Reading the Oakland Police Bulletin of 1915 has given me a whole new outlook!

There were no good old days. The vast majority of warrants issued were for men accused of "failure to provide." men who failed top provide usually received a sentence of three years probation.

A warrant was issued for a rapist who lived in one of the cottages in my court in 1917. Rapes received sentences of four months.

Car theft was rampant, people were stealing model T Ford cars like crazy. A lot of people were passing bad checks and committing fraud. One check passer had a twitchy eye and claimed to be a dentist. Embezzlement was common.

Bunco, aka grand larceny was very common as was petit larceny and burglary. Assault with a deadly weapon was fairly uncommon. Robbery was very common indeed.

Women went missing and were arrested for adultery. Some of the criminals were described as having "a lot of gold teeth"! If suspect were good looking, they stated it in the warrant descriptions. As was being a "hard drinker," a "fast talker" and "walks fast." And being a "peddler of hams and bacon."

The addresses of supspects mothers were often given out in the warrants.

A "half negro" was described as "looking like a Mexican."

Men were known to hang around, "cafes" and "some garage." One cross eyed guy, who passed ficticious checks, like to hang around "Chinese saloons."

A lot of bicycles went missing in one month and one guy was known to have stolen a lot of them. Enough so that a picture of him was posted that "was thought to be a good likeness."

Murder was small portion of the crimes but did happen, every few months or so.

Arson was common. Lewd and lascivious acts happened once in a while. Some men were accused of "seduction."

A woman was acused of child stealing.

Police officers were suspended pretty often, sometimes for going awol. Many officers were suspended because they would not come in after a day off and would not notify their supervisors of their absences or whereabouts. One officer's supension was supspended after he single handedly stopped a team of runaway horses. This seems suspicious to me.

Scavenger collectors were told, by City ordinance, that they had to keep their garbage wagons covered so trash did not fall out on the streets.

The City at some point realized it could make a lot of money by forcing people to license their dogs. The police Chief notice the enhanced revenue one month and the lack of the revenue in subsequent months and sent out a notice to the beat police telling them to step up the ticketing of non-licensing dog owners.