FPD Continues to Ignore Fireworks Complaints

A person calls to complain about fireworks on their street.  According to the dispatcher, this is a continuous problem.  Someone on their street is setting off fireworks, but they don't know the exact house.  They want to remain anonymous.  Two officers are dispatched to check it out.  Then the sergeant nixes the call because the reporting party wants to be anonymous.  Just send one unit to drive through the area if he wants.  And so it goes...whether it is because of low staffing levels or just a lack of interest, fireworks complaints are the last calls to be answered.  They are in the same category as an unverified alarm- officers will be notified of the complaint, but have total discretion as to respond or not.  Now, last night in Union City, two officers were assigned to investigate fireworks complaints.  Perhaps they had more officers available.  Or better leadership. 

Home Invasion in Mission Valley

Around 11:30 last night a man returned to his Marigold Drive home to find a strange man in his house.  His wife and child were asleep inside.  The homeowner was able to get his family members outside while the intruder escaped to the bathroom.  Numerous officers responded code 3, but the burglary had exited the house prior to their arrival.  He was described as a male in his 20s wearing a dark blue mask.  Officers searched the area for over an hour but were unable to locate the suspect.  A CSI was working the crime scene.  Unknown if anything was taken from the house or how the suspect entered. 

Car Hits Fire Hydrant On Morrison Canyon

A man reportedly fell asleep at the wheel shortly after 6 o'clock this afternoon and his vehicle drifted off Morrison Canyon Road and struck a fire hydrant.   This was in the 300 block, just east of the railroad tracks.  No one was injured and FFD responded to shut down the hydrant, which was gushing some 30 feet in the air. 

Scanner Feed Update

For the next week or so the scanner feed will go dark around 8 p.m. until at least 10 p.m. in an effort to curb fireworks.  I don't know if listening to the online feed gives fireworks people an early warning of police response, but it might be worth a try.  Lately there have only been 20-30 listeners during that time slot.
Also, the system upgrade to TDMA (phase 2) could occur any day now, but rumor has it that it has been delayed until October.  There is also the real possibility that FPD may elect to encrypt their dispatch channel.  This is the trend nationwide, with Portland OR being the latest large department, but also  San Jose and Sunnyvale here in the Bay Area.  The future of the online feed is looking rather grim at the moment.
More info as I get it.

Police Not Responding to Fireworks Complaints

Several fireworks complaints were initially dispatched to patrol officers this evening only to have the response over ruled by the sergeant.  The call was converted to a "BOL", meaning officers could respond at their discretion.  At lease two of the complaints had a good location as to where they were coming from.  There was nothing else going on in the city.  Perhaps they were short staffed, but please don't tell us that fireworks are illegal and then not respond when citizens call in complaints. 

Fremont Man Arrested For Attempted Murder

A Fremont man has been arrested for attempted murder by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office on Friday June 19th.  The location of the crime is unknown at this time, but an additional charge of using an assault rifle or machine gun, is also on the docket.  Cameron Mecham will be in court on June 26th for a plea hearing. 

Arrest Name Cameron Mecham
Address XXXXXXn ter (VERIFIED)
City, State Fremont, CA
Age / Gender 20 / Male
Race Black
Hair / Eyes BROWN / BROWN
Height / Weight 6'-01" / 165 lbs
Arrest Details
Arrested For 245(A)(3) - Assault By Machine Gun Or Assault Weapon
664/187(A) - Attempted Willful / Deliberate / Premeditated Murder
Arrest Date June 19, 2020
Release Date Not Available
Bail Amount Not Available
Arrest Location 5151 Gleason
County of Arrest Alameda
Source Alameda County Sheriff

Did FPD Defund The Patrol Blotter????

Transparency Portal


The Fremont Police Department strives to provide transparency on police activities, departmental policies, training materials, and agency practices. We are committed to openness, accountability, and integrity. We want to ensure all materials can be made easily available to the public. Please click through the information and contact us if you have any questions.

     As we know, FPD is not transparent when it comes to police activities.  If you haven't already, email Chief Petersen, or Geneva Bosques and insist that they provide a daily activity sheet, previously known as the Patrol Blotter.   There may come a time in the near future when the online scanner may go silent due to technology upgrades on the two county radio system leaving many in the dark as to what is happening crime wise in Fremont.

