Says APD down 13 officers from 115 budgeted; proposes financial incentives to hire lateral officers from other agencies, academy graduates; admits to private meeting with DA, interim city manager

Police leader says officers are leaving and don’t want to hire on to APD due to mayor, council majority, policies and attitudes; attrition wasn’t happening under former Chief Brooks; claims five officers under investigation and on paid leave

Mayor Pro Tem Barbanica says APD down to 78 sworn active officers on the force, police officers telling him the council majority is to blame for attrition

Thorpe confirms currently only 78 active sworn officers

By Allen D. Payton

Following a local podcast last Friday in which the president of the Antioch Police Officers Association, Corporal Steve Aiello said the lack of active sworn officers on the force is directly due to the mayor and council majority, their policies and attitudes toward police, and a YouTube video by Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica posted on his official Facebook page, Sunday night sharing 24 officers are “off work” for a “variety of reasons”, Mayor Lamar Thorpe held a press conference Monday morning claiming the attrition in the department is due to national trends.

The announced, new interim police chief Dr. Steve Ford also participated in the press conference and later said his own hiring process should be completed either this week or early next week.

During the podcast, Aiello spoke about exit interviews with officers which provided him with the reasons they are leaving the department and partly why the force was down to just 83 active sworn officers two weeks ago. That was prior to the investigation by the FBI and DA’s office of five officers who have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to Aiello. (See related article)

Thorpe wouldn’t confirm that number when asked during the press conference. Aiello said three of those officers have told him they were surprised and don’t know why they’re being investigated.

Barbanica said there are currently 78 active sworn officers, which Thorpe did confirm during the press conference. Barbanica also provided a breakdown of police staffing in his Facebook post writing, “an update on current staffing levels at the APD. Keep in mind, this is a 24/7 operation. Patrol 52 (Including Supervisors/Managers), Community Engagement Team 2, Traffic 4 (Including 1 Supervisor), Investigations 12 (Including Supervisors/Managers), Admin 8, Off Work 24 (variety of reasons).”

Current Staffing Confirmed at 102 Sworn on Staff, 78 Active, Claims APD Part of National Trend in Police Staffing Losses

Thorpe and Ford said the current Antioch Police Department staffing level is at 102 sworn police officers, leaving 13 sworn positions currently open from the 115 approved in the city budget. There are three officers currently in the police academy who will graduate in July, which will reduce the vacancies to 10. Thorpe confirmed there are currently only 78 active sworn officers on the force.

The mayor spoke of national trends with vacancies in government employment, which he said is, “the economic phenomenon called ‘The Great Resignation’ where many employees across the U.S. have resigned from their jobs, most notably during the global, COVID pandemic…resulting in lower productivity and a decline in morale.”

“Only hospitality and government are witnessing actual decline in the workforce, meaning workers aren’t being replaced or replaced fast enough, otherwise known as attrition,” Thorpe continued. “‘20-‘21 marked the highest rate of state and local government job openings in the past 20 years, which means local governments are understaffed. Law enforcement is the largest group driving workforce losses through local government.”

A ‘20-‘21 report by the Police Executive Research Forum rightly notes that nationally, there has been a 45% increase in retirements and a 20% increase in resignations compared to previous years” he stated. “Antioch’s law enforcement agency is no exception to this staffing crisis.”

However, Thorpe did not offer any reasons for the attrition either nationally or locally. Aiello stated during Friday’s podcast, the losses in the Antioch Police Department staffing weren’t happening during former Chief Tammany Brooks’ tenure in the position, who resigned at the beginning of last October.

Proposes Increasing Incentives for Lateral, Academy Hires, Increase in Over Hire Sworn Staffing by Four Officers

Also, during the press conference, Thorpe and Ford announced proposed financial incentives to attract the hiring of lateral officers from other departments and police academy graduates. They include increasing from $10,000 to a “$40,000 structured signing bonus”, with $20,000 paid upon hiring, $10,000 at the end of the officer’s first year with the department, and another $10,000 paid at the end of their third year. They are also proposing the same incentives for academy recruits.

