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[Editor's Note: We usually publish these notices, distributed using the Nixle program to anyone who signs up to get them. But this time we want to call your attention to the Berkeley Police Department's lack of awareness of problems with using only race as a descriptor. When race is the sole identifying characteristic, many others of the same race are subjected to racial profiling, both by officers and by citizens. The NextDoor people have take steps to prevent this, to their credit, and BPD should do the same. And by the way, I've never heard it called North End-- it's Northside.] 

The Police Department is encouraging North End campus residents to pay close attention to their surroundings following six pedestrian robberies (5 cases handled by BPD and 1 handled by UCPD) that occurred between 10/8/16 and 10/12/16. Based on the descriptions of the suspects, the close geographic proximity of the crime scenes, and the victims’ demographics, Detectives believe that the cases are related. The following are a recap of those cases: 

1. On 10/8/16 at approximatley 11:30pm, the victim was sitting at the bus stop outside Cory Hall on Hearst Avenue. The victim was using his laptop when someone sat down next to him. After a few moments the suspect stood up, displayed a gun and demanded the victim's property. After the victim complied the suspect fled across the street and got into the front passenger seat of a waiting sedan which fled northbound on LeRoy Avenue. 

2. On 10/9/16 at around 10:30pm, the victim was walking westbound on LeConte Avenue toward his residence on the 2500 block when a black male [height? weight? clothing? complexion? hairdo? facial hair? ]suspect came out of the shadows and at gunpoint, demanded the victim’s property. After the victim gave the suspect his backpack he ran westbound on Le Conte Avenue and the suspect ran eastbound out of the victim’s view. 

3.On 10/9/16 at approximately 10:44pm, the victim was walking northbound on LeRoy Avenue towards Le Conte Avenue. When he reached mid-block he heard someone running southbound on LeRoy from LeConte Avenue just ahead of him. The victim said saw he saw a pistol in the suspect's hand as he approached. The suspect demanded the victim’s backpack. Once in his possession the suspect fled southbound on LeRoy Avenue. 

4.On 10/12/16 at about 1:00am the victim was walking eastbound on Ridge Road when a tan complected male suspect approached, pulled out a gun and told me to give him the backpack. The victim gave it to him and the suspect ran westbound on Ridge Road. 

5.On 10/12/16 at 8:10pm the victim was walking on the 1900 block of Virginia Street when he saw someone emerge from a parked car as he passed it. As he neared the entrance to his residence the suspect pulled out a gun and demanded the victim’s backpack. The victim complied and the suspect fled in an unknown direction. 

6.Contact UCPD for specifics on their case (#16-2467). 

Community members are encouraged to follow these safety tips when walking at night: 

Pay attention to your surroundings Travel in large groups whenever possible Consider putting your smart phone in a pocket while in transit Attempt to travel in well lighted, highly populated areas whenever possible 

If you have any information regarding these cases, please contact the BPD Robbery Detail via Dispatch at (510)981-5742. For crimes in progress, call 9-1-1 or (510) 981-5911 from your cell phone. 

For full details, view this message on the web