Alameda Police Report 895 Arrests In 2023; Felony Arrests Up 18 Percent

ALAMEDA, CA — The Alameda Police Department made 895 arrests in 2023, including an 18 percent increase in felony arrests, according to the 2023 Police Auditor’s Annual Report published by Dr. Leigh Grossman.

Of the 895 arrests, 387 were for felonies, while 508 were misdemeanor crimes.

The report also documents 59,644 calls for service and 4,727 traffic stops. Most of the traffic stops were for moving violations. The breakdown is below —

• Moving violation: 4,205
• Equipment violation: 398
• Non-moving violation, including expired registration tags: 130

The report also examines Use of Force by the Police Department. There was a significant increase in the number of times an officer pointed a weapon in 2023 compared to the previous year, rising from 14 instances to 40. The use of low-level force, such as holds, also increased dramatically, from 11 to 64. The use of intermediate force, such as use of a TASER or striking a suspect, decreased from 5 to 3. There were no serious injuries or deaths attributed to Alameda Police Officers in 2023.

Alameda Police Officers were involved in 10 minor collisions in 2023. There was just one police pursuit, and it was terminated after 1 minute.

In 2023, APD received 20 complaints. Six complaints were externally generated and 14 were internally generated. According to the report,"Externally generated complaints come from anyone who is not an employee of APD. Internally generated complaints can be due to suspected misconduct discovered during a review of body camera footage or a report, by viewing suspected misconduct in person, during an audit or inspection of APD policies and procedures, or if a member comes forward and admits to a violation. Since at least 2021, more complaints have
been generated internally by APD than externally by members of the public."

Of the complaints filed against APD in 2023, 11 investigations have been completed. Seven of those cases had at least one sustained allegation, which means the investigation disclosed sufficient evidence to clearly prove the allegations made in the complaint.

As previously reported, staffing went from a low of 64 sworn members in the summer months to a high of 70 members in December 2023. APD’s hiring incentive policy has been effective, with the department expected to be fully staffed with 88 sworn members this year.

The complete 2023 Police Auditor’s Annual Report may be viewed online.

The City of Alameda Police Auditor works within the City Attorney’s Office to review APD internal affairs cases and use of force incidents to ensure quality investigations.

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