A Piedmont police officer’s car was broken into and their uniform was among the clothing taken. The uniform and some of the other clothing were later recovered.
The incident happened at 6:47 a.m. on May 4 on Piedmont Avenue. Two suspects broke the rear driver’s side window and attempted to break the driver’s side front window, according to Piedmont Police Captain Chris Monahan. He said the suspects took clothing in a bag and a pink suitcase. The loss was approximately $1,000 and caused about $500 in damages, Captain Monahan said.
A witness provided a photo of one suspect and a vehicle, a silver, two-door Honda Accord with a switched license plate, Captain Monahan said. He said the suspect was wearing a gray, hooded jacket and a blue medical face mask.
A vehicle flipped over after hitting a parked car on May 3 on Park View Avenue. The incident happened around 3 p.m. The front passenger side tire made contact with the parked vehicle’s front driver’s side tire. The moving vehicle then “climbed up” the parked vehicle’s tire and flipped onto the driver’s side, according to Captain Monahan. The driver was able to exit the flipped vehicle thanks to help from bystanders and the police.
A stolen 2005 Chevrolet Astro Van was recovered on May 5. A Piedmont police officer spotted the van parked in the area of MacArthur Boulevard and Wesly Avenue at 9:29 a.m. A records check showed it was reported stolen and that an individual labeled “armed and dangerous” was connected to the vehicle out of Richmond, according to Captain Monahan. No suspect was found and the vehicle was towed.
Another stolen vehicle was recovered on May 6. A red Ford F-150 reported stolen out of Marin activated the city’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system at 7:41 p.m. An officer responded to the hit near Grand Avenue and Wildwood Avenue and located the vehicle parked in Oakland on Grand Avenue, according to Captain Monahan. The driver was not found. The vehicle was towed.
At 12:02 a.m. on May 7, a black 2022 Ford Ranger was seen speeding down Grand Avenue by a Piedmont Police officer. The officer stopped the vehicle on Grand Avenue and observed the driver had watery eyes and the odor of an alcoholic beverage, according to Captain Monahan. He said the driver refused to take a field sobriety test or a preliminary alcohol screening test. The driver was arrested for DUI and taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where a blood test was administered.
The Piedmont Police Department is reconfiguring the police station beginning in June. As a result, walk-in services will be restricted during construction. Captain Monahan said a kiosk will be set up outside with forms and a hotline phone to connect with staff. The Department said it will be similar to the setup during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department is relocating the Dispatch Department. The construction is expected to last 10 months.