Oakland police boat at Tiburon café raises questions about proper use

OAKLAND, Calif. - An Oakland police boat carrying what appears to be off-duty officers and friends or family members, was spotted at a waterfront Tiburon café over the weekend, upsetting at least one man who thinks that a public law enforcement vessel and its employees should not be engaged in non-official behavior.

An amateur sailor who lives in Oakland and who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation by police officers, sent KTVU several photos of a clearly marked Oakland police boat on Saturday just before 4 p.m. at Sam's Anchor Café in Marin County – not part of Oakland's jurisdiction. 

There are at least two men, two women and three children, one who appears to be a toddler and two others, who appear to be middle-school aged, on the boat. The women appear to be drinking a beverage, but it's not exactly clear what it is. 

"The ladies had drinks in their hands," he said.

Oakland police boat seen at Sams Anchor Cafe on Aug. 24, 2024. Photo: KTVU viewer

The man said he also noticed that no one was wearing life vests other than the toddler as the boat pulled away. The law requires anyone younger than 13 to wear one. 

The man said he was on a date and trying to dock his own sailboat, but it was full. When he looked up, he noticed an Oakland police boat was taking up one of the spots. 

"It was very clear they weren't on duty," the man said. "Nobody was in uniform."

The scene upset the man because a police boat should be used for police purposes, he said. 

"It doesn't give you the right to use public property for personal use," he said. "Even the fuel being used is taxpayer dollars. How often are they doing this? I mean, is this OK? Generally, people would say ‘No, this is not OK.’" 

An Oakland police boat pulls up to Sam's in Tiburon on Aug. 24, 2024 

Oakland police, when questioned about the photos, issued a one-sentence email that stated the department is "looking into these allegations." 

Police did not elaborate on whether the boat was there for any type of official capacity or sanctioned community event. 

At least one critic of the Oakland police agreed with the sailor on the appearance of the police boat parked at a waterfront bar. 

"It's the city's boat, it's the city's gas," said Jim Chanin, a civil rights attorney who monitors the Oakland police. "If it's not for a sanctioned Oakland Police Department event, then it shouldn't happen, particularly when we're going through such a terrifically horrible budget crisis."

But Larry Goodman, a retired Alameda County judge who is a licensed merchant mariner who once piloted an Alameda County sheriff's boat, told KTVU, "there's nothing nefarious about the fact that a patrol boat is over at Sam's with some civilians on it."

Goodman added: "It could be a public relations trip, it could just be a police ride-along where they just take people from the public and give them a tour, show them the boat."

The Oakland police marine unit has routinely cited and removed abandoned boats along the estuary. The unit has also investigated break-ins on boats and along Oakland's Embarcadero.

Goodman said local police boats have jurisdiction across the entire bay and have helped out for rescues and security at events like Fleet Week.

"So they're not limited to the east side of the estuary on the Oakland side of that part of the bay," Goodman said.

A worker at Sam's Anchor Café told KTVU police and firefighters from across the Bay Area frequently stop by the restaurant but said he didn't have any specifics about any Oakland police visit on Saturday.

This apparently is not the first time an Oakland police boat has been sighted at the same Tiburon restaurant.

A sailing website, Latitude 38, was sent a photo of a different Oakland police boat last August at Sam's. The headline of the article was "Oakland Police Out to Lunch?" 

Lisa Fernandez and Henry Lee are reporters for KTVU. Email Lisa at lisa.fernandez@fox.com or call her at 510-874-0139. Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez. E-mail Henry Lee at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan

An Oakland police boat seen at Sam's Anchor Café on Aug. 24, 2024. Photo: KTVU viewer