Chief Petersen:  Kim Petersen <Kpetersen@fremont.gov>


Geneva Bosques, Public Affairs Manager: Geneva Bosques <gbosques@fremont.gov>

Police Activity in Niles

According to radio traffic, a man was struck in the head with a bottle in front of the Niles Train Depot around 9:20 this evening.  Officers located the victim near the flag pole and called in paramedics.  A large crowd was on the plaza and officers requested additional assistance for crowd control, but the group dispersed on their own.  The victim said he was "jumped" by a group of people. 

Community Observations

Place your observations in the "comment" section so others can view.  To view what others have observed, click on the "comment" button (unless "no Comments" is indicated).  Be sure to email Chief Petersen and insist that the daily Patrol Blotter be resumed. 

Oakland Murder Suspect Details

From people on scene, this was the name that officers were calling out of the building.

Citizen Details
Arrest Name Deshawn Lamont Henry
Address XXXXXXn ave
City, State Oakland, CA
Age / Gender 28 / Male
Race Black
Hair / Eyes BLACK / BROWN
Height / Weight 5'-05" / 120 lbs
Arrest Details
Arrested For 187 - Murder
Arrest Date June 9, 2020
Release Date Not Available
Bail Amount Not Available
Arrest Location 41100 Fremont
County of Arrest Alameda
Source Oakland Police

Time To E-Mail The Chief

FPD has gone way too long without publishing a Patrol Blotter.  There was a time when it came out daily, highlighting interesting and important calls throughout the city during that day.  Now it has faded away.  During this nationwide push for police transparency, FPD needs to step up and inform its citizens what they have been responding to.  Seems to me this is to their benefit too to shine a spotlight on crime in Fremont.  So, email Chief Petersen and demand that the Police Blotter be published  daily.  Email her here: Kim Petersen <Kpetersen@fremont.gov>
If 50-100 of us follow through, perhaps something will be done.

Thank you.

Man With Pants Down at Peets

At times it seems that Peets Coffee on Paseo is ground zero for transients misbehaving.  A security guard has called in to say a homeless man is sleeping by the doorway and refuses to leave.  And, oh, he has his pants down.  So much for that fresh cup of coffee and pastry....  Two of Fremont's finest are en route to encourage him to hitch up his pants and move along.  There will be another call about this man later in the day.  Guaranteed.

Oakland Murder Suspect Arrested in Fremont

A man was arrested in Fremont yesterday afternoon for an Oakland murder warrant.   Eye witness accounts and radio traffic described a large scene of law enforcement officers and equipment, including the armored vehicle and drones, at an apartment complex on Fremont Blvd near 5 Corners.  Fremont Police were assisting U.S. Marshal agents in serving an Oakland homicide warrant to a man occupying a room in the building.  Apparently he was arrested with no injuries to anyone involved. 

Cash & Carry Burglar Has Drug Arrests

Arrest Name Kaimana C. Hope
Address Not Available
City, State Fremont,
Age / Gender 36 / Male
Race Not Available
Hair / Eyes BROWN / Not Available
Height / Weight 5'-07" / 165 lbs
Arrest Details
Arrested For 11377(A) - Possession of Controlled Substance
459 - Burglary
496(A) - Receiving Or Concealing Stolen Property
10851(A) - Take Vehicle W/O Owner's Consent
11364(A) - Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Arrest Date June 8, 2020
Release Date Not Available
Bail Amount Not Available
Arrest Location 39175 Farwell
County of Arrest Alameda
Source Fremont Police

Arrested For: By: Date:
Possession of Controlled Substance Fremont PD 2/16/2020
Possession of Narcotic Controlled Substance
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Fremont PD 1/28/2020
Possession of Controlled Substance
Burglary
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Unlawful Use of Willfully Obtained Personal Identifying Information Fremont PD 1/19/2020
Possession of Controlled Substance
Burglary Alameda County SD 9/6/2019
Burglary
Unlawful Use of Willfully Obtained Personal Identifying Information Dublin PD 9/5/2019
Burglary
Unlawful Use of Willfully Obtained Personal Identifying Information Fremont PD 6/24/2019
Possession of Controlled Substance
Possession of Controlled Substance
Possession of Narcotic Controlled Substance
Possess Control Substance Paraphernalia
Burglary
Receiving Or Concealing Stolen Property
Trespass By Driving On Private Property
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia Fremont PD 4/28/2019
Possession of Controlled Substance
Possession of Narcotic Controlled Substance
Possess Control Substance Paraphernalia Fremont PD 4/19/2019
Possession of Controlled Substance
Possession of Narcotic Controlled Substance
Possess Control Substance Paraphernalia
Bring Controlled Substance/Etc Into Prison
Burglary
Receiving Or Concealing Stolen Property
Trespassing Fremont PD 4/12/2019
Possession of Controlled Substance
Possession of Narcotic Controlled Substance
Possess Control Substance Paraphernalia Dublin PD 3/8/2019
Warrants Or Holds Only San Ramon PD 1/20/2019
Possession of Controlled Substance
Possession of Narcotic Controlled Substance
Possess Control Substance Paraphernalia Dublin PD 10/25/2018
Receiving Or Concealing Stolen Property
Trespass By Driving On Private Property
Loiter / Prowl / Wander Upon The Private Property Of Another
Burglary - Other San Ramon PD 8/9/2018
Possession of Controlled Substance San Ramon PD 8/1/2018
Possession of Controlled Substance
Grand Theft Of Lost Property
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Possess Less than 28.5 Grams of Marijuana

