Safety First Oakland

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STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSE

We believe that the highest and foremost duty of Oakland’s government is to protect its residents from death or injury, to protect their property from theft or destruction, and to ensure that their neighborhoods are free from noise and blight.

We further believe that these objectives can be achieved only if the Oakland Police Department has sufficient personnel to both engage in effective community policing and quickly respond to emergency calls.

We believe that long-range social programs to reduce crime and violence are important; but that the funding of such programs should be subordinate to the primary goal of immediate suppression of street crime so that Oakland’s residents can walk its streets and use its parks without fear.

We further believe that social programs should be targeted to accomplish specific objectives, that they should not duplicate existing state and county programs, that they should be unique and innovative, that they should have measurable performance standards and goals which are set forth before funding is granted, that they should be continually monitored by a designated city department to ensure that the stated goals are being achieved, and that they must be discontinued when this is not occurring.

Social programs currently funded by the city should compete equally with all other programs seeking funding. The city department, governmental body or board designated to be responsible for monitoring should recommend to the Council which organizations should receive funding.

The operations of the Oakland Police Department should be managed in a fiscally responsible fashion and within City Council budget parameters. Strict scrutiny should be employed to ensure that its officers act within the constraints set by the federal and state constitutions, applicable federal and state statutes, and Council and departmental policy.

The tax burden imposed for increased police staffing and for crime prevention social programs must be fair. It must be equitably shared by all of Oakland’s constituent communities, including homeowners, rental property owners, business and corporate owners, and others who will benefit from the increased services.

Accordingly, our purpose is to assist in the research and crafting of a city police and social program funding measure consistent with the above principles (and to oppose measures which are not), to lobby the mayor and the Council for its placement on the ballot, and to work for its passage by the voters.

(As amended, May 6, 2004)

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