San Leandro Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli’s last day on duty is Mar. 13. SAN LEANDRO | San Leandro Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli is leaving for the cement ponds of Beverly Hills, the city announced Thursday. Spagnoli has served as police… Read More ›
Sandra Spagnoli
City Hall Insider: City Council agenda notes from around the East Bay, June 8-11
ALAMEDA COUNTY/June 9, 9:30 a.m.County eyes $65m deficit; Santa Rita fills its cells BALANCING THE BUDGET Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi will present the board with a budget proposing to balance a $65 million budget shortfall reported last April. While… Read More ›
San Leandro approves purchase of armored police vehicle
A LENCO Bearcat MedEvac on display last month in San Leandro. SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL | Despite concerns of many public speakers, the San Leandro City Council voted Monday night to accept a state homeland security grant for the… Read More ›
San Leandro may seek short-term extension of city manager’s contract
San Leandro City Manager Chris Zapata took a pay cut in 2012. SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL | City leaders want an extra six months to come to terms with its current city manager. Chris Zapata’s three-year contract expires at the… Read More ›
San Leandro may place limits on proposed armored police vehicle
A Lenco Bearcat MedEvac on loan to the San Leandro Police Department on display for public viewing Thursday before a public meeting at the San Leandro Senior Community Center. PHOTOS/Steven Tavares A speaker addresses the city’s police force and City Council… Read More ›
San Leandro to discuss militarization of its police department
The Lenco Bearcat MedEvac is really a heavily-fortified Ford F-550. SAN LEANDRO | When it comes to armored personnel carriers, San Leandro is one of few East Bay jurisdictions without the controversial vehicles, which some opponents charge overtly militarizes small… Read More ›
The Skinny: San Leandro City Council Meeting, Jan. 6, 2014
San Leandro City Council Meeting, Jan. 6, 2014 835 E. 14th Street, San Leandro Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, 7 p.m. [FULL AGENDA HERE] >>> REASON TO FILL OUT A SPEAKER’S CARD WISHLIST FOR FEDERAL PROJECTS (Item 10D) Proposals include seeking… Read More ›
San Leandro May Air Specifics Of City’s Recent Police Discrimination Settlement
San Leandro Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL | The annual public review of the San Leandro Police Department next week may be less about the successes and future plans for the city’s law enforcement and more about… Read More ›
San Leandro Moves Ahead With More Security Cameras; Hints At Limiting Data Retention
SAN LEANDRO//PRIVACY | San Leandro City Council approved to move ahead with expanding its video surveillance system, however, with hesitation over the one-year retention period of information collected by the cameras. The council approved, 5-2, directing staff to formulate a plan for additional cameras… Read More ›
San Leandro Considering License Plate Readers In Public Places
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL//PRVACY | The use of license plate readers by police in the name of public protection has been debated before in San Leandro. Now, its police chief wants to install the controversial plate readers in two undisclosed… Read More ›
San Leandro Mayor Delivers A More Upbeat State Of The City Address
San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy, Mar. 28, at the annual State of the City address. PHOTO/Shane Bond SAN LEANDRO | San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy’s State of the City Address departed from last year’s grim outlook for the city and… Read More ›
Citizens, Special Interests Grapple With San Leandro’s Proposed Pot Dispensary
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL | The San Leandro city council hosted a work session for public input Tuesday night concerning the medical cannabis dispensary ordinance recently drafted by staff with a few hundred in attendance to speak on the controversial… Read More ›
San Leandro Police Hope To Dramatically Increase Personnel
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL | San Leandro is looking to dramatically increase its police force by 18 officers in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting. The funding depends greatly on the federal budget, which is a hot topic right… Read More ›
San Leandro City Manager Takes Cut To Offer Lucrative Five-Year Agreement For Two Top City Officials
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL | The San Leandro City Council adopted a new five-year agreement starting next year increasing compensation and benefit packages for two top level executives in San Leandro, Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli and Assistant City Manager, Lianne… Read More ›
Police Chief Says Diverse Applicant Pool For New Cops Can’t Pass Background Checks
SAN LEANDRO | Nov. 30, 2011 | Change at the San Leandro Police Department comes at a torpid pace, it seems, especially when it comes to transforming the makeup of the police force to more closely match the faces of… Read More ›
Despite Nudges From Mayor, SLPD Chief Voices Resistance To Change
ANALYSISSAN LEANDRO | Nov. 30, 2011 | Keep an eye on the growing professional discord between San Leandro Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli and Mayor Stephen Cassidy. Monday’s work session was dedicated completely to an update on the police department’s doings… Read More ›
San Leandro Police Chief Rejects Citizen Review Board Idea, Offers Her Own Version
SAN LEANDRO | Nov. 29, 2011 | The San Leandro Police Department inherited this year by Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli has found itself in anything but fluid change. Sparked by reports of racial discrimination and sexual harassment from the past along with lurid tales of a… Read More ›
San Leandro Mayor’s Unholy Alliance With Business Interests
ANALYSISNov. 21, 2011 | Oh, what happened to the Stephen Cassidy who horded up all the Scrabble letters for “leadership” and “transparency” during last year’s mayoral campaign? The truth is, he never existed and if not for the inherently wacky… Read More ›
Are The Political Costs Of Mutual Aid Too Much For East Bay Cities To Stomach?
