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Alameda Police Department
Category: Public Services & Government Public Services & Government [Edit]
1555 Oak St(between Lincoln Ave & Times Way)
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 337-8340
35 reviews for Alameda Police Department
35 reviews in English
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Review from Kathy B.
Alameda, CA
2/6/2012
So, I've lived in Alameda for about 5 months now and I only see an Alameda police car about once a month (except for a Smart car that I've seen twice). A lot of people drive 45mph in a 25mph zone and bicycles don't have an idea that there is something called Rules of the Road. Well, actually I sometimes doubt the cars do too. I was seriously starting to doubt that they had more than the 3 cops that I had seen on a repeated basis.
Then, I received a visit from 2 incredibly nice (incredibly hot) policemen who stopped by to check out the house since my landlady had lost her keys and wallet. Wow. I don't know a police agency anywhere that would stop by a house without actually having a break-in or event happen at the house. I know there have been some break-ins on the other side of the island, but I've heard nothing about the issue on my side.
I agree with the other reviewer that they are polite, courteous, and seem responsive. They wanted to know who I was and if I knew the owner. They spend a little time looking around to make sure that the place was still locked up and no one was hanging around. I'll definitely put up with the speeding, jaywalking, and dangerous bicyclists, if I know that they will show up when something goes seriously wrong. -
Review from Bette P.
Fremont, CA
2/2/2012
Alameda now has a smoking ordinance. Time for you to move back to SF or Oakland. Maybe you threw garbage in your neighbors yard, there, but that IS one of differences about the Island City. Courtesy and respect are expected.
The speed limit is 25 everywhere. We like it quiet.
If you can't handle the norms, get your selfish, entitled butt out of here.
It's not called Mayberry by the Bay for nothing.... -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011
Remember how I said I liked knowing that the APD was here to protect and serve and enforce the law and all that naive drivel? I take it back. I filed a report for fraud (which I had to wait several hours to do - they send the officer to your house which is great, but not when it means you're trapped in your house all day wondering when they might show up; though I did get a call apologizing for the wait, which was nice), did a good bit of unexpected detective work myself, and made three calls to the officer that took my report, all to no avail.
At the time of my second call, I was seriously concerned that I was going to have these thieves hanging out on my porch, or possibly breaking in, waiting for their delivery, and yeah, I guess that's not really worth checking on. I guess I'm lucky that they called and had the delivery rerouted thereby giving me their address - too bad no one cared to follow up on that either. Fed Ex was more help than the Alameda Police.
When I went online to try to figure out how to leave feedback, the program they use is something I have never heard of and is not compatible with my system so I can't even open it, and most of the links that take you to the additional "hey aren't we great" services they supposedly provide are broken.
What a let down.Listed in: Island Living
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2011
I love how most of the negative reviews come from semi-literate people who are whining "yeah I broke… Read more »
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Review from Michael E.
Alameda, CA
4/6/2012
To all of the people that wrote negative reviews about APD...stop breaking the laws and you will not get in trouble, I am a property manager in the area and on occasion I have had to call for police responce. They have always arrived within 5-10 minutes to help alleviate the problems that were occuring, always very pleasant to deal with. I have been pulled over on several occasions and usually it was something I did wrong...guess what I only got a warning but I am sure it was because I did not give the officer any "attitude" and was very polite...which was the way I was being treated as well. In all APD is the most reliant and polite police force I have ever dealt with...and I have dealt with many.
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Review from Mike K.
Alameda, CA
10/12/2011
Our car was stolen from right in front of our house in February. APD took a report. What else did they do? Nothing. Ate donuts, I guess. Then a month later the car turned up abandoned in San Francisco. Was the APD interested in looking at the car, maybe taking fingerprints before I claimed it? No. Too busy eating donuts, I guess. So I get the car out of impound and drive it to the police dept and shame them into taking fingerprints. AND we found a receipt in the back, where the bad guy used a debit card 2 days before abandoning the car. It's been 6 months-has the APD done anything with that? No. Too busy eating donuts, I guess.
So-lessons learned; if you're thinking of a career in car theft and who knows what other kinds of felonies, Alameda is the place to be. And-if you want anything to happen to the bad guys who commit felonies in Alameda, you're on your own. -
Review from Suzy G.