The other proposed incentive is for up to $60,000 for down payment assistance per academy graduate for the purchase of a home in Antioch, for which they would have to remain on the Antioch police force for at least five years.

In addition, Thorpe proposed increasing the over hire of sworn police officer staffing in the department from the current 121 to 125.

However, “these positions will have to be directly tied to any anticipated retirements or resignations, or any long-term administrative leave,” Thorpe explained.

The city council will have to approve any of the proposed incentives and increase in over hire for the department.

Asked if the money for the home down payments will be from the city’s General Fund or the police budget, Thorpe replied, “Obviously, we have significant salary savings at this point. So, we can look at that pot of money. We could look at the General Fund but we could also look at ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funding. So, again, this is for a 12-month period and if after 12 months we may find we’ll need to do it, again.”

Thorpe wouldn’t answer the question if he would offer any incentives to keep the current officers on the Antioch police force. But as he walked out of the council chambers, he continued answering questions of one reporter about hiring lateral officers who are under investigation in their current departments. Thorpe’s answer could not be understood.

Thorpe Admits to Private Meeting with DA, Interim City Manager, Says They Were Asked to Cooperate with Investigation of APD, Won’t Say How He’s Helping

During the press conference, Thorpe confirmed what had been previously reported, of a private meeting he and Interim City Manager Con Johnson had with Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton on Tuesday, March 22, the day before the investigation occurred.

The meeting was held just three days following Thorpe’s arrest for DUI and while he was under investigation by her department. (See related article)

Thorpe said the meeting was held by Becton to request his and Johnson’s cooperation in the investigation and they were to “keep confidentiality as this was an ongoing investigation”. Asked if the information he had received as one of the five council members was shared with all of the other four, Thorpe replied, “no, because the district attorney said to keep this confidential between myself and the city manager, because they were soliciting our help in the investigation.”

Asked how he as a civilian was helping the investigation, Thorpe replied, “I’m not going to get into that.” He later said, “Let me just clarify something. I was asked to be down there as the mayor of Antioch. So, beyond that I’m not going to answer how or what.”

Thorpe Won’t Confirm How Many Officers Under Investigation, Cause of Attrition

About how many officers were on paid leave and what Aiello had said Thorpe was asked, “you’re claiming, now, that those officers, 28 or so, are on paid leave because of national trends and they’re leaving, but they’re sick and injured…and he (Aiello) said that many are not coming back. Is that correct?”

“That’s not what I said. That’s everything you inferred,” Thorpe replied. “What I can tell you is that currently, we have 24 people who are on either injury or administrative leave. It’s a combination of both and we’re not going to get specific as to who, because we have to protect people’s personnel files and their privacy and their confidentiality. So, I’m not going to play this game with you trying to take information from people’s personnel files and exploit it for the media. I’m not going to do that.”

Asked again, “so, we were down to 83 officers before the five were placed on paid administrative leave, correct?” Thorpe responded, “currently we are down 24 unavailable.”

Barbanica Says Officers Tell Him Thorpe, Council Majority Are to Blame for Attrition

When reached for comment, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica said, “I speak with law enforcement, daily including Antioch officers and other local agencies and they’re telling me it’s the council majority that’s to blame for the attrition.”

“At one point, Antioch was viewed as the agency to go to,” he added.

See YouTube videos of the press conference by the Antioch Herald here, here, and here and on Thorpe’s official Facebook page.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

Previously the subject of a 2015 Antioch investigation, also arrested by Antioch Police in 2017 for lewd acts upon a child and sexual exploitation of a child

By Ted Asregadoo, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa County Distict Attorney

50-year-old Concord resident Patrick Steven Yelton was charged with three counts of forcible sexual abuse of a child under 13 which he allegedly committed in 2015. The charges were filed on March 28, 2022, in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez. Yelton was previously charged on April 15, 2021, with one count of possession of child pornography, and is currently in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility.

