The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a federal court decision that mandated the release of up to 40,000 inmates from the California prison system.

“Fortunately, we’ve been working on this issue for almost two years,” said County Supervisor Federal Glover. “We have a strategic plan for the county and are actively seeking grants to fund its implementation. Having a strategic plan puts us — as a county – ahead of the eight ball.”

In a 5-4 decision, the high court agreed that having about 160,000 inmates in California’s prisons created overcrowded and unhealthy conditions for a system designed to accommodate 80,000 inmates.

Earlier this year, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to transfer about 40,000 state prisoners to county jails. This has not been implemented due to a lack of funds. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger moved about 10,000 to out-of-state for-profit prisons to relieve the overcrowded conditions.

In 2009 after a lower court ordered the state to release thousands of prisoners, the supervisors’ Public Protection Committee chaired by Glover and with Supervisor John Gioia, asked the county to partner with a host of community-based organizations to create a plan to reduce inmate recidivism. Released inmates have a 75 percent recidivism rate, which creates a burden on law enforcement agencies and the courts as well raises a concern for public safety.

Two months ago, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors approved the strategic plan written up by Oakland-based consultant Urban Strategies.

To see the Contra Costa Reentry Strategic Plan, click on http://www.cocoreentry.org/?p=381.

On May 22 at approximately 7:47 p.m., Antioch Police received calls of a shooting victim in the 2300 block of D Street. Officers located the victim, a 19-year-old Antioch resident, on the sidewalk. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The motive for the shooting is unknown at this time, but leads are being followed up by the Antioch Police investigations unit. Additional information will be released pending the ongoing investigation.

On May 20 just after 4:30 p.m. the Antioch Police Department Dispatch center received a call regarding suspicious people removing items from a residence in the 3400 block of Gentrytown Drive. Witnesses provided a description of the suspects and the vehicle they were loading the property into.

Responding officers stopped the vehicle as it was leaving the scene, and found property in the truck that was later identified by the victim as being taken from his home while he was at work. Officers detained the occupants of the vehicle, Kenneth Hubbs, 33, of Antioch, and Rachael Byrnes, 25, of Pleasant Hill, until they were positively identified by witnesses as being involved in the burglary.

A further search of the vehicle yielded credit cards, checks, and identifications that were stolen in burglaries in Pleasant Hill, Pittsburg and Antioch. Both Hubbs and Byrnes were booked at the police station and transported to the Main Detention Facility in Martinez.

Come join Interim Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando on Saturday, June 18th 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 youth crime prevention from Mickie Marchetti; the Executive Director of the REACH Project, 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 May 17 just after 10:30 a.m., Antioch police officers responded to a report of suspicious people in the area of Arbol Court in Antioch. As officers arrived on scene, the suspects were seen fleeing in a vehicle down Silverado Drive.

The vehicle was found a short time later abandoned on Grimsby Drive. As officers were searching the neighborhood for the suspicious subjects, it was discovered that the residence at 2436 Silverado Drive had been burglarized. The vehicle that fled the area with the suspects had property from that burglary inside.

An extensive area check was done, and one of the suspects, Rodney Lewis, 25, of Richmond, was found hiding in the backyard of a home in that area and taken into custody by patrol officers. Eric Wilson, 21, of Richmond, was later found trying to leave the area in a vehicle and was stopped by detectives who were also in the area.

Darryl Lewis, 23, of Richmond, was found trying to leave the neighborhood in a vehicle along with Wanisha Hall, 20, and Tashanique Brown, 21, both of Richmond. Those three were also stopped and detained by detectives in the area.

Rodney and Darryl Lewis and Eric Wilson were all positively identified by witnesses as suspects in the burglary, according to police. They were arrested and sent to County Jail on charges of Residential Burglary. Hall and Brown were found to be aiding in the escape of these suspects and were arrested as accessories and sent to County Jail.

Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call the Antioch Police Department at (925)778-2441.

At approximately 11:45 a.m. on May 11 Antioch Police served a probation search at the residence of Randall Wilson, 21, in the 2300 block of Mandarin Way.

The search was conducted by members of the Antioch Police Department SWAT team and Contra Costa Sheriffs Department personnel.

Mandarin Way is in the Sycamore Drive corridor, which has recently been plagued with shootings and other violent crimes.

Information was developed that the residence was related to several of these incidents.

