Crime & Safety

Police Issue Curfew-Violation Citations at Albany Bulb

The City of Albany's planned eviction of Albany Bulb encampments moved a step closer Wednesday evening when police issued three citations for violation of curfew to people on the Bulb.

The City of Albany stepped up its planned enforcement of the 10 p.m. curfew on the Albany Bulb Wednesday evening or early this morning when police issued citations to three people on the property.

In preparation for the city's planned eviction of the long-established illegal encampments on the Bulb, the city and police have been posting notices and issuing warnings over the past several weeks about citing those who break the city law against being on any waterfront area, which includes the Bulb, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.

"Overnight Albany police officers on patrol at the Albany Bulb issued warnings and citations for violations of the park curfew," said City Clerk Nicole Almaguer, who serves as the city's public information officer.

She said citations were given to three people who previously received warnings, and that verbal warnings were given to six people being contacted for the first time about the curfew violation.

Almaguer said the citations carry up to $100 in fines. 

The city has said that repeat violators of the curfew law are subject to arrest. No arrests were made Wednesday evening, Almaguer said.

The city is taking a multi-pronged approach to clearing the Bulb under a "Transition Plan" that also involves a 30-bed temporary homeless shelter, housing assistance offered in collaboration with the Berkeley Food and Housing Project, removal of the campsites and clean-up of trash and waste.

Almaguer said three people stayed at the shelter Wednesday night. No one stayed there on most nights during the first week after it opened on Nov. 22. There have been two or three shelter users on most nights during this past week of cold temperatures.

A city attempt on Monday to remove two encampments that city workers believed were abandoned resulted in a run-in with protestors seeking to block the eviction.

Bulb background

For more information on the city's plan for the Albany Bulb and protests by opponents of the eviction, see our list of recent Patch articles and reader posts about the issue:

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