In March 2020, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce received information that Yelton was storing images of child pornography in his Google account. Concord Police officers contacted Yelton about the alleged images. Pursuant to a search warrant, Officers seized Yelton’s smartphone and additional photos of child pornography were located on the device. A year later, in February 2021, the ICAC Task Force received another tip that Yelton had pornographic images of children on his Yahoo account which yielded further evidence of unlawful activity.

Yelton was previously the subject of a 2015 Antioch investigation concerning sexual abuse of a child under 13. While reviewing the material in Yelton’s accounts relating to child pornography, evidence was discovered relating to the 2015 investigation.  As a result, Yelton has now been charged with the 2015 forcible sexual abuse offenses, in addition to the original child pornography charge.

The investigation was conducted by a multi-agency, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is managed by the San Jose Police Department. In Contra Costa County, detectives and investigators from the Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, San Ramon, Concord and Moraga Police Departments, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and Inspectors from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office participated in the task force.

According to localcrimenews.com Yelton has a history of arrests including by Pleasant Hill Police in 2016 for driving with a license suspended for drunk driving; three  times by Antioch Police in 2017 including once for false imprisonment by violence, forcible lewd acts upon a child and sexual exploitation of a child under 18 years, and again in 2017 for inflicting corporal injury on spouse/cohabitant, threats of violence and receiving or concealing stolen property; by  Martinez Police also in 2017 for possession of drug paraphernalia; and seven times by Concord  Police including twice in 2018, first for possession of a controlled substance and later for battery on a spouse / cohabitant / former spouse and threats of violence

Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about online safety and can visit the website www.kidsmartz.org or the District Attorney’s website for further information.

Case information: People v. Yelton, Dockett Number 01-195896-6

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

First of its kind in Contra Costa County; 207.8-acre preserve available for free to local schools, groups

By Laura Kindsvater, Communications Manager, Save Mount Diablo

On March 30, 2022, Save Mount Diablo opened its Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve to the public, the first of its kind in Contra Costa County. People gathered at a special ceremony at the preserve during which Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Save Mount Diablo Board President Jim Felton cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening.

The 207.8-acre preserve is situated between the Crystyl Ranch residential development in Concord and Lime Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek.

Save Mount Diablo’s Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve is available for reservations free of charge to a variety of local schools and community groups, of all ages and backgrounds, pursuing educational purposes. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• environmental science classes
• nature photography courses
• yoga classes
• plein-air artists gatherings
• addiction recovery groups
• acoustic music in nature ensembles
• meditation classes
• grief counseling support groups
• church groups
• homeowners association groups
• hiking, trail running, and mountain bike clubs

Interested groups can submit a request to reserve the property for a day up to six months in advance by utilizing the online form on Save Mount Diablo’s website. The size of a group must be at least three people to no larger than 100 people. The preserve is day-use only (no camping). The preserve is day-use only (no camping). Location and access will be provided upon reservation. A docent will be on-sight to provide access, an overview of the property and any assistance.

The preserve includes grassland, stream canyons, blue oak woodland, chaparral, and oak savannas.

It’s home to rare species such as the northernmost stand of desert olive, rare Hospital Canyon larkspur, and threatened Alameda whipsnake. Deer, coyote, burrowing owls, kestrels, and lots of other wildlife live here too.

The preserve’s high ridgeline provides views of most of central Contra Costa County and to Marin, Sonoma, and Solano counties.

As you move away from the staging area of the preserve and into the open space along Galindo Creek and up the ridgeline, the sounds of cars and radios fade. They become birdsong and gentle breezes rustling through trees.

Here you will find you are transported into another space where senses are heightened and connecting to nature is inevitable.

About Save Mount Diablo

Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission

to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, watersheds, and connection to the Diablo Range through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide educational and recreational opportunities consistent with protection of natural resources. To learn more, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.