During the service of the probation search, Wilson, Adam Carpenter, 21, and Leroy Graham, 28, all of Antioch, were found in or near the open garage.

Carpenter brandished a handgun at SWAT officers but was quickly subdued without any officer being injured, according to police.

He was also found to be in possession of rock cocaine for sale.

Marijuana and indicia supporting sales of marijuana were also located. The subjects were booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the following crimes:

Carpenter: Possession of cocaine for sale, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of controlled substance while armed with firearm, Prohibited possession of concealable firearm, probation violation.

Graham: Possession of cocaine for sale, possession of marijuana for sale.

Wilson: Possession of cocaine for sale, possession of marijuana for sale, probation violation.

Update: Jjuan Sanders was taken into custody without incident on May 11 at a home on Sycamore Drive in Antioch with the assistance of the Antioch Police Department SWAT Team and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
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On March 26 a 51-year-old Antioch resident was parking his car in front of his residence when a vehicle containing Keenan Lawson, 25, of Modesto, and Jjuan Sanders, 30, of Antioch drove by and shot multiple rounds into his car with two different firearms, according to police. The victim was in his car at the time and was uninjured.

Earlier in the evening all three men had been at a local nightclub when they ran into each other unexpectedly. The victim had recently been involved in a bad break-up with a female relative of both Lawson and Sanders, who are cousins, said police. An argument started between the three men, and the victim left.

A short time later as the victim was parking his car when the shooting happened. He recognized the occupants of the car as Lawson and Sanders, according to police. Warrants were issued for their arrest and a search was done at Lawson’s Modesto home on May 9. Lawson was taken into custody during that search and a firearm was found in his vehicle.

Sanders is still wanted. He is believed to be in the Antioch/Pittsburg area. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Santiago Castillo at (925) 779-6933.

Takedown of Contra Costa Gangs Nets 35 Arrests and More Than 135 Pounds of Meth

Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today announced the successful conclusion of Operation Red Reach, a coordinated law enforcement sweep that shut down a network of local and transnational gangs that dealt in narcotics and firearms, homicide and fraud in western Contra Costa County and nearby areas.

Search warrants were served in San Pablo, Richmond, El Sobrante, Pinole, Antioch, Pittsburg, San Rafael, Vallejo, Fairfield and Sacramento. Those arrested were booked into the San Pablo jail.

“We are fighting transnational gangs from one end of California to another,” Attorney General Harris said. “With the cooperation of local and federal law enforcement agencies, we’re going to outmuscle, outsmart and undo them.”

San Pablo Police Chief Walt Schuld added: “Exceptional collaboration among the California Department of Justice, local law enforcement, and the FBI has resulted in the successful dismantling of this violent street gang involved in high-level drug and gun trafficking. Our community is much safer due to the tireless efforts of the agents and officers.”

Operation Red Reach, which concluded today, resulted in 35 arrests and the seizure of more than 135 pounds of methamphetamine, 26 firearms – including two assault rifles – more than $86,500 in currency and six vehicles. Police are looking into two weapons that may be tied to a homicide.

Those arrested include Joseph Abbate, aka Sherman Fisher or Butch, an identified member of the criminal street gang known as the Nortenos, which has ties to the vicious prison gang Nuestra Familia.

Four of every 10 homicides that occur in California are gang-related, and more than 80 percent of the California cases in which relocation is required for the protection of witnesses involve gang violence.

Operation Red Reach began in February 2009 primarily to investigate the illegal activities of Abbate. As the probe developed, investigators identified his co-conspirators, who include other members of the Nortenos gang, members of local gangs, and members of a Mexican drug trafficking cartel.

The operation is the latest in a series of actions designed to attack gang violence. In February, agents arrested three associates of a Tijuana drug cartel in a murder-for-hire plot in Southern California. Last month, the Attorney General traveled to California’s border with Mexico with law enforcement leaders to underscore the problem of transnational gangs, and earlier this month, the Attorney General announced the creation of the first multi-agency gang task force in Tulare County.

The operation, as well as the arrests and searches over the last several weeks, were conducted, in co-operation with federal agents, by an inter-agency task force known as West-NET (for West Contra Costa County Narcotic Enforcement Team). Besides the Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, other members of West-NET include the Contra Costa County Sheriff; police in San Pablo, Richmond, El Cerrito, and Kensington; and the Contra Costa Probation Office.