Broadcastify Meltdown

The Fremont Police Dispatch feed is down due to problems at Broadcastify.  No ETA on returning.

Feed Providers,

Our data center provider that hosts many of our audio servers is experiencing connectivity problems affecting multiple customers. This is causing a systemwide outage on Broadcastify right now for all feeds.

How Covid-19 Spawned in Bay Area

Interesting story from the L.A. Times regarding the spread of Covid-19 in the Bay Area.

https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2020-06-09/the-coronavirus-entered-northern-california-many-times-from-many-places

Lead paragraphs:
The novel coronavirus settled in Northern California in much the same way as the rest of the world: It arrived from places near and far, flourished in fertile pockets and incubated until it either died out or moved on to newer pastures.

An international team of scientists combined old-fashioned epidemiology with newfangled genetic sleuthing to determine that the Bay Area’s outbreak was spawned by a mix of foreign and domestic arrivals. The findings were published Monday in the journal Science.

Naked Woman Behind the L'Amour Shoppe on Grimmer

This is just too funny and seems to be poetic justice.  A transient white female adult, completely naked, is sitting on a curb behind the store.  This is an adult book and video store.  This is just odd that they make money selling stuff about naked women, but when one is actually in their parking lot, they call the cops.  How ironic.

New Feature for Self Reporting

As readers have suggested, I am creating a space where people can leave a "comment" on the post below "Community Observations" about police and fire activity they observe in Fremont.  Please leave a time of observation and location and describe as factually as you can what you observe.  I will attempt to play back the police audio to see what the call was about.  The comments are on moderator status due to SPAM activity.  I will review and publish all legitimate comments ASAP.
As the blog pages fill up, I may create a weekly space for this to keep it near the top of the blog.
Some examples would be:  "I just saw 3 police cars rolling with lights and sirens south on Fremont Blvd at Walnut at 2:05 pm".  "House on fire on Maple.  3 o'clock".  "Three cop cars parked in front of Lloyd's Donuts."  <---- no, just kidding.

Community Observations

Leave a comment with your observations of police and fire activity in Fremont.  This feature is on moderator status as there have been SPAM attacks on the blog.  Legitimate comments will be published as soon as possible.  To read the comments, be sure to select the comments button below.

Early Morning Burglary Arrest at India Cash and Carry

The owner of the India Cash and Carry on Farwell was alerted by an alarm company of a possible break in at the store around 6:20 this morning.  The owner checked the live video feed from the  store to find a man with a helmet on, who was not an employee, at the cash register.  Officers were alerted and at least 4 responded code 3.  As officers arrived they noticed a motorcycle with no license plate, parked in front.  The owner confirmed the man was still inside.  Officers were positioned in the back alley as well as the front of the store when the owner saw the subject head to the back door.  Unit 1X7 was there and detained the subject.  The suspect said no one else was inside the store, but officers entered to "clear it" of any other bad guys.  Looks like the suspect will be having breakfast in Santa Rita this morning.

Mail Carrier Beat Up in Union City

A mail carrier delivering mail at an apartment complex on Decoto Road in Union City was assaulted today.  The male suspect left with a female on foot and may reside in the complex.  Several witnesses have come forward and it appears an arrest is pending.  The victim was beat unconscious per one witness and another said he was awake, but could not talk. 

Fremont Man Arrested for Indecent Exposure

A man at Central Park was reported to be laying on a picnic table bench exposing himself.  The call came in around 3 o'clock yesterday and apparently officers located him with his stuff exposed, or citizens filed a complaint.  In any event, an arrest was made. 

