Safety First Oakland

For those unable to attend services

2009-03-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

For pdf copy, click here

Forever Oakland Heroes

2009-03-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

For more information go to OPOA

The Failure of Measure NN

2008-11-30T11:15:00.000-08:00

During the promotion of Measure NN, Mayor Dellums referred to a meeting with the Safe Streets Coalition and that a compromise was made resulting in Measure NN.

As a Board member of the Safe Streets Coalition and signor on the petition presented to the City Clerk’s office, I was not part of any compromise meeting nor did I have knowledge a meeting had occurred.

Speaking at the offices of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Dellums said that “without the $41 million Measure NN would generate over four years; the city would not be able to keep the 803 officers promised under Measure Y, a property and parking tax passed by voters in 2004.”

"Some ... people felt that this was a core responsibility of city government and should be in the regular budget, not a parcel tax," said Judy Cox, president of the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club, whose membership voted to oppose NN."There is also the parcel tax fatigue factor, where we have seen so many parcel taxes in the last few years to pay for all sorts of things."

There was a potential Resolution amending the Rent Ordinance to allow residential property owners to pass-through half the Police Services Measure (NN) tax to the tenants of the units on which the tax was to be assessed.This was in response to 40% of the homeowners who felt it was unfair that their renting neighbors who get to vote to impose the tax would not have to share the cost of it.

At the last minute during a committee meeting, this proposal was withdrawn with a hint of returning if Measure NN passed.

If the Council had approved Council Member Kernighan’s pass-through, renters would have to pay $94.13 each year to cover the cost of the 75 additional police officers and the 105 additional police service technicians funded by the tax.

Another interesting and timely event was the arrival of my property tax (first installment due Nov. 1) about a week before the election and like others; I reviewed the current taxes being paid.

Why Measure NN failed will be debated for some time.

Was it timing or economics or as simply stated by Judy Cox, president of the Metropolitan Greater Oakland Democratic Club, whose membership voted to oppose NN, “Some residents feel that providing an adequate police force is a core responsibility of city government and should be paid for with funds in the existing budget, not with money from a parcel tax.”

Now there is talk of possibly floating another measure, which is interesting since exceeding the 803 officers now appears to be part of the Measure NN promotion. The evidence of this is the cancelling of police academies.

The question remains..... will Public Safety still be Priority Number One?

Until the issues that the Measure NN opposition has presented are addressed and the community (residential) members are engaged in the process, another measure will meet the same fate.

Marcus Johnson, Chair,
Safety First

Safe Streets and Neighborhood Initative

2008-05-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

As the Chair of Safety First, I will be asking Safety First members and Oakland residents to endorse the Safe Street and Neighborhood Act of 2008 initiative calling for additional police officers that would bring Oakland Police Department authorized staffing from 739 to 1075.

for full document contact Marcus Johnson, Chair, SafetyFirst & Safe Streets Coalition Board Member

Oakland's January Shooting Report

2008-02-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

Police Officer Trainee P.O.S.T. Exam

2008-02-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

San Francisco More Deadly Than Oakland For African Americans

2008-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some interesting articles by Kevin J. Mullen; www.SanFranciscoHomicide.com

San Franciscans are justifiably concerned about the increasing numbers of homicides in the city’s African-American community. In common understanding, gritty Oakland is considered much more violent than jewel-box San Francisco, yet San Francisco's African American community has close to double the homicide rate of that in Oakland.

In San Francisco, where African-Americans comprise less than 10 percent of the 770,000 population, they make up 63 percent of the homicide victims. In Oakland, where they make up 36 percent of the 400,000 residents – a three times greater percentage than San Francisco-- African Americans comprise 77 percent of the homicide victims. Put another way, members of the most at-risk group to be homicide victims—young black males—are almost twice as likely to be murdered in San Francisco as those similarly situated in Oakland.

A number of explanations have been advanced to explain high African American homicide rates generally. Most subscribe to the structural argument that the rates are caused by environmental factors like poverty, joblessness and general mistreatment by the larger society. Others add that part of the reason for high rates is that a subculture of violence has become imbedded in some parts of the African American community. But neither of those explanations address the wide difference between the rates in San Francisco and Oakland.