Nipomo, CA
11/13/2010
FIRST OFF: Notice that the only people who have a bad review of our police are either from other cities or they sound like in-bred morons? "Dem polic dont no nuthin and they give me a hard time jus cuz I wuz drunk and stuff." Uh, thanks for the input - I think there's a place for you in one of our other fine cities...
The secret ingredient to Alameda's peaceful, slow, fear-free lifestyle? Break our laws and our cops will take you down!
By forcing everyone to drive 25 we're engaging in social Darwinism - weeding out the "I deserve to get there NOW!" neurotics and replacing them with peaceful, mellow folks who don't commit crime or disrespect our men in blue.
Anyone who's ever been victimized by crime in Alameda knows, the police will go the extra mile.
As someone who grew up in Oakland, I know that even homicides there are only barely followed up on. If someone breaks into your house, mugs you on the street, or commits fraud - you're on your own.
In Alameda, every crime is taken seriously.
And that's a very comforting feeling. -
Review from Shib W.
Alameda, CA
11/23/2010
The Alameda Police Department is one of the main reasons we bought a house and moved to town. I don't like getting almost run over by speeding drunks. That has happened in Berkeley, Oakland, Walnut Creek, and many other places. Not in Alameda! I don't like speeders, jaywalkers, people who don't stop for pedestrians. It's simply not civil nor safe. APD takes care of all that by fairly and consistently enforcing the laws that are on the books. It's an amazing feat to have such an active nightlife area (Park St.) *without* the normally attendant problems - you can thank APD for that. If you don't want a ticket for speeding, don't speed. If you don't want a ticket for driving while on a cell phone, put the phone away. If you don't want a ticket for no insurance card, keep a copy in your car. It's really just so simple.
I heard a woman screaming at 5am and called the police - they were there in 90 seconds. Turns out to be a domestic violence situation and they stay for hours sorting it out. People can complain all they want about the Alameda Police department, but they are the best I've ever seen and I support them in their active community policing. It's very easy for a town to go to hell once you let your guard down (see Walnut Creek for an example). The thin blue line is a little thicker in our town and those of us who make it a real HOME appreciate that. -
Review from Nayeli C.
Alameda, CA
4/24/2011
The Alameda Police Department do what they are supposed to do and they do it very well. They help make living in Alameda safe and enjoyable. Growing up on the other side of the bridge, my experiences and those of other people I know with the Oakland PD, and neighboring police departments and law enforcement agencies, have been quite mixed. Thus, it is a breath of fresh air to live in a town where I feel that I can trust the local PD to respond quickly (in matters of minutes, in my experience) and with respect for the community.
The APD come quickly when you call for help, even in minor matters. Also, they are very professional in how they interact with the community, even when the interactions are potentially unpleasant. Recently, I was riding as a passenger when our car was pulled over for going over the 25mph speed limit. As upsetting as these experiences can be, we were relieved by how swiftly and respectfully the police officer handled the situation. We've been in similar situations in other jurisdictions where officers have been harassing and downright inappropriate.
Kudos to the APD. -
Review from Patrick G.
Alameda, CA
5/6/2008
BOOOO to all the 1-star reviewers. I've lived here for 3 years and never been harrassed or pulled over. APD is a small town department that has to deal with the Oakland crime spill-over from time to time.
There are so many older folks in this town that you gotta keep traffic slow.
There are so many highschool kids that they gotta be assholes.
There are so many old drunks that they gotta pull over for DUI checks.
There are so many wannabe gangsters that they gotta hang out at Scobies from 1:00am-2:30 am.
APD!
(I hope this works) -
Review from L D.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2007
These guys are pathetic.
The most sorry bunch of dipshits to ever wear a badge. I am a former police officer and I am embarassed by the behavior of these broke outcast police kids.
First off, they are a bunch of pussy ass cops with nothing to do but harass law abiding citizens for minor traffic offenses that are overlooked in any other California community.
And that is not so much the problem but more importantly, they are the most hypocritical police force I have ever seen in action. They do not use turn signals when changing lanes or making turns. They speed and tailgate and give drivers the "evil eye" constantly. They are not here to Protect and to Serve. They are here to Harass and Arrest.
These guys most definitely do not "Practice What They Preach".
I just moved to Alameda and I am seriously considering leaving this Godforsaken island simply because of the Police State that is tolerated here.
