ALAMEDA
The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum will present CarrierCon, a convention celebrating cosplay, tabletop gaming and Western and Japanese media from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 9.
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U.S. Rep. Lee’s constituents can meet with staff at library
CarrierCon is an opportunity for people of all ages to share their love of cosplay and media while supporting a Bay Area local museum. Last year’s CarrierCon brought over 2000 people aboard the USS Hornet and the event was a big success. Among special guests planned are:
• World of Warships (as CarrierCon’s major sponsor), which will be on hand with a large booth, a computer to play their game, a big team, some well known cosplayers and at least one special guest to be announced;
• Azur Lane, on hand with a large booth, their team and some cosplayers;
• Wendy and Richard Pini, the creators of ElfQuest, meeting and greeting their fans in their booth;
• local Star Wars costume clubs out in force;
• the Royal Manticoran Navy club at their booth;
• the Cosplay Wrestling Federation with their usual entertaining show;
• Dreamscape, on the pier with some amazing cars and booths for you to see as you enter and leave the ship.
Special events featured will be a costume contest, photo tracks, an artist alley and the Society of Creative Anachronism on the USS Hornet’s flight deck (weather permitting) showing some fighting and dancing moves. The USS Hornet is docked at 707 West Hornet Ave. on Alameda Point in Alameda.
— USS Hornet
Apply by March 22 for Special Events Grant Pilot Program
The city of Alameda is accepting community applications for the Special Events Grant Pilot Program. With a focus on public safety, environmental stewardship and city services, this grant program is designed to support nonprofit events that include closures of city streets or sidewalks or require city services on the days of the events.
The deadline to apply is March 22. Eligible funding categories include police security, paramedic presence, development of traffic control plans and traffic sign rental, among others. All events must take place between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
The maximum grant amount is $20,000, and $135,359 is available in this round of funding. For more information or to download an application, visit bit.ly/3ONtVuD online. For questions, email Amanda Gehrke, a special projects manager with the city of Alameda, at agehrke@alamedaca.gov.
City Attorney’s Office releases police auditor’s annual report
The recently released 2023 Alameda police auditor’s annual report published by Dr. Leigh Grossman documents 59,644 calls for service, 5,613 stops, 895 arrests, one pursuit and 10 minor collisions involving Alameda Police Department (APD) officers.
This includes an 18% increase in felony arrests, 8% increase in stops and 7% increase in calls for service. Based on follow-up surveys, most respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with dispatchers, officers and the department.
Of the 20 complaints filed against the APD in 2023, 70% were internally generated and 11 investigations have been completed. Seven cases had at least one sustained allegation, which means the investigation disclosed sufficient evidence to clearly prove the allegations made in the complaint.
While a key finding in the annual report is an increase in low-level uses of force and weapon displays, this increase correlates with a policy change requiring that all uses of force be categorized and investigated as either a low- or intermediate-level use of force.
At the same time reports of low-level use of force increased, intermediate-level use-of-force incidents decreased. Staffing went from a low of 64 sworn members in the summer months to a high of 70 members in December 2023.
The APD’s hiring incentive policy was found to be effective, and while the hiring and academy process takes approximately six months to complete, department officials anticipate being fully staffed with 88 sworn members later this year.
The city of Alameda’s police auditor works independently and collaboratively of the APD to promote community confidence in policing and accountability. Working within the City Attorney’s Office, the auditor reviews APD internal affairs cases and use-of-force incidents to ensure quality investigations.
Download the full report online at bit.ly/3wiIlMU. The police auditor’s monthly reports and inspections can be found online at bit.ly/3wjXtK0.
— city of Alameda
Van Sickle Scholarship application deadline is Saturday
Applications are now open for the $5,000 Ken and Shirley Van Sickle Scholarship. This college scholarship is open to graduating seniors from the city’s public high schools who live in Alameda. Selection is based on a combination of academic achievement, leadership ability and financial need.
The scholarship is named in honor of Ken and Shirley Van Sickle, two distinguished educators who devoted many years to the education of Alameda’s students. Now in its 37th year, the scholarship was established by their son, Keith, a 1976 Alameda High alumnus who later earned degrees at Stanford and Harvard.
Last year the scholarship was awarded to Alameda High graduate Mya Nguyen, who is now a UCLA freshman. The deadline for applications is Saturday, and links to the scholarship application are available at each high school’s counseling office in Alameda.
— Keith Van Sickle
U.S. Rep. Lee’s constituents can meet with staff at library
Do you need assistance with a federal agency? Visit the staff of U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, at the Alameda Free Library from 3 to 5 p.m. March 12 or April 9.
If you have a pending claim with a federal agency, her staff can make congressional inquiries on your behalf. Her team of caseworkers can request case updates, clarification and, in some cases, expedition.
Areas in which her office may be able to help you include Social Security and Medicare; immigration; veterans benefits; or passports and visas. For more information online, visit lee.house.gov.
— U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee’s office
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