Part I continue here and Part II here

The Implementation of Measure Y

2008-01-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Contact Safety First for pdf copy

Click to Enlarge

2008 OPD-Patrol Schedule

2008-01-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Click image to enlarge

contact Safety First for a pdf version

L.A. crime lowest in 40 years

2008-01-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

By Rick Coca, Staff Writer-Article Last Updated: 01/03/2008 11:51:23 AM PST

Helped by a steady decline in homicides to near-40-year lows, Los Angeles streets by some measures haven't been this safe since Eisenhower was president and American families watched "Howdy Doody" on black-and-white TVs.

Pointing to year-end crime figures better than at any time in recent memory, city officials credited more sophisticated law enforcement, more officers on the beat and improved community-police relations for the sizable drop in crime.

"Cops count," said Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, touting the department's 9,608 police officers on duty as of December - the highest number in the department since 1998.

"It's not demographics. It's not the economy. It's not the weather."

Speaking with Bratton and other city and community leaders in front of the Watts Towers, a beaming Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said the 392 homicides logged in 2007 represented a 17.6 percent drop from 476 the year before.

That number was two fewer than the 394 homicides recorded in 1970 when Los Angeles' population was significantly less.

"Cops were up and crime was down," the mayor said.

On a per capita basis, overall crime figures were at their lowest since the city first began keeping records in 1956, Villaraigosa said.

"We're bucking national trends," Villaraigosa said.

Nationally, New York and Chicago are also enjoying a period of declining homicides - their lowest in more than 40 years. Still, Miami, Atlanta and other cities saw more homicides in 2007.

Citywide, 213 homicides in 2007 were gang-related, compared with more than 270 in 2006, according to LAPD statistics.

Despite low overall crime figures in 2006, numbers that made Los Angeles the second-safest big city in the United States, an increase in gang violence left some communities frayed and police and politicians vowing to stem the tide.

At Wednesday's press conference, Bratton said it's the effort of police officers, as well as community leaders, politicians and gang interventionists, that has brought about lower crime.

"This is one great story to get out," Bratton said.

He rejected the argument that extenuating factors such as gentrification - the process of more affluent residents displacing poorer ones in city centers and surrounding suburbs - have led to the lower figures.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn said that despite the financial crunch, public safety will not fall by the wayside.

"I think this City Council is really firm in our commitment and our belief that public safety is our No.1 issue," she said. "Nothing else really matters if the city is not safe."

Hahn, who represents the Watts area, said things have improved dramatically since Christmas 2005, when 18 gang-related shootings led to seven deaths in the area.

"It was the bleakest Christmas on record," Hahn said.

"Kids didn't want to come out and play."

Made up of community members, some of whom have lost loved ones to violence, the Watts Gang Task Force was formed and began to meet with police to figure out a way to keep young people alive.

"We were in crisis," said task force President Betty Day about the need for both the Police Department and the largely African-American and Latino communities to work together following the shootings.

rick.coca@dailynews.com 818-713-3329

For full Story, click here

Clear Channel Outdoor 'Wanted' By FBI

2007-12-26T17:36:00.000-08:00

by Erik Sass, Wednesday, Dec 26, 2007 7:15 AM ET

THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION has signed a deal with Clear Channel Outdoor, the country's largest outdoor advertising company, to display "wanted" messages--including photos of fugitives, on electronic billboards--around the U.S.

The FBI and Clear Channel decided to expand the free public service after three fugitives were caught in Philadelphia, thanks to Clear Channel's digital billboards. The wanted messages generally include a phone number for an anonymous tip line. This modern update to the Old West "wanted" posters takes advantage of the electronic billboards' ability to display multiple images--giving the FBI airtime among Clear Channel's paying advertisers--as well as their strategic locations in high-traffic areas.

Overall, it gives the FBI access to roughly 150 electronic billboards that are visible from major highways and urban arteries.

For complete story click here

DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint

2007-12-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

The Oakland Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, December 29th, 2007, from 6:00 p.m.to 2:00 a.m.

In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving.

All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI/Drivers License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as insuring drivers have a valid driver's license. A major component of these checkpoints is to increase awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage sober designated drivers.

A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method for achieving this goal. By publicizing these enforcement and education efforts, the Oakland Police Department believes motorists can be deterred from drinking and driving.

Traffic volume and weather permitting, all vehicles may be checked and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will be arrested. Our objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs – Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest.

