👉 As of May 2024, robberies are down in Berkeley for 2024, a welcome development. But serious crime on and near campus continues to be a major concern. Here are some incidents from January - May 2024, many of which occurred during the day or early evening:

• Shooting on Lower Sproul Plaza at 8:40pm with scores of students in the vicinity;

• 2 sexual assaults in which Cal students were tackled to the ground, one at 8pm near campus and the other on a campus path;

• 4 daytime violent incidents at the West Crescent campus entrance: 2 strong armed robberies and 2 aggravated assaults;

• Mid-afternoon robbery via knife outside the Physics Building;

• Armed robbery & pistol-whipping of a man holding a baby on a street near campus;

• Other robberies near campus, including a 19-year-old Cal student robbed at gunpoint and a daytime robbery at Caffe Strada;

• Intruder gained access to an upper floor lounge of a freshman residence hall;

• (For more information about some of the crime and security issues from the fall 2023 semester, read our Fall ‘23 Safety Update).

👉 Violent crime in the city of Berkeley rose 15% in 2023, according to the Berkeley Police Department’s Annual Crime Report. As reported by The Berkeley Scanner:

• Pedestrian robberies and carjackings were both up significantly;

• Armed robberies saw a five-year high, with 29% of Berkeley robberies involving a gun in 2023;

• Property crime was up about 10%, with burglary, auto theft and arson all increasing.