Full Notification

On Sunday, January 9, 2022, the El Cerrito community lost one of our police officers. On his way home from work, Officer Jerrick Bernstine was involved in a traffic collision on Interstate 80 near San Pablo Dam Rd. A van in front of Officer Bernstine lost control and collided with the center median. Officer Bernstine’s car struck the van and he died at the scene. The California Highway Patrol is still investigating the causes of the accident.
 
Officer Bernstine began his career with the El Cerrito Police Department as an Academy Recruit in 2019 and became a Police Officer in February 2020. Officer Bernstine was passionate about giving back to his community and became a police officer after first working as an in-home caregiver. In his two years with the ECPD he was recognized as a model officer, combining a humble personality with a tenacious crime fighting spirit. Officer Bernstine was 26 at the time of his death and he was everything a person could hope for in a police officer, citizen, teammate, son, brother, and friend.