On Monday, Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard issued an update of weekend activity in the city of Oakley including juveniles in stolen vehicles and asking do you know where your kids are?
The following incidents were provided by Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard regarding happenings in the city of Oakley this past weekend–including a 13-year-old out of Brentwood. This follows a 15-year-old back on February 20 who led police on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle and ended up at Park Middle School in the City of Antioch.
Here is what Chief Beard Released:
On March 9th at 9:14 PM Officer Hernandez located a stolen Toyota Prius traveling east bound on Main Street approaching Live Oak Avenue. Our officers attempted to make a stop of the vehicle but the vehicle took off and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit went south bound onto Norcross and turned right into the court of Francisco Villa Drive. As the vehicle made a U-turn out of the court the driver’s side door sideswiped the front push bar of one of our patrol vehicles. The pursuit ended on Norcross Lane when the driver collided into the front of another one of our patrol vehicles. The driver was arrested and determined to be a 17-year-old male juvenile out of Isleton, a 16-year-old male juvenile, also from Isleton, was the passenger in the vehicle. Neither if the juveniles claimed to be injured but they were checked by medical professionals regardless. The driver was booked into Juvenile Hall, after being medically cleared, and booked for being in possession of a stolen vehicle and felony evading.
On March 10th at 10:19 PM our team of officers were dispatched to the intersection of W. Cypress Road at Main Street for a male passed out behind the wheel of a silver Hyundai. The male was not responding while several bystanders tried to wake him up. Oakley officers arrived on scene and saw a semi-automatic pistol on the driver’s lap. Officers were able to confiscate the firearm without waking the male (Norris Stevens, 25 yo, Sacramento). Officer took Stevens into custody without incident. The firearm was found to be fully loaded unregistered. Stevens was booked into jail for weapons related offenses.
On March 10th at 11:25 PM Officer Hernandez located a stolen Hyundai Elantra stopped just inside the gates of the Carol Lane Apartments. A 13-year-old male juvenile out of Brentwood was sitting in the driver’s seat and was the sole occupant. The juvenile was taken into custody and arrested without incident. The juvenile was transported to the police station where he was released to his father.
Other notable incidents for the weekend:
On March 10th at 9:20 PM Officer Hernandez (again!) located an unoccupied stolen vehicle on 18th Street on the border of Oakley and Antioch. Officer Hernandez determined the vehicle had been stolen out of Antioch on March 7th. Officer Hernandez recovered the vehicle and had it towed away.
On March 11th at 12:47 AM Oakley Officers were dispatched to the 20 block of Escher Circle for a 4-year-old child who was choking and unresponsive. Our officers provided emergency first aid for approximately 5 minutes until they were relieved by personnel from Con-Fire and AMR. The child was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
“This was a weekend displaying a continuing trend for us involving juveniles and stolen vehicles. It was only back on February 20th that I reported on how our officers chased a stolen vehicle from Oakley into Antioch. The driver in that case fled into a school that was currently in session. As it turned out that driver was a juvenile and he was trying to blend in with other students. Here we are not even three weeks later and we again find ourselves making multiple arrests of juveniles being behind the wheels of stolen vehicles. In one of those instances the actions of the juvenile driver could have created significant injuries to other motorists, our officers or himself and his passenger. In another criminal case a man was passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle with a loaded gun in his lap. I am grateful my officers were able to manipulate the gun away from the man without waking him and causing a potentially very dangerous situation.
I am left shaking my head at this trend we are experiencing with juveniles and stolen vehicles, am I surprised though? I would say I am very disappointed, not surprised. Renowned law-enforcement trainer Gordon Graham has said “if it is predictable it is preventable”. The way I see this negative trend facing our youths it is rooted in the lack of positive foundation for them. Certain media formats allow for unfiltered influences to be spewed to the masses, particularly targeting our youth. The “Grand Theft Auto” lifestyle seems to be leaving TV and computer monitor screens and spilling out into the streets through our negatively empowered youth.
I challenge parents and mentors of youth to teach and encourage things that will be a positive trait in our youth for the duration of their life. Things like: life skills, trade work, education, healthy hobbies, how to debate and listen vs. shouting one sided perspectives and respecting the lives and property of others. Common sense tells us all crimes are preventable, it all comes down to the character and the actions of the person who chooses to commit a crime or not. If that person has lead a predictable lifestyle, one that does not focus on good and healthy things, the preventability sadly wanes.
Do you know where your kids are?
Stay safe Oakley”
~Chief Paul Beard
Editors Note, previous call logs:
- Feb 25 – March 2: Oakley Police Calls
- Feb 18-24: Oakley Police Calls
- 15-Year-Old Arrested After Attempt to Evade Oakley Police
7 comments
The Chief explains that these kids actions are because they have a “lack of positive foundation for them” not only does this start at home, but it also starts with positive interactions with law enforcement. It doesn’t take much to complete these, Chief. Get your cops out of the car, have them work cross walks, have them work the pick-ups/drop-off loops at schools, put a basketball in every patrol car. Sometimes this not might be feasible with regular patrol because of calls for service, but then maybe approve over-time for officers to come in and jus engage with the kids.
Hey, you know what would have kept that 25 year old with the unregistered gun that was loaded (fully is kind of a loaded statement- it’s either loaded or its not. You like why I did there?) in his lap from having that gun? More gun laws. That would have totally made that guy not have that gun.
Is fully loaded lind of like “fully semi-automatic”? Very ‘CNN’…
Geez
Chief Beard is a great chief. We are fortunate to have him and that Oakley PD is a proactive, well staffed and no nonsense department. They take bad guys to jail.The City Manager and City Council support the police and the mission to keep Oakley safe.
Releasing the juvenile to his father without any consequences is why there is this trend. He got to go home the same day. Maybe a few nights in juvy would deter him. A future court date with a slap on the wrist won’t wont stop this trend
Our laws regarding juvenile and adult offenders promote some of this behavior. The total lack of consequences in some cases returns these lawbreakers to the streets, sometimes in less than an hour. No bail laws and the failure to prosecute criminals for their crimes does not create an atmosphere of deterrence. In the case where the juvenile was released to his parents, the parents have no incentive to ensure the kid doesn’t reoffend. Attach a hefty bail and things might be different for the little brat that night. Anyway, enough bloviating. Tougher laws and consequences are in order. We are seeing this kind of turnaround in many liberal cities that decriminalized lawlessness. Just saying.
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