Go ahead, send me hate mail if you want to. This place is a time warp and that is NOT a good thing. Maybe with the rising sea level, sweet little Alameda will sink into the Bay and what a tragedy that would be.
Then the bitchass Alameda cops can go get jobs in Willits if they are lucky. PUSSIES!!! -
Review from Richard H.
Cape Coral, FL
12/28/2008 1 photo
Well I go to Alameda all the time. I have never been pulled over or harass. I just see the Men in BLUE doing their job. They just do what they are paid to do.Its unfortunate we have these dill-weeds who are stupid and cannot drive a car as well as a chimpanzee. These dill-weeds should be given a banana.
And place on a island of there own. -
Review from Tommy N.
Alameda, CA
10/20/2011 1 photo
Raised here all my life and currently a resident still. I have many many various encounters with APD from being detained for riding a stolen bicycle, issued a ticket when I was 8 y/o for riding my bicycle on the sidewalk by a Motor officer, reporting incidents, calling to report crime in progress and the common pulled over multiple times. If I had to find a true median of all my lifetime encounters of APD, I will have to say they are a decent department (3.5 stars). However, they surely are over paid compared to other agencies in the Bay Area who are more deserving (ie: OPD). I have friends and family all over the Bay Area and here is where APD stands out from my point of view based on my contacts with their field officers:
1) APD response time is fairly quick. They had an officer at my house within 20min to file a stolen vehicle report. You won't even get a response in Oakland or Hayward if you don't have a suspect description.
2) They have cooled down on pulling drivers over for minor infractions (ie: speeding, rolling stops, etc). I hear many stories how APD will cite for 27 in 25. I don't buy it. I drive 30mph on Park, Broadway, Central, Webster on a regular basis. I drive a ricey ass Honda with fancy rims and window tints. I stand out like a sore thumb.
3) They got rid of the motor/traffic division? HOORAY!
4) Easy money. Not much serious crime that poses a life threatening danger to police (or maybe I'm just unaware). I been to all areas of Alameda. I can see the Webster side being a bit iffy. But compared to what fellow neighbor city OPD deals with, the salary compensation is ridiculous.
5) Alameda is real strict on obeying pedestrians and it shows. I can't put the full blame on them enforcing the law because there are people (residences AND out siders) who are negligent when crossing a street or sidewalk. I drive around Alameda everyday. At least twice per week I will encounter a pedestrian who is not doing their part in obeying a law that causes a safety hazard and headache for attentive drivers. Especially the teens who walk 4-5 deep thinking their tough shit and love playing the stare down game on you fishing for trouble. haha
6) I called their dispatcher (non-emergency) to see if any officers were in the building at their Oak st building to sign off a fix it ticket. I was planning on walking over there but the dispatcher said they could send a unit to my home! Request that service in SF, Oakland, Hayward, etc, I wouldn't be suprised if the dispatcher hangs up on you. -
Review from Dutch G.
Oakland, CA
5/23/2010
So I just started working in Alameda and I've heard it all about the cops there...
"Don't go over 26 miles an hour.... my friend got a $5,000,000 dollar ticket for going 28 mph."
"If you hold a bottle of alcohol in your hand it's going to get your blood alcohol over the limit and you'll get thrown in jail."
"They're just dicks!!"
Well let's just say that I've met two cops tonight on my out and abouts and they frikken rocked. We laughed at my inability to have a proper filing system in my glove box to having one actually talk about their poor yelp standings and how they're not surprised I thought my experience was going to be horrible.
I'm just saying... they're doing their jobs like everyone else is and sometimes - work just fucking blows. So cut these guys some slack. They're pretty awesome. -
Review from Maurice R.
Alameda, CA
4/3/2009
I've called them to report vehicle theft, noise disturbances, and mail theft. Each time an officer responded at my door within minutes and was very professional.
I've been pulled over because I was actually speeding or driving without a seat belt. Fair enough. As long as its not egregious (less than 10mph) and I admit my wrongdoing in a friendly way, they always let me off with a warning.
Yes I see APD speed traps by the bridges and all the patrols by the schools. Well as an Alameda business owner, homeowner, and taxpayer, I want them there. We are adjacent to Oakland; one of the worst cities in the state, if not the country. Any time a major crime occurs here--especially a murder--guess where the perps usually come from? (Not a slam on OPD, they're doing good as job as possible given their crappy situation.) So yeah, I want that dial set on high.
