To reach 30 percent of women in police recruit classes by 2030 to improve public safety, community outcomes, and trust in law enforcement.

By PIO Ashley Crandell, Antioch Police Community Engagement Unit

As Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford committed to doing last week, the Antioch Police Department has signed on to the 30×30 Pledge – a focused effort to improve the representation and experiences of women in law enforcement. The 30×30 Initiative helps policing agencies assess the current state of a department with regard to gender equity, identify factors that may be driving any disparities and develop and implement strategies and solutions to eliminate barriers and advance women in policing.

These actions address recruitment, assessment, hiring, retention, promotion, and agency culture.

The Pledge is the foundational effort of the 30×30 Initiative – a coalition of police leaders, researchers, and professional organizations who have joined together to advance the representation and experiences of women in all ranks of policing across the United States. The 30×30 Initiative is affiliated with the Policing Project at NYU School of Law and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE).

The ultimate goal of the 30×30 Initiative is to reach 30 percent of women in police recruit classes by 2030, and to ensure policing agencies are truly representative of the jurisdiction the agency serves. While 30×30 is focused on advancing women in policing, these principles are applicable to all demographic diversity, not just gender.

Steven Ford, Chief of Police: “Throughout the history of law enforcement, women have been under-represented in policing. We are making a commitment to join more than 285 law enforcement agencies across the country in a mission to empower women in policing. Not only does this project move us closer to representing the demographic diversity we serve, but it has been proven that women involved in policing have an immensely positive influence on an organization’s culture. Ultimately, this pledge means that Antioch PD is actively working toward improving the representation and experiences of women in our agency.”

“We are grateful to the Antioch Police Department for being one of the first in the nation to commit to being a part of this growing movement” said Maureen McGough, cofounder of the 30×30 Initiative, Chief of Staff of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, and former policing expert at the U.S. Department of Justice. “We believe strongly that advancing women in policing is critical to improving public safety outcomes. We look forward to having more agencies follow Antioch PD’s lead by signing the pledge and improving the representation and experiences of women in policing.”

For more information, visit www.30x30initiative.org.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Learn more at www.dreamteamantioch.org.

Applications for three-year term due April 21

By Julie DiMaggio Enea, Contra Costa County Office of Communications & Media

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is seeking individuals with a sound business background, experience in pension fund investment or administration, or in equity investments or banking to serve on the Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association Board of Trustees.  To be considered, candidates must be County residents, must not be Retirement System members or retirees, and may not market any investment, consulting, or related service to the Contra Costa County Retirement Board or any other 1937 Act Retirement Board.

Regular meetings of the Retirement Board are held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and sometimes extending into the afternoon.  There may also be additional meetings on special topics that arise from time to time.

Members of the Retirement Board receive $100 per meeting up to a monthly maximum of $500, plus reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses.  The appointment will be for a full three-year term beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2026.

Application forms can be obtained from the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors by calling (925) 655-2000 or by visiting the County webpage.  Applications should be returned to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St., Martinez, CA  94553, no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, April 21, 2023.  Applicants should plan to be available for public interviews in Martinez on Monday, May 9, 2023.

Further information about the Retirement Board can be obtained by calling CCCERA CEO Gail Strohl at (925) 521-3960 or by visiting the website www.cccera.org.

Honda Accord driven by victim of road rage shooting. Photo by Mike Burkholder, ContraCosta.news used with permission.

By PIO Ashley Crandell, Antioch Police Community Engagement Unit

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at approximately 7:51 pm, an 18-year-old woman was shot on Lone Tree Way at the intersection of Highway 4 near Brentwood. The victim was transported to a local hospital and survived her injuries. Officers learned this was a road rage incident between two unrelated vehicles. One of the occupants of a vehicle involved in the road rage shot at the other vehicle. In doing so, they shot an unrelated occupant of a vehicle nearby. (See related article)

The Antioch Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a person and vehicle of interest in this case. We are asking anyone who drove on Lone Tree Way or was visiting the Slatten Ranch Shopping Center on March 14, 2023, from 7:40 pm to 7:55 pm to check your dashboard cameras.

We ask you to preserve the video and contact Detective Cox at (925) 481-8147 or jcox@antiochca.gov. It is important to note, we are not only looking for video depicting the crime- but any video during that time frame. Also, if you work for a delivery company or saw a delivery vehicle in the area from 7:40 pm to 7:55 pm, please contact Detective Cox with which company.

We want to thank the community for their assistance during the course of this investigation.