OCCUPYOAKLANDNov. 9, 2011 | The images of injured war veterans and peaceful protesters being fired upon with tear gas and rubber bullets is becoming personally and politically distasteful to a growing number of local cities who previously offered mutual aid… Read More ›
San Leandro Police Chief Says Oakland Knew ‘Civil Unrest’ Would Follow Occupy Raid
OCCUPYOAKLANDSAN LEANDRO |Nov. 8, 2011| San Leandro Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli indicated Monday night that Oakland officials expected civil unrest after the Oct. 25 raid on Occupy Oakland protesters and it would necessitate mutual aid from neighboring public safety agencies. “They… Read More ›
San Leandro Police On The Verge Of Promoting First Female Officer To Sergeant
Oct. 20, 2011 | Last year, San Leandro acknowledged its woeful record in hiring women and minorities at the police department needed to be rectified. In January, it tabbed Sandra Spagnoli as the city’s first female police chief, but the hiring… Read More ›
Hayward Names Its First Female Police Chief
SAN JOSE ASST CHIEF REPLACES RETIRING RON ACE; WILL OVERSEE DEPARTMENT IN NEXT PHASE OF GANG INJUNCTIONSBy Steven Tavaressteven.tavares@eastbaycitizen.comFollow @eastbaycitizen on twitter Diane Urban, Hayward’s first female police chief Hayward is joining other Bay Area cities by taking the initiative in opening… Read More ›
San Leandro Cop Nicknamed ‘Big Dirty’ Caught Selling Pot
THOSE HOPING FOR A NEW ERA IN SAN LEANDRO LAW ENFORCEMENT DISAPPOINTED BY CHARGEBy Steven Tavaressmailto:steven.tavares@eastbaycitizen.com@eastbaycitizen on twitter The recent Bay Area scourge of mixing illegal narcotics and law enforcement has hit the San Leandro Police Department. Officer Jason Fredriksson,… Read More ›
San Leandro Pot Ban Narrowly Voted Down; Moratorium Remains
COUNCIL VOTES 4-3 AGAINST ORDINANCE CITING ONE-SIDED ARGUMENT BY CITY STAFFBy Steven Tavaressteven.tavares@eastbaycitizen.com@eastbaycitizen on twitter The likilihood of medical marijuana returning in the future to San Leandro received another reprieve Monday night as the city council narrowly voted down, 4-3, an… Read More ›
San Leandro Set To Ban Medical Marijuana
‘SUBSTANTIAL’ EVIDENCE FROM ONE SOURCE LEADS TO POT BANBy Steven Tavaressteven.tavares@eastbaycitizen.com@eastbaycitizen on twitter City leaders in San Leandro are set Monday night to add to the 10-month moratorium it placed on medical marijuana facilities last November by passing an ordinance… Read More ›
Senate Bill Would Stop Cities From Using Tickets To Generate Revenue
SAN LEANDRO SET TO APPROVE NEW CONTRACT WITH TRAFFIC CAMERA VENDORBy Steven Tavares Palo Alto Sen. Joe Simitian thinks red light cameras are the technological equivalent of small town speed traps. His bill offered last month in the State Senate would… Read More ›
Katz’s Dragnet On The San Leandro Police
WHY IS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ASKING TO SEE RECORDS OF SLPD’S SWAT UNIT?By Steven Tavares Mike Katz in the police hat? Is Mike Katz a community do-gooder or covert government hack? San Leandro’s dual school board trustee and wannabe… Read More ›
Cassidy Continues His Attack On City Workers; Adds Police
SAN LEANDRO MAYOR CALLS FOR MORE CUTS TO STAFF; CRITICIZES POLICEBy Steven Tavares San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy campaigned on changing the way city employees financed their own pensions and health benefits, but instead he may be angling to push… Read More ›
Is San Leandro’s Brigade Of Traffic Cameras Doing The Job?
…OR NOT CREATING ENOUGH REVENUE?By Steven Tavares San Leandro will reduce the numberof traffic cameras to five. Has San Leandro begun to slowly eradicate red light violators or is the the cost of maintaining the small army of cameras lurking… Read More ›
Whatcha Talkin’ About Willis?
EX-CHIEF MAKES JOKE REFERRING TO GUNS AT CITY HALLBy Steven Tavares On the rare occasion the San Leandro City Council chambers are jammed to the rafters, Alameda County Fire Chief Sheldon Gilbert is usually there to clear the aisles and escort… Read More ›