Arrest Name Mohamad Said
Address Not Available
City, State Fremont,
Age / Gender 44 / Male
Race Not Available
Hair / Eyes BLACK / BLACK
Height / Weight 5'-07" / 170 lbs
Arrest Details
Arrested For 314.1 - Indecent Exposure
Arrest Date June 4, 2020
Release Date Not Available
Bail Amount Not Available
Arrest Location 40000 Paseo Padre
County of Arrest Alameda
Source Fremont Police

"He Was There Doing His Laundry"

The cousin of the homicide victim reached out this morning and confirmed his name, Anthony Garza, as reported here in April.  The shooting took place on the west parking lot of Luckys,  near the Bright'n Clean Laundromat.  Anthony was hanging out with some friends, apparently waiting for his laundry to be done, when the suspect pulled up in a green SUV.  Some words were exchanged, the suspect exited his vehicle, shot just once (I believe) and fled the scene.  His vehicle was observed on a city license plate reader on west Stevenson near Farwell. 
Here is what she had to say:  "His name is Anthony Garza. He is my cousin. & I have yet to learn ANY information about his passing. He was a father. A pastor. & he worked with at risk youth. He was there doing his laundry. It was also my birthday. 😢. Miss my cousin every single day."

Maybe FPD will find the time to share what they know about this homicide. 

Does Murder Victim's Life Matter?

Nearly two months ago a man was shot and killed in the parking lot of Luckys on Mowry shortly before the sun went down.  There were several witnesses to the shooting plus video from several sources.  To this day, the Fremont Police Department HAS NOT HAD THE DECENCY TO RELEASE THE NAME OF THE MURDER VICTIM NOR PROVIDE ANY FOLLOW UP INFORMATION ON THE INVESTIGATION.  Does this life matter to FPD?  The appearance is that they wish to keep this under the radar.  The reality is a failure in leadership to keep the community informed of public safety events.  Any other Bay Area police agency would have released the name and provided at least one follow up news release on the progress of the investigation within days.  There is no excuse for this lack of transparency. 

Daytime Burglary at B of A in Newark

Three men entered a closed B of A branch on Newark Blvd around 8:40 this morning and fled after employees and patrons arrived.  Officers searched the building to find open doors, but no suspects.  Unknown what was taken, if anything. 

Calm Before the Heat Wave

The protest yesterday kept local officers busy from 1 o'clock until nearly sundown yesterday.  While mostly peaceful, FPD command staff did call in for assistance from Alameda County.  Some 50 plus officers in several vans made their way to Fremont to help bolster security around the police station.  Regional Parks copter Eagle 6 circled Fremont for several hours in the late afternoon as the crowd dispersed and made its way back to the Newpark Mall in Newark.  By all accounts it was a peaceful event. 
As the clock struck 8 the police scanner was mostly quiet.  Then a report of a man with a rifle on Maple in the Centerville District.  Upon further investigation,  a man with a rifle and one with a handgun approach a home in the area.  When they saw the owner outside, they fled in a white VW Jetta.  An alert officer picked up the vehicle on Thornton and followed it onto Contra Costa before losing it in the neighborhood.  Another officer found it on Paseo Padre and followed it onto westbound Mowry.  As the officer activated the red lights the vehicle fled.  A sergeant did not authorize a pursuit.  Was this connected to the shooting on Blacow Monday night?
The heat wave peaks today and then starts a cool down. 

Man With Explosives Arrested Near Police Station

According to online arrest data, a Fremont man was arrested on June 2nd for "Possess Explosive Illegally", 12305 H&S, at the intersection of Stevenson and Civic Center.  From a quick read of the law, it appears the man was in possession of something more powerful than a firecracker.  It is unknown if he had been lighting off devices in the area and was caught, or was stopped for some other reason and the explosives were found on him.  Not smart tho, to light off fireworks near your local police station.

