manufacturers and farmers want to be able to move their goods to market and AB 1591will provide the investments we need to ensure that they can.”

AB 1591 further answers the challenge Governor Brown made last year when he called upon the Legislature to provide $5.9 billion annually to fix state highways.

According to Frazier, “You can’t put out half a fire. The funding proposals developed over the past year do not begin to sufficiently address our highway and bridge maintenance needs. Failure to adequately fund deferred maintenance is short-sighted and will leave our highways congested in gridlock.”

Frazier spent the past seven months listening to the public, industry experts across the state, and his colleagues in order to develop a comprehensive plan to effectively tackle California’s transportation needs. AB 1591 looks to make these investments now, rather than costing us exponentially more in the long-run.

“Anyone who travels on California’s roads or rides our buses and trains can attest to the dire need for significant investment in our state’s infrastructure,” said Assemblymember Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount). “I commend Assemblymember Frazier for his diligence in considering a wide variety of perspectives as he developed this proposal.”

The revenue generated in Frazier’s plan is a portfolio approach drawing equitably from multiple sources. Key components of the transportation funding package include:

• Restoring revenue from weight fees imposed on large trucks to the State Highway Account. This revenue, nearly $1 billion, will be directed to improvements in the state’s major freight corridors;
• Ensuring additional revenues generated are used to address road and bridge maintenance, rehabilitation, and, as appropriate, increases in capacity;
• Allocating cap and trade auction proceeds to transportation projects that ease congestion and therefore provide significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in trade corridors;
• Imposing moderate increases in gas tax, diesel tax, and vehicle registration. The state’s aging infrastructure is degrading at an increasingly rapid pace. These funds will ensure existing assets are protected;
• Repaying outstanding transportation loans.These loans were made at a time when the General Fund was in crisis. That is no longer the case. These funds need to be returned to the transportation purpose for which they were intended;
• Increasing allocations to intercity rail and transit programs;
• Ensuring all vehicle owners pay to support the transportation infrastructure by imposing a nominal surcharge on electric vehicles; and
• Initiating proper oversight on highway expenditures.

To contact Assemblymember Jim Frazier please visit his website at www.asmdc.org/frazier or call his District Office at 925-513-0411. Follow him on Facebook and “Like” him for updates on events and happenings in the 11th Assembly District.

On Thursday, January 7, 2016, following the release of Governor Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for 2016-17 that calls for $170.6 billion in spending, State Senator Steve Glazer offered his views in support.

“I appreciate the Governor’s careful stewardship of California’s finances in his proposed budget. In particular, I applaud him for setting aside money into the rainy day fund for future economic downturns,” Glazer stated. “The Governor continues to offer critical support for our public schools by providing billions more for K-12 education. I also support his call for a tuition freeze for CSU and UC and for advancing our efforts to improve our four-year college graduation rates. These actions will reduce costs for students and their parents and improve students’ success.”

For more information about the Governor’s proposed budget, which he will submit to the state legislature, read the Sacramento Bee article, here or visit the Governor’s budget website, here.

By Sergeant Rick Smith, Antioch Police Community Policing Bureau

On Friday, January 8, 2016 at 12:31 a.m., Antioch Police Officers attempted to stop a stolen BMW in the area of East 18th Street and Cavallo Road. The driver, later identified as 33-year-old Ricky Barnette of Concord, refused to stop and led officers on a vehicle pursuit. Officer’s terminated their pursuit when Barnette entered eastbound Highway 4 the wrong way from Hillcrest Avenue. Barnette drove westbound in the eastbound lanes of Highway 4 and collided head on with another vehicle heading eastbound. Barnette and his two passengers fled on foot from the vehicle and climbed down to surface streets from the highway. An officer in the area spotted Barnette and the passengers. They were taken into custody without incident. A search of the vehicle located a stolen, loaded handgun and approximately 6.2 ounces of suspected methamphetamine.

As a result of the collision, the victim sustained major, but non-life threatening

injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Barnette was not injured and his passengers were treated for complaints of pain due to the collision. Both passengers were later released at a local hospital and Barnette was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on several Felony charges.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Antioch Police at (925) 778-2441. You may also text a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) using key word ANTIOCH.

On Tuesday, January 5, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D) made the following statement after attending President Obama’s announcement on the Administration’s executive actions to reduce gun violence and make our communities safer. Last month, DeSaulnier requested that the President take executive action on a series of gun safety initiatives (letter here). Significant amongst these, after researching the issue, DeSaulnier found an opportunity to strengthen across the board procedures on how federal law enforcement officers store their guns so that the tragic situations that occurred in the Bay Area that resulted in the deaths of Kathryn Steinle and Antonio Ramos will not happen again.

“I commend President Obama for taking necessary executive action to address the gun violence epidemic in our country.

Twenty-six years ago my father took his life with a gun. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him, and that if we appropriately fund mental health research we could help millions of people who struggle with the same demons my Dad faced. In fact, although more attention is often paid to homicides, gun suicides account for more than 60 percent of gun related deaths. Today’s announcement includes critical investments in expanding mental health treatment and recordkeeping for background checks which are critical to this effort.

I have long advocated for simple, reasonable reforms that will help save lives in California and across the nation. On average, 31 Americans are murdered with guns every day, and 151 are treated for gun assault in an emergency room. The firearm homicide rate in the United States is a shocking 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 comparable countries.

Today’s announcement is a courageous step in the right direction. The commonsense measures outlined by the President would greatly protect the lives of both our citizens and law enforcement officers. I look forward to working with the President on this and other gun safety efforts.”

As a California legislator, Mark introduced legislation that would require gun owners to notify law enforcement if their firearms had been lost or stolen within 48-hours of reasonable discovery. He also introduced bills promoting the use of smart gun technology.

DeSaulnier was asked if he was blaming Kate Steinle’s murder, which occurred in San Francisco, last year, on the theft of the police officer’s gun, instead of the man, who was in the U.S. illegally, who shot and killed her, and if he could have just obtained a gun in some other way, the Congressman did not respond.

He was also asked what could the President’s Executive Order have done to prevent any of the mass shootings in the U.S. over the past few years.

“As the President said in his address we should not be restricted by the thinking that no one reform could have stopped each and every act of gun violence that have occurred,” DeSalunier responded. “The measures that both the President and I are proposing are intended to stop future acts of gun violence and save future lives.”

DeSaulnier represents parts of Antioch and Contra Costa County in the U.S. House of Representatives in California District 11.

Contact the Congressman via his website at https://desaulnier.house.gov/contact.