Berkeley City Council member fighting crime

The eagle eye of Berkeley City Councilwoman Susan Wengraf, District 6, saved the day during what was supposed to be a quick ride-along with police.

Wengraf’s first time riding with cops started off on a relatively easy and recent Friday night, with only a few calls pertaining to a traffic accident, a house alarm, and the worst being a missing 5-year-old.

Then everything changed.

Police were notified of a house robbery at Buena Vista Way, smack in the center of Wengraf’s district. The suspect was long gone before they even arrived, but a neighbor spotted him and gave police a description which led to a search.

Wengraf and police tried to snake through traffic around the Greek Theater, which was heavier than usual due to Berkeley High graduation day. Police slowly crawled up Hearst Avenue trying to pinpoint the suspect in the crowds when Wengraf shouted:

“There he is!”

She identified the suspect, down to the very last detail, as headed toward the UC Berkeley campus. He was eventually apprehended and detained.

After the night’s events, Wengraf just may want to consider a second career in law enforcement:

“I helped catch a criminal. It was so much more satisfying than a City Council meeting.”