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Reporting Criminal or Suspicious Activity

If you see a crime in process, call 9-1-1. If calling from a cell phone within Oakland, call 510-777-3211. These are emergency-only numbers.

If you want to report criminal or suspicious activity that is not life-threatening or is after the fact, call 510-777-3333. This is the Oakland Police Department non-emergency number.

If you see a crime in progress in an East Bay Regional Park, call 510-881-1121 for emergencies and 510-881-1833 for non-emergencies to get East Bay Regional Park police dispatch.

You may also fill out an online Citizen Police Report to the City for the following types of incidents:

• Lost Property
• Vehicle Burglary
• Theft
• Vehicle Tampering
• Vandalism

Please confirm the following to find out if the online Citizen Police Report filing is right for you:

• This is not an Emergency?
• This incident occurred within the Oakland Police Department City limits?
• There are no known suspects?
• This did not occur on a State Freeway?

The online Citizen Police Report forms for the purposes above may be accessed at https://reporting.oaklandnet.com/start-report.html

Members of the public also have a legal right to file complaints, and the Oakland Police Department is required to accept any complaint you wish to file. Citizen Complaint forms are now available at http://www.oaklandpolice.com/geninfo/complain.html

If you want to know what documentation from the City you should expect solicitors to have when they visit your home or stop you in the Village, or you want to know what is required to hold an event on your street, review the MSIC Solicitation Permit information.

If you want to learn how you can help protect yourself again crime, click here.

Summary of Crimes Being Reported to the OPD

The Oakland Police Department is providing crime information to the public through an interactive Web site. You can request crime data by type and proximity to an address or known location, such as a school, or by Beat number (we are in Beat 13Z). Your selections will produce maps and/or reports from this information. Try it at http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/crimewatch/

We live in a relatively safe area of Oakland. Homicides in the Greater Montclair Area are rare. We do have our share of vandalism, burglaries, robberies and car thefts however. The following number of incidents were reported to the Oakland Police for our Beat 13Z area during the current year (and the previous year for comparison). Many feel that filing a report is a waste of time. We urge you to do so for every incident your experience. These reported crimes are the basis the OPD uses for providing police presence in an area.

Updated May 12, 2010

Because our crime rate is low--very low compared to other sections of the City--it's easy for those of us who live in the hills to get complacent about taking simple precautions. Leaving a door or window unlocked, a car unlocked (or with keys in it for "just a few minutes") is exposing you to the types of crimes that do occur here. Our advice is ALWAYS be alert for your personal safety, and ALWAYS keep your homes and autos locked. Your car is 10 times safer in a locked garage than in your driveway or on the street. For a list of helpful suggestions go to the Crime Tips page created by the OPD.

Alerts From Citizens and Others

Reports of crimes in the Greater Montclair area by residents are being posted on the MSIC Yahoo Groups site If you want to be able to see these reports on potential and actual criminal activity that may not have been reported to the police, join this Group. You can also post your own information about criminal or safety issues on this site. All greater Montclair residents are welcome.