Alamedans support APD. Cops get waves and smiles on the street and citizens aren't afraid to report criminals. APD officers' $100k+ salaries are reflected in our low crime and high property values while our neighbors have to deal with crappy schools, riots, and daily murders. Sounds like a GREAT deal to me.
I think its funny that some yelpers give a one-star rating because they got tickets for illegal acts that they themselves admit doing! -
Review from Laura R.
San Rafael, CA
6/22/2009
I love Alameda. Cute town...home to Lucky JuJu, Forbidden Island and one of my best friends. Park Street is getting very quaint and good for shopping and dining (read: I like spending my $$ in this community.) But I'm wary of going there now. Yes I was on my phone at a stop light. Fine, pull me over because I look like I can afford the easy ticket. I am NOT complaining about being cited for something that is currently a law (save your emails, please) but for the fact that the High Street Bridge was closed and a detour was only posted right at the bridge with no prior warnings posted at the freeway off ramp. No officers were on duty to supervise the epic line of cars who had to make u-turns in the middle of the intersection.
That and she gave me a citation for lack of proof of insurance on a ONE DAY OLD car. Vindictive and blatant attempt to just get me to pay because going to the Oakland courthouse is a b*tch for a person from Marin. Cop even said if I go to the clerk it will be removed. Then why ding me? By the way, the contact numbers on the citation were out of service and court address was listed as an Alameda address (Alameda Traffic is in Oakland now.) It's ** and not * because at least she spared me a "lecture" and just got my quota-filling ticket done quickly.
I hope the fines I'll no doubt be assessed will help pay for the brand new, top-of-the-line, fully-loaded Dodge Charger patrol vehicle that she was driving. Misappropriate funds much? -
Review from Tamikasan L.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2009
The Alameda Police should not be allowed to have a K-9 unit. First an officer kills his own dog by leaving it in the car for several hours and then he never even got suspended or fired for it. Now another police dog has been shot three times by an Alameda police officer. Shooting the dog was totally extreme and three times...really? It was a total act of cowardice and lack of protocol. Why didn't she use mace to disengage the dog? Also, the K-9 officer completely failed in controling the dog who was just trained to do it's duty. The thief was in the recruiting office and why couldn't they have just gone in with several officers to flush out the thief?
The thief had no where to go and they could have apprehended him without involving the canine officer in the first place.
Alameda is not Oakland, do you really need to have a K-9 unit? Obviously the officers don't know how to take care of their dogs and two are dead now in the same year. Give another community that has real crime a proper K-9 unit where the canine officers aren't getting killed off by their own department.
Here's the related article:
http://www.sfgate.com/... -
Review from Andrea M.
Alameda, CA
9/5/2011
Professional, helpful, courteous police department. Best I have encountered. Enough said. Those complaining must be habitual law-breakers. This police department is about as good as it gets. One of the perks of living in this town.
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Review from Jim D.
6/17/2008
Hey...Alameda Police do their job.
Halloween a 16yr old girl gets shot and killed in a park close to Webster. Within one week APD identify the killer, they were some wannbe thugs from Oakland who the took the bus over the bridge. That was chicken shit, the girl and her friends were trick or treating.
About the speed limit. There are alot of pedestrians who walk the dark cross walks, I bring a flashlight to be seen. Alot of people are ran over by the speeders, read about it in the Alameda Journal. Do you know how many dudes on meth you see riding bikes at night with no lights on. They become road kill and as a driver you have to watch out for their asses. APD ensures that they don't end up on your bumper.
So kudos for the cops for keeping Alameda safe and sane. -
Review from Mechado D.
Oakland, CA
6/9/2010
Yes, it does suck that most of Alameda is a 25mph zone.
And yes, it does suck even more when you see a cop sitting in a corner pointing a radar gun at you while you zip by.
But who cares. They are just doing their job.
I'd rather be stuck in back of a person driving the speed limit rather than having a speeding car pass me by as they fly down Park St at 40mph putting everyone that crosses its path in danger.
All you have to do is abide by the traffic laws. Easy as pie. -
Review from Will S.
Oakland, CA
10/22/2009 1 photo
We went to Oakland Police Department to resolve a fix-it ticket. We spent 30 min circling the block trying to catch an officer. When we finally flagged him down he looked at it giving us a bull shit reason why he couldn't sign it.