By Sergeant Christian Camarillo, San Jose Police Department

On March 27th, 2022, at approximately 2:44 AM, Officers responded to the area of South 4th Street and East San Carlos Street on a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they located an adult male suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Paramedics arrived and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.

The motive and circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. The suspect is unidentified and remains at large.

The identity of the deceased victim was released by the Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office as 27-year-old Jacqui Biggins out of Antioch.

This is the City of San Jose’s 4th homicide of 2022.

Anyone with information is asked to Contact Detective Sergeant Bagon #3589 or Detective Ancelet #4173 of the San José Police Department’s Homicide unit at 408-277-5283.

Submit crime tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or on www.svcrimestoppers.org. If the information you submit leads to an arrest, you are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

April 2, 2022

Subject: Your Property Taxes

Dear Property Owner,

Help us provide you with the best service possible and let us help you avoid high-interest rates and penalties. Please remember to pay the second installment of your property

Taxes on or before April 10, 2022.

If you have any questions or concerns about how to make your payment you can contact the

County Tax Collector’s office at: (925) 957–5280.

If you have any questions or concerns about the taxable value of your home, please take the opportunity to call us at the County Assessor’s office at (925 )313-7400.

You’re welcome to visit the Assessor’s office at 2530 Arnold Drive in Martinez. We’re open to the public 8AM to 4PM Monday through Friday to help you with your property tax questions.

Gus Kramer

County Assessor

In case you have paid your property taxes in full or you do not own property in Contra Costa County, please disregard this notice.

Thorpe issues statement claiming investigation is to help with council’s police reform efforts; Barbanica posts video about APD staffing level concerns, says interim city manager won’t return calls to provide details

DA won’t clearly define “crimes of moral turpitude”; Thorpe endorsed DA Becton, APOA endorsed her opponent, Deputy DA Knox

By Allen D. Payton

One week later, neither the Contra Costa DA’s Office nor Antioch city officials will say how many police officers are under investigation by the FBI and D.A.’s Office of Antioch that began last Wednesday, March 23 and was announced last Friday. The Pittsburg Police Department immediately responded Friday afternoon informing the public on social media that three of their officers had been placed on paid leave. (See related article)

On Tuesday, Assistant Contra Costa D.A. Simon O’Connell was asked how many Antioch police officers are under investigation. He responded, “As stated on Friday, due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, no additional details will be released at this time.”

Thorpe Issues Statement Claims It’s Done to Help in Fight to Reform APD

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe posted a statement about the investigation on social media Saturday morning, along with a video of a KPIX Channel 5 news report. But the statement did not provide any additional details and is not known if it is the official statement from the City of Antioch.

“Mayor Thorpe’s statement regarding investigation [sic] Antioch Police Officers:

Since I assumed the Office of Mayor, a little over a year ago, I have been committed to reforming the Antioch Police Department. In order to achieve our goal of having a safe city there must always be a level of trust between our community and our officers.

I appreciate the FBI’s and District Attorney’s willingness to help in our fight to reform the Antioch Police Department. They have my personal assurance that the City of Antioch will continue to assist them in this matter.”

Barbanica Posts Video, Concerned About Antioch Police Department Staffing Levels, Can’t Get Call Back with Details from Interim City Manager

On Saturday, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica posted a YouTube video on his official Facebook page in which he said he had tried unsuccessfully 10 times to reach Interim City Manager Con Johnson to get details. Barbanica also said he was concerned about staffing levels in the police department.

“The men and women of the Antioch Police Department that are out there doing their job the right way, every day, one hundred percent have my support and I thank them for continuing to come to work…and doing everything they can to make sure we have a safe community,” he said. “The other group that we’re talking about here, I couldn’t tell you. I have no confirmation who these people are. So, I really don’t know…the true details of what’s going on.”

“I can’t get return phone calls from our city manager’s office to give me the facts,” Barbanica continued. “Very sad day for law enforcement any time police officers are investigated for anything. But I don’t know where it stands. I don’t know if an arrest has been made.”

