Berkeley Police Department
| Berkeley Police Department | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1909 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | Municipal |
| General nature |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Sworn members | 182 |
| Unsworn members | 110 |
| Agency executive | Andrew R. Greenwood, Chief of Police |
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 1 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Coordinates: 37°52′11.73″N 122°16′22.71″W / 37.8699250°N 122.2729750°W
The Berkeley Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department for the city of Berkeley, California, USA.
Shortly after Berkeley was incorporated in 1878, a town marshal and constables were elected to provide law enforcement. In 1909, the town marshal was appointed to be the first chief of police. August Vollmer had been the town marshal since 1905, and when he became the first chief, he provided the department with a strong ethical code. He remained chief until he retired in 1932, although he left from 1923 to 1924 when briefly appointed the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department.
In 2012, the Department provoked controversy when Chief Meehan ordered a plainclothes officer to the home of journalist Doug Oakley at 12:45 a.m. to request he make changes to a story. After this was widely condemned as potential intimidation, Chief Meehan apologized. Another controversy arouse over Chief Meehan's conduct when in 2010 he solicited a $500,000 housing loan from the public funds to purchase an expensive house in Berkeley, at 3% rate, below market rate. The City Council member Lawrence Capitelli who voted in support of the loan later became Chief Meehan's real estate agent on the house purchase. On September 20, 2016, Meehan abruptly resigned his post. He gave no reason for the resignation, but the local newspaper Berkeleyside had previously reported on dissatisfaction and low morale among BPD officers. Captain Andrew Greenwood was made acting chief.
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