FINE! I'll drive to Alameda then. In 5 min the issue was resolved. Thank you!!! -
Review from Jim K.
Hayward, CA
9/8/2008 1 photo
Haven't been to Alameda in years, but wanted to check out the new theater. Got a ticket on Park St. for making a left turn between 3 and 6pm. .
The lady cop was nice enough and said that there's signs everywhere (they're kind of small though) and the locals honk horns to let people know not to turn during those hours. They didn't for me!!
I was super nice and was hoping for a warning, but she wrote it up. $158 ticket--that's one days pay--and I won't return to the island and give them anymore of money for a long time.
The traffic in this town is not like SF and this is just a way to raise money for the city coffers. -
Review from Jon P.
Berkeley, CA
7/3/2011
Not a fan and while I have been arrested by them once, I wasn't jailed and the charges were dropped. The 1 star is simply because they are incompetent and arrogant.
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Review from rob d.
Alameda, CA
3/23/2009
Born and raised here (went to high school at AHS, so they made me pour out many beers growing up) APD is one of the best department in the bay area, they have a unique job keeping the problems that Oakland PD has to deal with to a minimum.
The few murders here(thank god) get solved and prosecuted. As for the speed limit, like everywhere else dont do more than 7-8 MPH over the speed limit and you will be fine. The APD is big on school zones and pedestrian laws, as they should be.
As for the other 1 star comments, you notice they complain about cops pulling people over for speeding, signal lamp out, license plate lamp out etc, well that is them doing there job, and I ask any of those people to go on a ride along in any other city and you will see that cops everywhere pull people over for these violations. Job well done APD. -
Review from Suzanne G.
Oakland, CA
2/26/2010
I don't know about the whole department - I know that today, this officer helped me carry a box spring, a mattress and a frame into my pal's apartment.
(If you think this was stupid to trust, consider : He was talking to the local merchant at South Shore when I walked in, and offered to help in front of the guy. I also called my friend and told her this cop was going to help me with the mattress. Officer showed me his badge. so - I said great!)
This was spontaneous and more timely than he even knew. It's pouring rain. The two guys who were going to help couldn't do it.
Officer was so fast and efficient -- organized -- when we shook hands, a jingle bell went off - OMG - It's A Wonderul Life. (Probably a ring tone)
There was no reason for him to help me except kindness.
After all the seamy things we've all seen, it blew my mind, made my day, helped me so much.
It was uplifting.
I am grateful for that spontaneous help. Thank you! -
Review from John P.
Alameda, CA
7/6/2011
We need more of them and no cut-backs for them in this years budget. Crime is getting worse and the leaders of Alameda thinks that a 9% cutback is good? Crazy. The 25 mile speed limit needs to be enforced more, they are getting a little lax, likely because they are understaffed. However, I think they are the best police department West of the Mississippi.
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Review from Michelle S.
Alameda, CA
1/24/2011
Here is the thing about Alameda police:
They come when you need them, and fast! When you live with a credible treat of violence, like I have, you become very grateful to the police, you become grateful for their effort, and their quick response.
Alameda is a great place to live, great people, small town feeling, and alot of that has to do with the Police force.
People can talk smack, but I feel safe due to the cops in this town. -
Review from joel r.
Alameda, CA
11/5/2010
for everyone complaining on this site about Our Police Dpt , there are 15000 residents that say thanks , keep this in perspective all of you repectable citizen Oakland murder 83 , Denver murder 87 , San Francisco murder 88 , Hayward 9 , Berkeley 7 .
Alameda Murder zero
Why because we have Police Officer that do their job , notice no donught shop in town .
Keep your low life out of Alameda , speed limit 25 because everything is residential , I will not compare other crime stat , they are simply too embarassing . Well done Alameda Police Dept . thank you . -
Review from Steve D.
Alameda, CA
5/17/2008
If the Alameda Police can keep the troublemakers from Oakland out of Alameda, then they're doing a good job. I've been driving in Alameda for 23 yrs, and have gotten the same ticket twice in the same place. Wanna guess? Rolling Stop at Grand St x Southshore. But they need to do something about redlight runners. Someone doing 35 mph in a 25 zone is not as major as a car speeding thru a redlight.
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Review from Julian A.