“Staffing levels are a huge priority for me to make sure we that have enough people out there on the street,” he stated. “I can call the chief, but he can’t call me back to give me the details of it because of the policy out of the…interim city manager’s office that the department heads can’t talk to council members unless the city manager or his designee is present and I can’t even get a call back from the CM’s office.”

So, I’ll update you as I know, which right now is very little. I’ve been kept in the dark. I will let you know as I know,” Barbanica added.

Questions for Thorpe, City Council and Staff Go Unanswered

A copy of the mayor’s statement and questions were sent late Saturday night, March 26 to Thorpe, copying the other four council members, Interim City Manager Con Johnson, City Attorney Thomas Lloyd Smith, Interim Police Chief Tony Morefield, Antioch Police Officers Association President Steve Aiello, Assistant City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore and Public Information Officer Rolando Bonilla asking, “Is that the City of Antioch’s official statement? If so, who helped you prepare it, the PIO, interim city manager, city attorney or someone else?”

If not, why hasn’t one been issued by either the PIO or APD like the statement issued by the Pittsburg Police Department, which provided the information on their three officers who have been placed on paid leave, on Friday about an hour after the DA’s office issued their press release?

If Pittsburg PD can share that information without mentioning names of their three officers, why can’t you?

If not or if so, is what you issued the appropriate and responsible way to provide a response to such an announcement?

If not, when will the official statement be issued by either the PIO, APD or you?

If not, aren’t you, again jumping to a conclusion and assuming Antioch Police officers are guilty of something wrong before the investigation has been concluded, like you did in the Angelo Quinto case?

How many Antioch Police officers are being investigated? How many have been placed on paid administrative leave? Differing reports by Bay Area TV stations are claiming 8 or 10 officers because the City isn’t doing like the Pittsburg PD has and immediately responded to the DA’s press release. From where are they obtaining that information? Is Rolando providing that to them? Has he spoken to any media about this investigation?

Have you and the other council members been informed of how many officers are being investigated and how many have been placed on paid leave? If so, when did that occur? Also, if so, have any of you shared that information with any member of the public or media? If so, to whom did you share it?

What is the definition of crimes of moral turpitude used by the FBI, DA and APD? How does it apply to the possible crimes committed by Antioch officers? Reports by Bay Area TV media claim it’s steroid abuse and jokes about officers asking if someone is bringing cocaine or heroin with them somewhere. Is any of that true and part of the investigation?

How does the investigation of an unknown number of officers have anything to do with the police reforms approved by council majorities over the past year? Are you trying to take credit for the investigation? Did DA Becton, anyone in her department or anyone in the FBI say the investigation was to help reform the Antioch Police Department?

Did you or anyone from the Antioch city government request the investigation? If so, when? Was the investigation a topic of discussion with DA Becton during your reported private meeting with her this passed Tuesday afternoon, March 22 the day before the investigation?

Was that meeting by you and the DA appropriate since, due to your DUI arrest on March 19, you’re currently the subject of an investigation by the Contra Costa DA’s Office?

Is your statement an attempt to deflect from the news about your DUI arrest?

Did she or anyone in the DA’s office or FBI inform any of you about the investigation prior to Wednesday’s actions? Did any of you speak with Becton, anyone in her department or the FBI following the Wednesday actions? If so, when, how, what was discussed and with whom?

Have any of you endorsed and/or made any financial contributions to DA Becton’s re-election campaign? If so, when and how much?

For Lamar – has Becton endorsed you in or contributed to your campaign to beat the recall? If so, when and how much?

Has the Antioch Police Officers Association endorsed Becton’s opponent, Deputy DA Mary Knox and/or contributed to her campaign? If so, when and how much?

For Interim Chief Morefield – were you aware of any of the activity by the APD officer(s)? How long has it been occurring? Was there an internal investigation done by your department? When did that occur? What were the results? Did you invite the outside investigation?

