Antioch police apologize for slow response time

(Image courtesy Antioch Police Dept.)

Posted: Feb 16, 2023 / 05:14 PM PST

Updated: Feb 18, 2023 / 12:15 PM PST

ANTIOCH, Calif. (KRON) — Antioch Police Department Lt. Michael Mellone released an apology on Thursday for the police department’s responses to in-progress property crimes. Specifically, Mellone said responses to burglaries at the Hillcrest Taphouse and Cocina Medina “fell short of our goals.”

Mellone said in these instances, all available officers were committed to “high priority calls.” He said APD typically responds quicker to such incidents and apologized to the affected business owners and the Antioch community.

“We have looked into both incidents, found areas where we could’ve done better, and are taking immediate steps to address it,” Mellone said.

Cocina Medina, a Mexican restaurant located at 5005 Lone Tree Way, posted a video on Facebook showing a front window smashed and the restaurant ransacked. The video was captioned, “What’s the point?!” Hillcrest Taphouse, located at 2709 Hillcrest Ave., did not post about an incident.

Mellone went on to say that APD is working to increase its staffing. Its recruiting effort includes trying to draw women and “individuals from the wonderfully diverse community we serve.”