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  Youth Demand Alameda County Ban Pepper Spray August 7, 2026 Sathya Chaib Urban Peace Movement youth members protest against pepper spray use in juvenile detention centers in front of the Alameda County Administration Building on Aug. 4. Photo by Sathya Chaib. Share Post Pinterest Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Written by Sathya Chaib Urban Peace Movement youth organizers protested Alameda County’s use of pepper spray in juvenile detention Tuesday, staging their  street play, “Breathing Room” outside the Alameda County Administration Building. The organizers called on the Board of Supervisors to ban the use of all chemical agents in juvenile centers, citing concerns about the harmful mental and physical effects on detained youth. “These kids’ way of describing what it feels like is as if their lungs are collapsing on them, like their faces were on fire, like they can’t even control their body no more,” Narayan Valvani, a UPM youth member said. “These young people getting s...

  Dumpers fined, but penalties rarely paid  A June Alameda County Civil Grand Jury report found that Oakland collects about 20 million pounds of illegally dumped waste annually, about 47 pounds per resident. In the January OPW Asset Management Report for EEU, officers logged 63 work orders and issued 26 illegal dumping citations, nine of which were from a camera. The January report recorded 26 illegal dumping citations issued and just one citation payment.  “The burden of evidence is pretty high to catch som ebody. We saw people illegally dumping and reported it to the police and nothing happened,,           City Auditor Michael Houston The audit found 73% of citations received no response, meaning no payment, appeal, or request for community service. “The burden of evidence is pretty high to catch somebody,” City Auditor Michael Houston said in an interview. “An example in our audit report is we saw people illegally dumping and reported i...