El Cerrito is facing a growing challenge when it comes to public safety. Recent incidents, such as garage burglaries and catalytic converter thefts, have heightened concerns among residents. Unfortunately, these concerns are supported by the data. El Cerrito’s overall crime rate stands at nearly 50 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is significantly higher than both the national average and the rates in nearby communities. While the city’s violent crime rate is somewhat lower than the national average, property crime remains a persistent and troubling issue.
The comparison with neighboring cities underscores just how far behind El Cerrito has fallen. Albany’s overall crime rate is roughly 31 per 1,000 residents—about 60 percent of what El Cerrito experiences. Kensington fares even better, with an overall rate of just over 20 per 1,000 residents, less than half of El Cerrito’s level. Residents in both communities are far less likely to be victims of burglary, theft, or assault than their neighbors in El Cerrito. These differences are striking, and they suggest that El Cerrito needs a stronger, more proactive approach to public safety if it hopes to reverse these trends.
City leaders often fall back on excuses instead of solutions. One of the most common is that crime rates are higher in El Cerrito because of its proximity to BART stations, particularly El Cerrito Plaza. But that argument does not hold up. What criminal commits a burglary or theft and then lingers to catch a train? The idea that BART is the driving factor behind El Cerrito’s higher crime rate ignores both common sense and the data. Many Bay Area cities with BART stations manage to keep crime lower than El Cerrito.
What makes this even more troubling is the double standard. When it comes to promoting El Cerrito, the city points proudly to its two BART stations as an asset, just as it highlights its designation as the flagship site for the county’s future library. Yet when crime is the subject, those same BART stations suddenly become the scapegoat. This kind of selective reasoning isn’t leadership—it’s spin. Instead of shifting blame depending on the issue, El Cerrito should be focused on doing the hard work of building a safer, more accountable city.
Other communities show what works. Albany has adopted a multi-pronged strategy that combines enforcement with prevention, community engagement, and education. Investments in youth programs and community facilities have created safe spaces for residents, while targeted traffic calming and enforcement strategies have reduced accidents and related crime. Kensington’s success comes from maintaining a strong community presence, with residents actively engaged in neighborhood watch efforts and local law enforcement maintaining consistent visibility. Richmond, once plagued by high levels of violence, developed its Office of Neighborhood Safety, which directly engaged individuals most at risk of committing crimes and provided incentives and support to redirect them toward better choices.
El Cerrito can learn from these examples. A proactive strategy begins with strengthening community spaces and programs that give young people positive alternatives and residents more reasons to feel connected to one another. It also requires targeted investments in infrastructure such as street lighting, traffic calming measures, and surveillance technology in areas where crime is most concentrated. Equally important is cross-sector collaboration, with law enforcement working alongside social services, housing agencies, and nonprofits to address the root causes of crime such as homelessness, addiction, and economic instability.
El Cerrito residents already shoulder one of the highest property tax burdens in the region, alongside a steep cost of living and elevated sales tax rates. With that level of revenue, the city should be delivering more—safer streets, stronger community programs, and a vision that restores confidence in public safety. Instead, residents see rising crime and declining trust. If leadership cannot match the responsibility that comes with these resources, then it is time for voters to make different choices at the ballot box and for a change in city management to bring accountability back to El Cerrito.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 