Just about everyone in Oakland and in Oakland City Government says “public safety is our number one priority.” If we mean it, we are going to have to take big steps and bring big change. Among other things, this means finding cost-effective ways to grow the Oakland Police Department to a sworn staffing level of 900. And it means having a comprehensive public safety program.
But while we are getting there, we also need to support the smaller measures that can make a difference. Three of those are the proposals by Council Members Schaff (D4) and Reid (D7) to borrow Sheriff’s Department officers, hire civilian technicians and lock in a second police academy for Calendar year 2013.
We’ve already posted about these proposals here, and a description is available here. Tomorrow, at the meeting of the Montclair Safety and Improvement Council, Chief Jordan, Council Member Schaaf and MOBN!’s Joe Tuman will be discussing the proposals and other policing and public safety issues. The details:
Montclair Safety and Improvement Council meeting, Thursday, January 10, Montclair Presbyterian Church, 5701 Thornhill Drive, 6:45 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Then, the proposals face two critical public hearings and two votes:
Tuesday, January 15, 12:00 noon, City Council’s Finance & Management Committee Meeting, Oakland City Hall, Sgt. Mark Dunakin Room – 1st Floor; and
Tuesday, January 22, 6:30 p.m., Oakland City Council, Oakland City Hall Council Chambers (agenda will probably be posted here this Friday.
MOBN! will be present at both meetings to encourage Council to take these important first steps. We encourage Oaklanders to be there as well. We further encourage Oaklanders to e-mail the Finance & Management Committee members before Tuesday, January 15 and e-mail all City Council members before the January 22 meeting.
To e-mail the Finance & Management Committee in support of the three proposals:
Chair person Schaaf (lschaaf@oaklandnet.com)
CM Brooks (dbrooks@oaklandnet.com)
CM Kernighan (pkernighan@oaklandnet.com)
CM Kaplan (rkaplan@oaklandnet.com)
To e-mail all council members in support of the proposals:
Address your e-mail to council@oaklandnet.com
Decrease regulation, and open up redevelopment for locally owned ventures. Some folks call the concept “social marxism.” I call it capitialism. The concept is that people who are economically empowered, gain political power. And those with power, have less internal violence. At least that is much of what the Panthers were doing. I guess I could just ask the ones I know if I am correct. I am fairly certain I am.
The other thing we say down here, and youn can just walk around and ask folks – is THIS – the City absolutely churns the violence issue. You know who also says that? OPD. Think about that for a bit.
Councilmember Kalb has already pledged to increase the cost of each new cop by requiring some unspecified increase in investigative capacity and “recidivism programs” as a condition of his approving “any” new officers (even those we’re already supposed to have under Measure Y) So, it will be great if we can get him to get out of the way of our getting more cops. I am sure he has no idea how much he wants, how much we must spend on recidivism programs to make any difference, or how much each new cop will cost with his new requirements. He needs to introduce himself to some real numbers real fast. Mere “progressive” platitudes about how “you cant arrest your way out of the problem” are old old old.
Just the average number of cops per cap any CA city has, Dan. That’s all we’re asking for. We’re not asking for a police state
Another academy makes perfect sense. We need to build the number of sworn officers as part of a long-term commitment that voters and Council members have made and Council members have failed to fulfill. Adding civilians and hiring sheriffs does not make any sense at all in the absence of an overall plan for creating a more effective police force. It’s another flavor-of-the-week “brilliant idea” from a couple of Council members who are far from brilliant in general and specifically know absolutely nothing about problem-solving.
ayup – the reality is that the city churns this issue. . . they have for about 50 years or so. there is actually institutional knowledge, *within* OPD – on how to “fix” violence. where do folks think i got some of my ideas from?
(1) jobs and (2) morals. . . .
other missive is that the city would do well to listen to rank and file. . .
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