The Prosecution and Public Rights Unit of the Alameda City Attorney’s Office, having completed its second full year of operations following the voters’ authorization of its work in the November 2020 general election, has issued its second annual report.

In 2022, the unit reviewed a total of 698 cases initiated from the Alameda Police Department, compared to 220 cases in 2020 and 454 cases in 2021. This represents a 317% increase from the 2020 baseline and a 153% increase from 2021. At the same time, the unit resolved 281 cases in 2022, a 407% increase from the 2020 baseline and a 253% increase from 2021. The diverse types of cases handled by the Unit include sexual battery, child abuse, hit-and-run, theft, driving under the influence, and assault with deadly weapons.

In collaboration with the Rent Program, the unit launched its first-in-the-state housing mediation program in 2022, which seeks to further enhance housing stability in Alameda by bringing together landlords and tenants. In this inaugural year, ten successful mediations were conducted. The City Attorney’s office released the Rent Program’s annual report on Feb. 6 (“2022 Rent Program Report Released,” Feb. 9).

The unit also presented its second annual Fair Housing Workshop for the benefit of both landlords and tenants in Alameda and published a number of housing/consumer education articles in local newspapers.

As the only unit of its kind in northern California, the unit represents the People of the State of California in misdemeanor criminal matters, enforces fair housing and consumer protection laws, and provides community education on the above topics. City prosecutors are dedicated to promoting and improving public safety and the quality of life in the City of Alameda through the fair, compassionate, and effective administration of justice.

The unit also has support from the Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Y. Price. Price released a statement after the report was released.

"It is important that the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has a positive working collaboration with municipalities in Alameda County. These crimes likely occur in their neighborhoods and the people of the City of Alameda through Measure AA have determined that these matters should be handled by their own municipality," said Price.

Price said her staff will make resources available to the City of Alameda to prosecute these crimes.

"As part of our support of Alameda’s prosecutorial services, our office will make available to City of Alameda attorneys all of the tools and resources that the prosecutors in our office currently receive, such as trainings and/or literature and access to data and scheduling," said Price.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Unit plans to expand its mediation capacities; enhance its expertise in prosecuting domestic violence cases, elder abuse cases, and sex offense cases; and foster increased collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office in hopes of bringing community courts and additional restorative justice tools to the City of Alameda.

To reach the Prosecution and Public Rights Unit, call 510-747-4772 or email cityprosecutor@alamedacityattorney.org.