Prior to this investigation being announced I was informed there were 83 active sworn police officers on the Antioch force the previous week and 81 this past week. Are or were those figures correct? If any Antioch officers were placed on paid leave as a result of the investigation how many were also on paid leave for injury or another reason? How many active sworn officers does the APD have, now as a result of this investigation?”

No responses were received as of Thursday, March 31 at 5:00 p.m.

Becton Endorsed by Thorpe, Opponent Knox Endorsed by APOA

A review of the campaign websites for the two candidates for district attorney, incumbent Becton and challenger Deputy District Attorney Mary Knox, they show Thorpe has endorsed Becton for re-election, as well as Antioch Councilwomen Tamisha Torres-Walker and Monica Wilson. The Antioch Police Officers Association has endorsed Knox along with all the other police officers’ associations in the county, except for Richmond’s, which hasn’t endorsed either candidate, yet. In addition, Antioch Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Barbanica have also endorsed Knox, although his doesn’t currently appear on the campaign website. Barbanica announced his support in a YouTube video posted on his official Facebook page.

DA’s Office Won’t Provide Clear Definition of Crimes of Moral Turpitude

Assistant D.A. O’Connell was also asked on Friday, March 25 after working hours and again on Tuesday, March 29 to provide the definition of the legal term “crimes of moral turpitude” as it is being applied in the investigation of the Antioch and Pittsburg Police Departments.

He responded, “The definition of a crime of moral turpitude is explored and articulated by the Supreme Court of California in People v Castro (1985) 38 Cal 3d 301 and People v. Beagle (1972) 6 Cal 3d 441.”

O’Connell was then asked, “You really can’t provide what your office defines as a crime of moral turpitude upon which you’re investigating two police departments?” He did not respond.

In the 1985 case, according to case-law.vlex.com, the defendant was found guilty of receiving stolen property.  In the 1972 case, also according to case-law.vlex.com, the defendant was found guilty of attempted arson and arson.

O’Connell was then asked after hours on Tuesday, “Does that mean receiving stolen property, attempted arson and arson fit the description of crimes of moral turpitude? Is your response a hint at what the possible crimes that were committed by the officers that your office is investigating?” He did not respond as of Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

Please check back later for any updates to this report.

On eve of March 31st deadline for state’s rental assistance program and as Antioch City Council considers stronger tenant protections; new ordinances would require more city employees to enforce

As the California Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is set to expire today, Thursday, March 31 and housing organizations warn of pending evictions, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action-Contra Costa in cooperation with the East County Regional Group (ECRG) hosted a “Tour of Shame” at the Twin Creek Apartments on James Donlon Blvd. in Antioch on Wednesday. The effort highlighted calls for rent stabilization, tenant anti-harassment and just-cause for eviction ordinances in the city, along with the extension to ERAP.

A rally attended by about 30 people, held in the dirt lot across the street from the apartment complex, and tour follows the Antioch City Council vote on January 25, 2022 directing City staff to begin drafting ordinances, which will be brought back for votes at a future meeting.

The event began with a brief presentation from ECRG of the preliminary findings from a recent housing needs assessment of over 1,000 renters in Antioch, bringing attention to rising rents, evictions, and claims of harassment in the city. Several people spoke including District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson and Leah Simon-Weisberg, Legal Counsel for ACCE. (See video)

The event offered preliminary findings from ECRG’s housing assessment, entitled “Antioch CHANGE – Community Housing Assessment of Needs, Gaps, and Equity”, on rising rents, evictions, and harassment concerns in the city. The report collected the housing needs and concerns of over 1,000 Antioch renters between April and June 2021. Although the survey did not ask about harassment, surveyors report hearing many stories of tenant harassment. http://www.first5coco.org/antioch-housing

Among other results, the report finds that the biggest concern of Antioch renters is housing affordability, where approximately 50% of those surveyed are concerned about the possibility of being evicted from their homes. The report also highlights that low-income Black, indigenous and other people of color families, especially single-mothers with young children, continue to face higher levels of housing insecurity and harassment.

