Homicides, Assaults With A Gun Up 63% In Union City: Police Chief

UNION CITY, CA — Union City Police Chief Jared Rinetti is sounding the alarm about gun violence in the city, and he has released a six-point plan of attack to make the city safer.

The chief wrote a letter to the community, released on Nixle, which lays out his plan. Here is the letter in its entirety:

Dear Union City Community,

As your Police Chief, I want to share some recent and concerning trends regarding gun violence in Union City that involve the crimes of murder, attempted murder, and assault with a firearm. This increasing trend in violent crime is being reported across the Bay Area and nationwide. It is important to me that I share up-to-date crime data and the steps we are taking to prevent these crimes in our community.

Here are some crime statistics over the last 12 months in Union City:

• There have been five homicides.
• Attempted homicides and assaults with a firearm are up about 63%.
• Approximately 70% of firearms seized in these violent crimes are “ghost guns” or not registered to the offender.
• About 45% of the offenders in these violent crimes are residents of Union City and roughly 55% are not residents.
• Nearly 75% of the offenders committing these violent crimes range from 12 years old to 29 years old (45% of the offenders were 12 - 19 years old and 28% of the offenders were 20 - 29 years old).
• These violent crimes stem from a wide range of circumstances with no specific associated factor, such as gangs, drugs, domestic violence, etc. The one commonality is the use of a firearm.

This violence is unacceptable. I would like to share our strategies that are being implemented to reduce violent crime in Union City:

1. Targeted Operation Plans

We are using targeted operation plans and deploying additional resources based on crime data. The plans use investigative leads, unmarked plain clothes enforcement, and direct marked patrol for high visibility crime prevention. Targeted operation plans have been very effective in identifying and apprehending offenders committing crimes in Union City.

2. Enhanced Enforcement of Illegal Firearms

We have increased staffing in our Investigations Unit to prioritize investigations and seizures of illegal firearms. Our objective is to seize illegal firearms and arrest offenders who are illegally manufacturing, selling, distributing, and possessing firearms. We are collaborating with our local and federal partners as over half of the offenders committing firearm crimes in our community are from outside our jurisdiction.

3. Collaborating with Criminal Justice Partners

We are working with our District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Probation Department, California Superior Court of Alameda County, and other criminal justice partners to address rising violent crime, specifically involving juvenile offenders. We support rehabilitation for juvenile offenders that can take place in a secure environment where education, counseling, mental health treatment, and other important life skills can be provided. Our goal is to identify and reduce the number of repeat violent offenders, juvenile and adult, committing crimes in Union City.

4. Safe and Secure Firearm Ownership

We are finalizing a Safe and Secure Firearm Ownership program. The program provides information and safety equipment for residents who own firearms. The program provides literature on laws and best practices for firearm ownership, storage, transportation, etc.; offers free cable locks to safely store firearms; and will include City Council consideration of a new ordinance to enhance the safe storage requirements of firearms in Union City. These steps help keep firearms safely stored and out of the hands of youth and criminals in our community.

5. District Policing

We are transitioning to a district policing service model. We believe smaller patrol districts will improve our ability to interact and understand the needs of the community. This will include assigning a District Policing Manager, a Patrol Lieutenant, whose name, email, and business phone number will be easily accessible to our residents on our website. This plan will increase patrol accountability and beat knowledge, improve early identification of emerging criminal and community problems, and foster increased communication and information sharing with those we serve.

6. Community Oriented Policing and Problem-Solving (COPPS) Unit

We are re-establishing a COPPS Unit. The COPPS Unit will coordinate neighborhood watch, business watch, crime free, crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), and other quality of life service programs. These programs enhance police community partnerships which in turn improve communication and our response to community needs. The formation of the COPPS Unit is dependent on resources and is forecasted to start in June of 2023.

To be at our best we need your continued partnership in public safety. I ask for your help with the following two requests:

1. Please, continue to be our eyes and ears in the community. Report Emergencies to 911 and Non-Emergencies to 510-471-1365. If you have information about a crime(s) and wish to remain anonymous, please use the link at the bottom of the page titled “Anonymous Tips” where you can share information.
2. Please, follow us on one of our social media sites. Updates and further details on the above strategies will be provided through social media. Use the “Social Media Links” below to receive alerts and stay abreast of public safety updates in Union City.

I would like to conclude by recognizing and thanking all the men and women of the Union City Police Department. We have some of the most talented, dedicated, and caring employees in the profession. Our employees go above and beyond during some challenging work conditions with limited staffing. I appreciate, value, and take great pride in leading an organization of such incredible men and women.Thank you for your on-going support!

Your Chief,

Jared Rinetti

Social Media Links: https://www.unioncity.org/568/UCPD-Social-Media-Platforms

Anonymous Tips: https://www.unioncity.org/FormCenter/Police-7/Anonymous-Email-Tip-Form-61