Berkeley, CA
8/24/2010
This review is strictly for the Livescan/Fingerprint service. I have done it twice here for two different jobs and it has always been a breeze. You can make an appointment by calling. If you are like me this was scary at first - calling the police station and all. However, they are really friendly on the phone and you don't get the sense like you are bothering them, like other state/city/government-type employees. They usually have plenty of available times. When you arrive they are quick to be sure to tell you they'll be with you shortly. They keep exactly to the schedule - no wasted time in police departments, I guess. My appointment was at 1:00. I was done by 1:10. I think they probably schedule them like clockwork for every fifteen minutes.
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Review from Jay E.
Oakland, CA
2/6/2009
If you are driving while black in Alameda and you are NOT from alameda and if there is a mere glitch on your car, signal lamp out, license plate lamp out, missing mirror(s) or you bumpin your music too loud(ya'll know better) YOU WIL BE STOPPED. get rid of the photo, folk aint feelin cops right now.
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Review from Supa B.
Alameda, CA
Updated - 12/22/2009
They had 2 stars but droping them down to 1 cause things keep going from bad to wrost with the alameda police
They killed two of their police dogs this year. One turned on his masters and got shot and the other died of neglecte.
They insult citizens of Alameda with clean driving and criminal records
Being stoped by a cop can quickly become field classrooms and take way longer then they should
All these Oakland rookies coming here to get their training don't give a rats ass about the people in Alameda. They don't live here, they don't want careers here, they shouldn't be here.
Do they ever recover stolen property? I haven't heard of it happening to anyone in my lifetime.
I suggest everyone get a gun, because there is no way I'm trusting these goons to protect me.
The head of the city's internal affairs division was arrested on charges of trying to steal people's presciption medicine. The cop, Ronald R. Jones, 48, had been on the force for 26 years. He formerly was head of APD's narcotics and vice division. According to the Alameda Journal, Jones allegedly told the family members of deceased residents that police were offering a service to dispose of medication. APD has no such service.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/22/2009
DO NOT TRUST AN ALAMEDA COP!
I'm too smart for my own good and have busted them in their lies at… Read more »
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Review from Anna P.
Alameda, CA
9/23/2006
one of the many reasons i don't drive
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Review from nancy g.
Alameda, CA
1/8/2012
i found a note from a neighbor on my front porch telling me that they found 5 cigarette butts in their yard and they could only have come from my apartment. oh. i have roommates now and it is entirely possible that the cig butts were dropped out of the window and landed in her yard. while i was considering how to word my apology the next day, a police officer appeared on my porch to talk about this heinous crime. like i said, the situation was probably just as my neighbor described, but was it really necessary to call the cops? and was it really necessary for an officer to respond? he actually threatened me with a 'citation' and pointed out the ashtray on my porch with cig butts in it saying the crime must have taken place because, well...i'm still not clear what his point was. like i said, i was considering the fact that an apology was due but now the neighbor can wait until hell freezes over for that apology and the police department revealed itself as the lap dogs of property owners. your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen.
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Review from alameda s.
Alameda, CA
8/19/2008
I have lived all over california, from long beach 2 san luis obispo. I commend any cop that does real police work. Every single ticket i have received has been in alameda for going 30 mph. Police come to work in alameda so they don't have to do real police work, because if they wanted to make a difference they would work in oakland rather then harrassing teenagers and people with no bike lights. I guess u cant blame them though they must have won in the raffle for working in the city with more cops then residents. BTW watch out 4 marina village bridge out the tunnel that is a favorite speed trap. i wish i could give zero starsO_0
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Review from Juan L.
Alameda, CA
10/28/2009
Alameda is a police state, and I moved out of the Island 3 years ago for police harassment. Motorcycle cops are waiting for you on the bridges for when you cross into Alameda and the island has a ridiculous 25MPH limit all over the island. Once a policeman gave me a ticket because I started my car while I was putting my seat belt on, and not with the seat belt already in place. I saw them putting a whole family, husband and wife and children and even an infant on the sidewalk and having their car towed for some minor infraction. On cleaning days you get a ticket if you park on that side of the street even if the cleaning machine went by hours ago! In San Francisco the meter maids go ahead of the cleaning truck giving tickets to cars parked on the cleaning day, but you can park immediately after the machine goes by. In short, if you can avoid Alameda all together please DO, or if you go, be aware that the police is hiding watching your every move to give you a ticket for some stupid thing, because they have nothing else to do, and they have to justify their salaries