To drive home ECRG’s report and their findings, ACCE-Contra Costa led the tour to highlight the conditions that some Antioch renters are facing such as at Twin Creek Apartments. During the rally those in attendance held signs and chanted “Fists up don’t give up”.

“FPI Management is not doing repairs,” said David Sharples, Director of ACCE-Contra Costa. “We’re doing a walk of shame to bring attention to the bad conditions.”

After gathering for a group photo, they marched with their signs across James Donlon Blvd. to the Twin Creeks Apartments where they tried to enter the rental office, but the door was locked.

Tenant Complaints, Compliment

Before the event, tenants of the Twin Creek Apartments shared about their experiences with their building manager FPI Management, who has a history of harassment and negligence, and gave a tour of their apartments.

ACCE-member Lisa Omorowa is one of the many tenants who claim they’re facing negligence and harassment under FPI Management for the past three years. She has lived in complex with her husband and five children since 2019, and shares that most appliances and fixtures in their apartment are either outdated or are no longer working.

Many issues that Omorowa and her family face, such as both shower faucet handles in her bathrooms being so rusted that she has to turn the water on and off for her children, are considered by FPI to not be an “emergency” and are left unresolved. Their maintenance requests are met with the same level of inaction from FPI Management – issues like their oven needing replacement due to rust and nonfunctional burners, the cabinets and other fixtures falling apart, and the living room light not working since July 2021.

“This is my third year here and they have increased my rent over five times, even though everything here is old and broken down” said Omorowa, who pays $2,540 a month. “There needs to be a change of management because they make it difficult for us Black people to live here. This new management is not human, they don’t have empathy.”

Lanae Jackson is another ACCE member and a current college student living in the Twin Creek Apartments. She, like many others in the building, has experienced harassment, in which her landlord has refused to address urgent safety and habitability issues – including cockroaches, mold, and faulty electrical wiring. For example, several weeks ago a wall socket in Jackson’s apartment needed replacing and a handyman came to repair it. But instead of fixing the mistake, the handyman nailed a board over the socket to cover the hole.

Jackson is also severely rent burdened, earning $600 a month as a student advisor but paying approximately $990 for a two-bedroom apartment.

“It’s awful to not feel safe being in your own home” Jackson said about her apartment’s conditions. She hopes the city council passes stronger tenant protections for renters like her. “Passing ordinances in Antioch would finally bring peace of mind.”

A man who lives with his family in one of the Twin Creeks apartments, but who chose to not be identified, shared his experience, which is improving.

“When we first moved in, it got pushed back two weeks so they could get the placed fixed up and ready. But then we moved in and all it was, was the new carpet,” said the resident. “The mirror in the master bathroom is falling off the wall because the counter is broken and sagging. The dishwasher wasn’t fixed for six months.”

“The demo they showed us, my fiancé was star struck and fell in love instantly,” he stated. “But the apartment we moved into smelled and had calcium build up in the shower. Had they actually cleaned it, they would have seen it.”

For their two-bedroom, two-bath unit with one single assigned parking slot he said he pays $2,160 per month on a 14-month lease.

He did point out something positive currently occurring at Twin Creeks.

“The new maintenance guy they have is good. But he’s getting overworked. He’s at my apartment but has to leave for an emergency to another apartment,” the tenant stated.

FPI owns other complexes, he shared, including the one where his daughter lives, in Davis and is experiencing the same challenges.

As the group stood near the front of the rental office, they were led in chanting, “FPI, you’re no good. Make repairs like you should,” and “FPI, you can’t hide. We can see your greedy side,” and “What do we want? Repairs, now!”

“FPI is known for buying properties, pushing tenants out and jacking up the rent,” said Simon-Weisberg.

Asked who should tenants turn to for help, she said, “There’s no enforcement in Contra Costa County. That’s why it has to happen at the city level.”

Asked who would enforce the proposed ordinances in the city, police or Code Enforcement, Simon-Weisberg explained, “it will have to be city employees, part of an enforcement team.”

