Oroville Police Department

10/06/2026

Happening tomorrow from 8am - 10am at the beautiful downtown Mug Shots Coffee House ☕

☕️ Grab a cup of coffee with us for National Coffee with a Cop Day! 🚔

Join us Wednesday, October 7th, from 8–10 a.m. at Mugshots, 2040 Montgomery Street.

Stop by for a fresh brew, meet members of our Downtown Patrol Team, the Chief, and command staff, and hear what’s happening in public safety.

No speeches, no agenda, just coffee and conversation! It’s a chance to ask questions, share what’s on your mind, and get to know the officers serving our community.

We hope to see you there! ☕️👮

Mug Shots Coffee House

10/01/2026

Oroville Police Statement 10/1/2026- The Oroville Police Department has increased its presence at Oroville High School after school staff received information regarding a statement that could be interpreted as a potential threat.

Out of an abundance of caution, Oroville High School has initiated a Shelter-in-Place while officers work with school administration to assess the information and determine the circumstances surrounding the reported statement.

We understand that precautions such as a Shelter-in-Place can cause anxiety and concern for students, parents, staff, and our community. To provide additional context, law enforcement has not received any reports of an individual on campus with a fi***rm or other weapon.

The statement reported to school staff was vague in nature and did not identify a specific plan, target, or course of action. However, due to the nature of the statement and in consideration of yesterday’s incident on campus, the Oroville Police Department is taking additional precautions while the information is thoroughly assessed.

The increased law enforcement presence is intended both to provide additional security for the campus and to offer reassurance to students, staff, and families while the situation is reviewed.

We ask our community to refrain from spreading rumors, speculation, or unconfirmed information. We recognize that situations involving school safety can generate significant concern; however, sharing unverified information can unnecessarily heighten anxiety, create confusion, and complicate the response for everyone involved.

We encourage parents, students, and community members to rely on official communications from the Oroville Police Department and Oroville High School administration for accurate and verified updates.

Students are remaining safely in their classrooms at this time. The Oroville Police Department will provide additional information as it becomes available.

09/30/2026

On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the Oroville Police Department responded to a reported physical altercation at Oroville High School during the lunch period. As a precaution, school staff placed the campus in a shelter-in-place.

The School Resource Officer immediately responded and detained the individuals involved. Officers determined there was no ongoing threat to students, staff, or the campus.

During the incident, two students experienced separate medical emergencies, prompting a response from emergency medical personnel who were nearby.

At this time, there is no active threat, and Oroville High School has resumed normal operations.

Additional information will be released as it becomes available and appropriate.

09/24/2026

Weekday day shift had a lovely day of fender benders, vehicle collisions, hit-and-runs…and the occasional call that requires actual policing. 😅

With a whopping 194 calls for service between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., our officers, dispatchers, and MLEs certainly had a…day.

Here’s just a snippet of what kept everyone busy:

13 suspicious circumstances calls

13 documented extra patrols around parks, schools, the downtown business area, and identified crime hot spots. And that’s just what was logged separately, not the extra eyes officers keep on these areas while traveling between calls.

11 separate vehicle collisions, ranging from fender benders to crashes involving minor to moderate injuries/damage.

One of those was a hit-and-run where an involved driver apparently thought leaving his vehicle behind, walking (rumor has it running) away from the collision and casually smoking a cigarette at a nearby grocery store would make him a little less identifiable to officers and witnesses.

It did not.

He was located, arrested, and transported to the Butte County Jail.

10 disturbing-the-peace calls, ranging from noise complaints to disputes and physical altercations. One of those calls resulted in an arrest for an outstanding warrant associated with a physical altercation at a residence.

12 911 hang-up calls for our dispatchers to triage and determine whether emergency assistance was needed.

12 trespassing-related calls

18 traffic stops, most conducted by our traffic unit in between assisting patrol officers with calls for service.

Throw in a couple of welfare checks, missing-person cases, theft reports, civil-assistance calls, and everything else that doesn’t fit neatly into a category, and you’ve got yourself a pretty accurate snapshot of a weekday day shift at OPD.

194 calls. 12 hours. One very busy day shift.

And then, of course, the night shift clocked in. 🫡

09/22/2026

☕️ Grab a cup of coffee with us for National Coffee with a Cop Day! 🚔

Join us Wednesday, October 7th, from 8–10 a.m. at Mugshots, 2040 Montgomery Street.

Stop by for a fresh brew, meet members of our Downtown Patrol Team, the Chief, and command staff, and hear what’s happening in public safety.

No speeches, no agenda, just coffee and conversation! It’s a chance to ask questions, share what’s on your mind, and get to know the officers serving our community.

We hope to see you there! ☕️👮

Mug Shots Coffee House

09/21/2026

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the Oroville Police Department (OPD) arrested Gregory Alexander, 70, of Oroville, following an investigation into allegations of historical s*xual abuse involving multiple minors.

The investigation began on Saturday, August 1, 2026, after OPD received a report of s*xual abuse alleged to have occurred approximately ten years ago. During the investigation, detectives interviewed the reporting victim, who described multiple incidents of s*xual abuse allegedly committed by Alexander when the victim was approximately four to six years old.

Detectives conducted numerous interviews and worked to corroborate information provided during the investigation, including reported timeframes and locations, through school records, criminal justice records, s*x-offender registration records, and other investigative sources.