The term "firecracker" means a device consisting of an explosive
pyrotechnic in an amount not to exceed 50 milligrams (.772 grains) in weight
in a fused container whose primary function is to produce an audible effect.
All firecrackers are classified as "dangerous fireworks". Devices similar in
construction to "firecrackers" which exceed .772 grains shall be considered
as EXPLOSIVES in accordance with Health & Safety Code 12000,et seq.
OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS
12303 H&S - Possession of Explosives without valid permit
12305 H&S - Illegal Possession of Explosives
12301 - 12312 PC - Destructive Device Violations
452 PC - Reckless Burning


Arrest Name Jose Miguel Robles
Address XXXXXXle ct (VERIFIED)
City, State Fremont, CA
Age / Gender 32 / Male
Race Hispanic
Hair / Eyes BROWN / BROWN
Height / Weight 5'-08" / 180 lbs
Arrest Details
Arrested For 12305 - Possess Explosive Illegally
Arrest Date June 2, 2020
Release Date Not Available
Bail Amount Not Available
Arrest Location Civic Center Steven
County of Arrest Alameda
Source Fremont Police

Feed Back Up

Most of the crowd control traffic is encrypted, so normal dispatch operations are now being broadcast on line again.

Scanner Feed Down

The Fremont Police Dispatch scanner feed has been taken down and will remain down until the situation at the police department is over.  Allied agencies were not able to communicate with FPD on their encrypted radio channel forcing everyone to use the main dispatch channel.  The commander in charge of the officers watching over several hundred protesters at the PD on Stevenson was frustrated that the crowd could hear him issuing tactical commands.  At that point the feed was taken down.  However, they ended up passing Fremont radios to the other agencies.  This multi million dollar system was developed after Sept 11, 2001 and was intended for agencies to be able to talk to each other.  They could do that, but not on scrambled channels.  In any event, the scanner will remain off the air in case police operations return to their main channel.

Protest at 1 Today

This poster appears to have been written by someone not familiar with Fremont.  There is no "Sears parking lot" in Fremont.  They may be referring to the Newpark Mall in Newark where Sears used to be.  And that is off of Mowry.  I wonder where people will end up staging...Newpark Mall or The Hub?   I have the police scanner tuned to FPD, NPD and UCPD.

Shooting Last Night on Blacow

Just before 11 o'clock last night shots rang out on Blacow south of Calaveras.  Witnesses heard a loud argument amongst several men and then shots being fired.  One witness heard what sounded like a full clip being discharged.  Officers arrived quickly.  Doesn't sound like anyone got hit, but three men reportedly entered that house armed with weapons.  There were reports that this was a home invasion robbery, but also that no one was in the house at the time.  This appears to be a targeted home, perhaps drug related.  As of this writing FPD has not issued a news release.

A Night of East Bay Looting

With 3 scanners going last night, one could barely keep up with all activity.  Sometime in the 6 o'clock hour, while Fremont officers were en route to Oakland in what is becoming a nightly mutual aid run, things were heating up in San Leandro.  At the Bay Fair Shopping Center, a small group of officers were overwhelmed by a large group of people and vehicles.  They retreated and called for assistance.  Fremont officers were turned around and responded.  Minutes later, after officers had formed up and marched towards the group in an effort to clear the parking lot, loud booms could be heard through radio transmissions as rounds of tear gas were dispensed.  Meanwhile Hayward had its own problems.  At one point a sergeant took a dose of pepper spray in the downtown area and called for help.  Southland Mall was being looted.  Stores in the downtown area were vandalized.  The action in San Leandro later moved to the Marina Square Shopping Center where cars were stolen from dealerships, not to mention looting.  Later in the evening the mayhem moved south into Newark.  Large groups circled the Newpark Mall and NPD asked for assistance from Fremont.  A high profile of police cars circled the area.  The damage to the mall is unknown but did not seem nearly as bad as malls to the north.  While this was going on, FPD closed off access to Pacific Commons and this seemed to prevent any looting or vandalism.  In the meantime, the owner of the gun store on Grimmer near Bay Street was reported to be holding a suspect of some sort at gun point.  Officers arrived in short order and detained the man.  It is not known if he was attempting to break into the store or not, but a gun store in Hayward was broken into with numerous weapons and ammo stolen.  Police dispatchers up and down the East Bay were broadcasting suspect vehicle info on this crime as this is a serious "officer safety" issue if they encounter this vehicle.  Fremont had some sporadic crime events, the best I could tell.  An armed hold up at the 7-Eleven on Central.  A possible burglary at a pharmacy on Mowry.  Something going on at the Walgreens on Decoto.  As if this isn't enough, someone lights off some serious fireworks on Paseo near Decoto shaking up an already nervous neighborhood.  The good news is that these were mostly property crimes, perhaps a "crime of opportunity" as police like to say.  There didn't seem to be an effort to confront the police or harm individuals.  One officer even commented that they are hitting the shoe stores...goods later to be sold on Ebay or a flea market.  Let's hope for a calmer night tonight.  The cops need a break and my scanners are overheating.