“Fight, fight, fight. Housing is a human right,” the group was also led in chanting.

“Aqui estamos. Y no nos vamos,” they chanted in Spanish, meaning we are her and we aren’t leaving.

Sharples placed a demand letter through the mail slot in the door to the office. Addressed to FPI Management, the list of demands included, hire professional maintenance staff, fix the plumbing, eradicate the mold, repair the lighting fixtures, fix all non-emergency work orders right away and give adequate notice before water shut-offs.

He then led the group of protesters on a walk through the complex.

FPI Management Does Not Respond

The Folsom-based FPI Management’s slogan on their company website of “Culture Grounded in H.E.A.R.T.”, refers to Humility, Excellence, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork. Several efforts to reach someone at the company for comment about the rally and tour, and a response to the complaints from their tenants at Twin Creeks were unsuccessful. In addition, a message was left on the voicemail for Twin Creeks Apartments on Thursday, but no response was received as of publication time at 4:25 p.m.

Antioch Has High Eviction Rate

The city of Antioch has been the ground for the largest number of evictions within the Bay Area according to a March 2021 KQED investigative report which found Antioch’s eviction rate to be 207.2 per 100,000 renter households. That’s nearly double that of Richmond and approximately 50 times the rate of Oakland. Moreover, 60 percent of Antioch renters, who make up 40% of all Antioch residents, report paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent in 2021.

More video of the day’s action can be viewed on ACCE’s Facebook page.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

By Eddie Willis, Planner, East Bay Regional Park District

Greetings Regional Park supporters!

I am very excited to announce that the East Bay Regional Park District and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy, in partnership with Restoration Design Group, have developed a preferred design concept for the former Roddy Ranch Golf course. The preferred design concept is based on feedback received from the public, project staff, US Fish and Wildlife Service, CA Department of Fish and Wildlife and other stakeholders, and shows the projected trail alignments, staging area set-up, and restoration features that will be best suited for the future park.

Notable features of the preferred design concept include:

• Approximately 4 miles of new trails, including a 1.6-mile accessible loop
• Dedicated equestrian and bus parking
• An interpretive pavilion and shade structure
• An upper and lower picnic area
• Two acres of enhanced seasonal wetlands and vernal pools
• 7 miles of channel restoration/creation/enhancement

These design documents can be directly viewed on the project webpage, and here is a brief summary of each:

• Preferred Concept – Video Overview: a short video explaining the main elements of the preferred design concept.
• Preferred Concept – Map: The preferred concept focuses on maximizing wetland habitat and drainage channels by directing water to existing wetlands and by creating new vernal pool and pond features. Runoff at the top of the watershed will strategically flow along the surface and underground toward the wetlands at the base of the hills. Recreational improvements are concentrated toward the east and allow the open landscape to be experienced toward the west. A short accessible loop welcomes users at the entrance and is paved with concrete, reminiscent of the former golf course cart paths. The trail network also includes an additional accessible trail, as well as overlooks and longer earthen trails that lead visitors through a variety of experiences.
• Preferred Concept – Bird’s Eye View: This is a perspective view of the preferred trail alignments and restoration features of the future park at the former golf course. The view is looking northwest toward Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in the distance. The future staging area is at the bottom center of the image.
• East Overlook – Rendering: This image shows the reuse of a former golf tee box as an informal overlook. Mt. Diablo is not visible from all locations onsite, but it is from this overlook. Informal multi-use trails are shown meandering across the hillside in the background.
• Staging Area – Rendering: This image shows the new multi-use accessible trail and the shade pavilion in the background with the new parking lot/staging area marked by the grove of trees to the far right.

If you have any comments or questions on the preferred design concept, the project team would be happy to receive them through the project page’s Comment Box here.

Thank you for supporting the Park District and Habitat Conservancy’s efforts to develop this 230-acre former golf course into Antioch’s newest Regional Park, and please feel free to reach out to me directly at ewillis@ebparks.org or 510-544-2621.