As the investigation continued, detectives identified additional individuals who reported alleged s*xual misconduct involving Alexander when they were minors. One additional victim reported an incident alleged to have occurred in 2013, when she was approximately 14 years old. Another individual reported inappropriate s*xual conduct by Alexander while she was a child.
Alexander is a registered s*x offender pursuant to California Penal Code §290 and has a prior conviction for PC §288(a), lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age.

Based on the information developed during the investigation, OPD detectives presented the case to a Butte County Superior Court judge and obtained a Ramey warrant for Alexander’s arrest. Detectives subsequently located Alexander at a residence on Wyandotte Avenue in Oroville and took him into custody without incident.

Alexander was booked into the Butte County Jail on allegations of:
• PC § 288(a) – Lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14
• PC § 288.5(a) – Continuous s*xual abuse of a child
• PC § 288(b)(1) – Lewd or lascivious acts by force, violence, duress, menace, or fear
• PC § 288(c)(1) – Lewd or lascivious acts involving a child aged 14 or 15

The investigation remains ongoing and will be forwarded to the Butte County District Attorney’s Office for review.

The Oroville Police Department recognizes that victims of s*xual abuse may wait years before disclosing what occurred. Detectives encourage anyone with information regarding Alexander, including anyone who believes they may have been victimized by him, to contact investigators regardless of how much time has passed.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Oroville Police Department Felony Investigations Unit, Detective Sotelo, at (530) 538-2448 or email [email protected].

09/15/2026

DECEASED INDIVIDUAL LOCATED ON FEATHER RIVER ISLAND NEAR BEDROCK PARK

Oroville, CA- On Tuesday, September 15th, 2026, at around 8:40 AM, the Oroville Police Department received a call for service reporting a deceased individual at an encampment on Feather River Island located near Bedrock Park.

Officers responded immediately and located a deceased middle-aged female within the encampment. An initial investigation was conducted, and at this time, there are no indications of foul play associated with the individual’s death.

The scene was released to the Butte County Coroner’s Office for recovery of the decedent’s body,

The decedent’s identity will not be released pending notification of next of kin.

09/11/2026

Today, we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, including the first responders who ran toward danger and made the ultimate sacrifice.

The events of September 11 forever changed our nation and reshaped public safety, strengthening communication between agencies, emergency preparedness, training, and our ability to respond together in times of crisis.

But beyond the lessons learned, September 11 remains a reminder of courage, service, sacrifice, and the extraordinary things ordinary people are capable of doing for one another.

Today, the Oroville Police Department honors the first responders who gave everything, those who continued to serve in the days and months that followed, and every life lost on September 11, 2001. 🇺🇸

09/10/2026

Our wee-woo just got a whole lot cooler.

Officer Tapia (yes, yes… the ticket writer) just got an upgraded set of wheels with the arrival of our brand-new motor unit!

Our department hasn’t had a motor unit in… well, we’re not exactly sure how long. 😂 let’s go with several years and we’ll get back to you on that one after we do some proper historical digging.

On a serious note, we’re incredibly excited to bring this capability back to the streets of Oroville. Motorcycle units give officers greater mobility in heavy traffic, allow them to access areas traditional patrol vehicles may have difficulty reaching, and provide an additional tool for targeted traffic enforcement, collision reduction and addressing dangerous driving behaviors.

For Officer Tapia, whose primary focus is traffic safety and enforcement, these new wheels mean even more opportunities to be visible, proactive and accessible throughout our community.

So, if you see the motor out and about, give Officer Tapia a wave!

Oh, and don’t tap the top of your head/helmet when you pass him, it ruins the fun. 🤣

09/04/2026

Press Release: Suspect arrested following threats to local school

On Friday, September 4, 2026, the Oroville Police Department (OPD) became aware of threats involving STREAM Charter School. Officers immediately began investigating the reported threats and notified school officials so appropriate safety precautions could be taken.

During the investigation, officers identified the suspect as Nathaniel Gardner, age 28, of Oroville. Gardner allegedly made threats to multiple individuals, both locally and as far away as Ohio, stating his intention to carry out a shooting at STREAM Charter School.

Gardner is a parent of students who attend STREAM Charter School and is currently restrained from having contact with those children.

Upon receiving information regarding the threats, investigators immediately worked to determine their credibility, whether Gardner had the means to carry them out, and his current whereabouts, while simultaneously ensuring the safety of students and staff at STREAM Charter School.

Gardner, who is currently on probation, is known to the Oroville Police Department from previous incidents involving alleged threats of violence toward family members and law enforcement.

As officers continued investigating, additional officers were assigned to STREAM Charter School as a precaution. The school was placed on a secure hold, officers remained on campus, and additional safety measures were implemented, including staff escorting students as they moved throughout campus.

As part of the immediate response, investigators utilized emergency location information associated with Gardner’s electronic device to assist in determining his whereabouts and alert officers if the device was detected near a school campus.

Investigators determined the device was indicating a location near a residence in the 3200 block of Foothill Boulevard.
Officers developed a tactical plan to locate and safely detain Gardner at the Foothill Boulevard residence.

At approximately 10:00 a.m., officers with the Oroville Police Department, including the Felony Investigations Unit, with assistance from Butte County Probation, successfully located and arrested Gardner without incident.

Gardner was arrested on suspicion of criminal threats related to the threats made against STREAM Charter School and two counts of violation of a domestic violence restraining order.

Following Gardner’s arrest, the secure hold at STREAM Charter School was lifted. Investigators determined there was no ongoing threat to the school, and normal campus operations were able to resume.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact the Oroville Police Department at (530) 538-2444.