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Indybay Feature

Right Wing movement in Berkeley Police

by Caution Signal
Christian Stines, the President of the Berkeley's Police Association, is leading a Right Wing faction in the Berkeley police department that openly declares they no longer support Berkeley's city government. This faction calling themselves 'Where's My Berkeley Cop' is using public safety as leverage to gain power in local politics, and to increase their budget and operational capabilities. 'Where's My Berkeley Cop' uses the kind of propaganda messages associated with Trumpism and the Alt-Right.
There is a faction of police aligned with Sargent Stines that no longer supports the mayor and city council. They are trying to swell a public sentiment against the city government, and the Police Review Commission, which they deem to be antithetical to their goals.

BPD's current budget represents 54% of Berkeley's financial resources. Stines' faction is demanding that the city spend more money on the police. Their threat is: if Berkeley doesn't meet their demand, there will be a mass slowdown or walkout from the force, leaving a hole in public safety.

Stines' faction is demanding an expansion of the police's tactical capabilities. Sargent Emily Murphy told KTVU their list of demands include: a helicopter, a marine unit, and police dogs. Murphy said that if Berkeley city government values public safety, then council will meet the demands.

In an interview with Blue Lives Radio, Stines said that the Berkeley city government is trying to "criminalize police work". Blue Lives Radio appeals to the Alt-Right. Blue Lives Radio is part of the BlueLivesMatter movement that was created in opposition to BlackLivesMatter. BlueLivesMatter flags are often waved at White Nationalist rallies.

In the interview Stines blatantly mischaracterized the surveillance ordinance that was drafted by the police review commission. Stines claimed the ordinance will require police to seek special approval before using simple tools like binoculars. Stines' statement was a lie. The ordinance does not cover common optical police equipment. Stines said he was looking at ways to "head-off, politically" the surveillance ordinance. The surveillance ordinance was scheduled to be voted on the December 5th council meeting. After the radio interview aired, the ordinance was delayed for this approaching January 23rd meeting.

Stiles' statements to the radio host contained other lies which are designed to appeal to the Alt-Right. Stines accused Berkeley city government of keeping the police "less well armed" than Antifa. Stiles claimed the police don't have riot gear and riot weapons. The police do have this gear, and did carry it during the 2017 protests.

In his radio interview, Stines made no mention of violence by Alt-Right groups that rallied in Berkeley. Stines made no mention of the rise in hate crimes in the United States. Stines focused on Antifa. Stines gave his "guarantee" that the time is coming when the police will go after Antifa. He projected that afterwards, Berkeley council will side with Antifa and discipline the police. Stines said that the police are the only ones protecting the city from "chaos", and asserted that Antifa are the "real criminals", labeling Antifa as a criminal gang.

The website for 'Where's My Berkeley Cop' states: "the police are not the problem... public safety [isn't] a priority for the City Council." The website contains a lie that BPD is prevented from having industry standard body-cameras. Council already has approved cameras, and they are being distributed to the police in phases. There is a long list of demands: more money, more perks, more equipment. The website contains the emphatic message: "If [Berkeley city council] cannot support our Berkeley police officers, we cannot support them!"
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Do the Math
At the very least, Christian Stines and his gang in the Berkeley Police Dept (BPD) should be fired for their terrorism against the City of Berkeley. When the police budget is 54%, we have a police state, fascism. The police do not fight crime since they are not social workers; they are the armed thugs of the capitalist class whose sole purpose is to terrorize the workingclass to prevent any opposition to the capitalist class. The 54% of the budget spent on the police should go to social services, including housing, and that would end street crime, the pretext for the fascist police state. If they do any kind of work slowdown or strike, they should all be fired and never replaced. There is no such thing as public safety; this is massive stealing of Berkeley's budget on the part of a fascist gang.
by Max
This article is exactly why people do not take Berkeley protesters seriously.

I was born and raised in Berkeley. Went to BHS and live here. It's true, Police Protection is dismal. Cops are handcuffed by a hippie set of city officials who don't even live in Berkeley.

Trash, hard drugs, human trafficking and the rest have increased in the town. As a Young Black Male, I don't fear the cops, I fear the drug dealers, pimps, meth heads and violent types, from all.sides, who openly know that Berkeley is the best place to do their deeds because the city is too lax, blind and has so much false liberal guilt...they get away with it.

I was playing ball at Mosswood Park near Kaiser in Oakland, when some known drug dealers, decided to come play. After the game they bragged that committing a crime outside of Berkeley means that it's best to escape to Berkeley because they know they can escape and lay low. Often, they steal cars from AutoRow and drive them to Berkeley and lay low for a bit.

I hear the same stuff at Ohlone Park I. Berkeley where Meth addicts openly sell to high schoolers and kids from all over come to Berkeley not to buy weed, but Meth, Crack and even guns. This is all happening in front of the totland playgrounds. I asked one dealer why he deals so close to the baby playgrounds...

What he said should sicken all those opposed to tougher laws and more cops: "These Berkeley big wigs ain't gonna stop me. Especially near their kids playground. Cops know man. City officials know. They don't care."

So, when you claim this effort to get more resources is some right wing conspiracy, I dare you to go out and try to arrest or "help" those that do these crimes. My friend's sister was straight up abducted in Ohlone Park by a Mexican gang that wanted her for prostitution on San Pablo. She got away as they were putting her in the van. She never filed a report because the city and council listens to people like you, who don't help us get resources on the street.

We need social services. Sure. We also need Police. Can't have 1 or the other. And guess what? The hard criminal element is so big, for 3 years we are gonna have to fund 60% to clean it up and then decrease the budget after the job is done. We let it grow so big.

Shame on you phony Be-jerk-eyans who defend the Human Trafficker, the Meth Dealer and allow our city to become a shit hole. Bastion of free speech comes on top of parks with needles, "homeless" who don't give a shit and invade yards, trash everywhere and where Cal Students refuse to come and open businesses, but houses or rent after graduation, exporting their tax revenue for your social programs to SF, Palo Alto etc..Oh wait, you'd rather have the Sociology majors who are on unemployment fill your 'tax' base.

One day, you'll dial 911 in Berkeley when your car is broken into or your friend is hurt or you were at gunpoint and the return message will be, "Sorry no cops available. Try conflict negotiation." That is what the criminals want. A free zone to deal and steal.

Shame on youm
by Tracy Rosenberg
Reading a proposed law is always a good idea before you decide that you oppose it. Binoculars are exempt from the surveillance ordinance, as it clearly states.

For the angry poster, there's a pretty significant difference between your feelings and the facts. Berkeley's crime rate, which is at historic lows as crime throughout the nation is, is much lower than Oakland's. So if your argument is that militarized equipment reduces crime, than Oakland's percapita crime numbers should be much lower than Berkeley's. They are not.
by Boomer
The rank is sergeant not sargent. Also, Do the Math, what a great idea. Abolish the police for a month or so and send an army of social workers to take their place. We'll get to see how many of them are dead or hospitalized at the end of thirty days. News flash ya putz, there are plenty of people out there who will take your social services and housing and yet still feel the need to whack you over the head for your wallet or burglarize your home or vehicle on the daily. They are called bad people. Hope you get acquainted with some of them. It will help your thinking.
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