The Antioch Police Department and REACH Project, Inc. collaborated in a Curfew Sweep in the city of Antioch on Oct. 14 starting at 11 p.m. This program is designed to reduce the number of minors being out after curfew.

The program is intended to be supportive rather than punitive. The City Ordinance generally prohibits minors (under the age of 18 years) from being in any public area between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. seven days a week. The ordinance was adopted to promote safety of the City’s youngest most vulnerable residents from becoming participants or victims of crimes.

Officers from the Antioch Police Department detained a total of 10 minors. They were brought to the processing center at the police department and turned over to the staff of the REACH Project where the minors were counseled and released to their parents or guardians. Follow-up juvenile diversion services will be provided by REACH addressing decision-making skills and training, treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse, understanding youth and the law and applying principles of restorative justice.

This program was a success and future programs will be scheduled throughout the summer in an attempt to further reduce number of minors out after curfew and increase the accountability and responsibility of both the minors and their parents or guardians.

Violent crime has taken a downturn this year according to statistics gathered from Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. At the same time, violent incidents among and by young people appear to be rising based on reports in the media and from school districts.

• Recently, two men shot a young man dead in Antioch in the Sycamore neighborhood. The men are still at large.
• A young man was shot while sitting in his car in Oakley. Police suspect it is gang-related.
• Two young men who are connected to a gang were arrested for shooting a man on an Antioch street.
• A member of an Aryan gang fatally stabbed a father in Bay Point.

“While the number of total violent crimes may have gone down, media reports indicate that gangs are involved in a greater percentage of the crimes committed in East County,” said Contra Costa Supervisor Federal Glover.

Criminal violence in East County has attracted the attention of one of the top law enforcement officials in the state. Larry Wallace, director of the Division of Law Enforcement in the Attorney General’s office, will be the keynote speaker at a local anti-violence and anti-gang forum, Peace in the Streets.

“Being smart on crime, that’s a part of collaborating and working with local entities and other forms of law enforcement, other groups within the community … not just a lock-­’em-­and-­throw-­away-­the-­key approach,” said Wallace, who has been in law enforcement for 28 years.

While East County gang-related incidents pale in comparison to other parts of the Bay Area, Glover and the East County Gang Task Force want to make sure that it doesn’t get any worse.

Glover and the task force are sponsoring the Peace In The Streets Forum this Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pittsburg High School. Also featured during the forum will be panels composed of the county and city law enforcement agencies as well as members of the school districts and local community-based organizations who deal with at-risk youth. The forum is open to the public.

Especially urged to attend are parents who want to prevent their kids from joining gangs, educators who want to learn the latest trends in local gangs and youth workers of the nonprofit agencies that offer services to parents and youth.

The forum caps a week of community events against violence. These include:

• Prayer Walk sponsored by New Birth Church in Pittsburg on Oct. 22. Corporate Prayer starts at 6:30 a.m. and the march will begin around 7:30 a.m. The route will follow the DeAnza Trail to Crestview Ave., the site of a recent shooting. For more info, call 925- 439-8989.

• Stop The Violence March & Festival For Peace sponsored by Do The Word Ministries on Oct. 22 at 10:30 a.m. Assembly starts at 10:30 a.m. at East 18 and A streets in Antioch to Contra Loma Park where the Peace Festival will be located. For more info, call 925-978- 4839.

• Town Hall by New Birth Church in Pittsburg, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. There will be a panel on safe communities featuring panelists from law enforcement, education and Supervisor Glover. For more info, call 925-439-8989.

Based on information shared by the gang task force, gangs are no longer just an urban problem, says Ed Diokno, who coordinates the task force for Glover. They are actively recruiting vulnerable young people in the suburbs. They use areas like East County as places to hide when the law clamps down on their activities in places like Oakland, San Francisco or Richmond.

“Parents and educators need to know the signs that their children might be at risk of being lured by the violent gang lifestyle,” said Glover. “None of us can afford to be bystanders.” “The good thing to know is, we are not alone. There are resources and help available. There are
people already working to stop the violence.

“We can reclaim the streets if we act as a community,” says Glover. “Hopefully, this forum and the events leading up to it will give the community the knowledge and resources to fight the street violence and gangs.”

Pre-register for the Peace In The Streets Forum at www.cccounty.us/supervisorglover or call 925-427-8138. Registration will also be accepted at the door. All the marches and the forum are free and open to the public.

Come join Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando on Saturday, October 22nd from 9:00-11:00 A.M. in a casual setting to discuss public safety issues, crime statistics, etc. You will also receive information about Disaster Emergency Preparedness, which will be presented by Lonnie Karste of Karste Consulting, Inc. Open communication about community issues is encouraged.

