Police Chief Sees Downtown Improvements

The problem of large brawls at downtown tavern closing time has improved, Walnut Creek's police chief says.

"I believe we have a handle on it but it's a constant battle," said Police Chief Joel Bryden. The police chief on Tuesday night talked about the downtown situation as he gave the City Council a half-year update on crime statistics in Walnut Creek.

In the last six months, since the assignment of a Downtown Police Team concentrating on downtown issues, the situation has gotten better, Bryden said.

"Arrests haven't stopped," he said. "What has stopped are large brawls and severe injuries."

Bryden said downtown is safer now because there are extra officers assigned.

Less frequent, the chief added, are occasions in which the police department needs to reassign officers from all over the city to a large downtown incident at closing time.

Bryden thanked the majority of bar owners downtown who do a good job of managing their businesses, he said.

The half-year statistics that Bryden gave, compared to the same period of 2011, showed:

• a 22 percent increase in burglaries
• larcenies down 16 percent
• thefts down 14 percent.
• DUI arrests up 30 percent (combined with DUI accidents down 55 percent).

Bryden said the DUI figures are related — police are able to prevent accidents through an increase in stopping dangerous drivers under the influence.