The location for this casual “Coffee with the Cops” workshop will be held in the Antioch Police Department Community Room located at 300 L Street. Members of the Antioch Crime Prevention Commission will be in attendance, and make themselves available to answer questions with a focus on enhancing Neighborhood Watch programs for Antioch residents.

The “Coffee with the Cops” concept is a pilot program implemented by the Antioch Police Department in an effort to improve communication between the Police Department and the citizens they serve. These meetings will consist of a “one-on-one” type format with a member of the police command staff and members of the community. The format of these meetings has been designed to be informative.

The Antioch Police Department is dedicated to promoting the quality of life in Antioch in partnership with our community, by proactively reducing crime with integrity and commitment to excellence.

On October 8, 2011 6:33 p.m., Antioch Police Officers responded to 2327 Dogwood Way in Antioch on a report of man who had been shot. Officers found a 24-year-old Antioch man in front of a home with gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The following suspects were seen fleeing the scene: black male, early 20’s, short hair, 6 feet, 170 pounds; and black male 18-22 years old, 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8, 150 pound.

Anyone with information regarding this murder or these suspects should call Detective Bittner at (925)779-6939.

At approximately 5:55 p.m. on October 7, a resident in the 4900 block of Parkgreen Circle called stating that shots were being fired near his or her home, and that people with guns were in the rear yard.

Upon officers arrival, one 36-year-old male was found at that location, suffering from two gunshot wounds. No other people were present. The victim was a resident of that neighborhood. The victim was transported to an undisclosed hospital where he is in serious condition but is expected to live.

The motive for the shooting was unknown, and Antioch Police are conducting a follow up investigation on this case.

On September 29 3:35 p.m., Antioch police responded to a reported carjacking that had just occurred in the Walmart parking lot on Lone Tree Way.

Officers contacted a 19-year-old Antioch female who reported that just as she pulled into a parking stall in front of Walmart a man, later identified as David Karcher, 58, of Antioch, entered her vehicle through the front passenger door. Karcher had a knife and assaulted the victim with the knife while making threatening statements.

The victim received a minor injury as a result of the attack, but no medical attention was necessary. Karcher attempted to hold the victim in the vehicle in an attempt to kidnap her. After a brief struggle, the victim was able to break free and run away from the vehicle. Karcher then jumped into the driver’s seat and fled the area in the victim’s vehicle.

As it turned out the victim’s vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking device. The victim’s father was contacted who was able to track the vehicle through a computer and provide real time updates to Antioch Dispatch. This information was relayed to officers where, with the assistance of Brentwood PD, they were able to locate the vehicle within about 15 minutes of the incident.

The suspect was stopped in the victim’s vehicle in the area of the Highway 4 Bypass and Sand Creek Road in Brentwood. Karcher was taken into custody by Antioch and Brentwood police officers without incident. Karcher was found to have an extensive criminal history and several outstanding felony warrants for his arrest. He is currently in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility.

On August 20 at 10:17 p.m. Antioch police officers were dispatched to a residence in the 2800 block of Seville Circle on a report of several gunshots. As officers were responding, dispatch received other calls that a person had been shot.

Officers along with medical personnel arrived and began life saving efforts on a 16-year-old Oakley male. He was transported to Sutter Delta Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds.

A 17-year-old Antioch female, who was also shot while at the residence, was driven to the hospital by a friend. She had a single gunshot wound, was treated for her injury and later released.

The information provided was that the shootings happened during a birthday party with numerous people attending. The shooter and victim had words before the victim was shot. Police are in the process of determining what lead up to the shooting and how the female was injured.

By Lieutenant John VanderKlugt

The Antioch Police Department and REACH Project, Inc. collaborated in a Curfew Sweep in the city of Antioch on August 5. This program is designed to reduce the number of minors being out after curfew.

The program is intended to be supportive rather than punitive. The City Ordinance generally prohibits minors (under the age of 18 years) from being in any public area between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. seven days a week. The ordinance was adopted to promote safety of the City’s youngest most vulnerable residents from becoming participants or victims of crimes.

Officers from the Antioch Police Department detained a total of 35 minors. They were brought to the processing center at the police department and turned over to the staff of the REACH Project where the minors were counseled and released to their parents or guardians. Follow-up juvenile diversion services will be provided by REACH addressing decision-making skills and training, treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse, understanding youth and the law and applying principles of restorative justice.

This program was a success and future programs will be scheduled throughout the summer in an attempt to further reduce number of minors out after curfew and increase the accountability and responsibility of both the minors and their parents or guardians.