The public is encouraged to help keep roadways safe by calling 911 if they see a suspected impaired driver.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Proposed bill would help cities shut down nuisance liquor stores

2007-12-19T12:12:00.000-08:00

Bay Area cities would be able to more easily shut down nuisance liquor stores that have become epicenters of drug dealing, vandalism, prostitution and shootings in some neighborhoods, under a proposed state law.

Assembly Bill 960, introduced by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, would allow cities to buy back the liquor licenses of shops deemed to be magnets for crime, in hopes of making neighborhoods safer and cleaner, Hancock said Monday.

"Liquor stores can be a tipping point for neighborhood deterioration, " she said. "We have an obligation to the people who live in these neighborhoods to create stable and pleasant living conditions by shutting these stores down."

The bill is scheduled to be heard by a legislative committee in January.

For complete SF Chronicle article, click here

For Status of Assembly Bill 960, click here

For complete Assembly Bill 960 document, click here.

Measure Y Funding Notification

2007-12-17T19:14:00.000-08:00

Street Outreach and Reentry Employment In coordination with Measure Y, the City of Oakland is soliciting Preliminary Proposals from organizations with the capacity to provide quality violence prevention programs in two different funded areas:

1. Mayor's Street Outreach to address street level violence by connecting with individuals in hot spots throughout the city. Amount: $575,000 over 15 months.

2. Project Choice Employment to provide expanded employment and job training for parolees in Project Choice. Amount: $210,000 over 15 months.

ISSUE DATE: Monday, December 17, 2007

MANDATORY BIDDER'S CONFERENCE: (in Hearing Room 3, City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612)

Tuesday, January 8, 2007; 2:00 -5:00 PM

For Outreach Applicants: 2:00-3:30 PM

For Employment Applicants: 3:30-5:00 PM

PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS DUE: Tuesday, January 22, 2008; before 5:00 PM

HOW TO APPLY: For more information on how to apply, please download and review the Preliminary Proposal Application Materials on-line

Sac PD's New Technology: License Plate Reader

2007-12-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

It's called a 'License Plate Reader' and Sacramento is one of the only departments around to have cars equipped with technology

Deemed as the "Most Innovative Use of Technology" award is for the Mobile Automated License Plate Reader.

This technology enables a computer to read license plates in real-time and compare it against a data base of stolen and wanted vehicles. If there is a match, the officer is notified, allowing them to take the appropriate action.

Patrol cars outfitted with the Mobile Automated License Plate Reader technology are equipped with three external camera systems. During routine patrols, the cameras are constantly scanning license plate images. These images are continuously being transmitted to a computer data base for processing.

During a typical shift on the street, a patrol car will come across and read approximately 3,000 license plates.

The Sacramento Police Department has been involved with the testing and development of this technology over the last three years. This system is a tremendous benefit to our officers and a significant "force multiplier" for the department.

Watch video here

Some features include:

Simultaneous monitoring of up to four dual-lens cameras

High volume, accurate, license plate capture at speeds of up to 160 mph

Captures up to 3,600 plates per hour

Vehicle record contains infrared image of plate with corresponding OCR translation, color image of vehicle, date and time stamp, GPS coordinate, and relevant information from the database (in the event of a hit)

For more information, click here

Law Enforcement Calls for School Dropout Reforms to Prevent 500 Murders a Year

2007-12-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

Press Release

Over 200 Police Chiefs, Sheriffs, District Attorneys and Victims of Violence Ask Governor to Boost Public Safety with Proven Dropout-Prevention Programs Pasadena, CA, December 13—Calling California’s high dropout rate a major public safety issue, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and other local law enforcement leaders unveiled a new report that link slow graduation rates with violent crimes such as homicide and aggravated assault. -complete press release-

LOCAL DATA AND INFORMATION AVAILABLE:

County-by-county data on the number of murders and aggravated assaults that would be preventedannually by a 10 percentage point increase in graduation rates.

County-by-county data on the percentage of high schools with proven or promising small learningcommunities.

County-by-county lists of law enforcement leaders and crime survivors who signed the letter to theGovernor on education reform.

Message from the Office of the City Auditor

2007-12-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Oaklander:

On Tuesday (12.11.07) I will present the performance audit of the City's payroll and compensation practices to the Finance and Management Committee of the Oakland City Council. The Council will have an opportunity to take action on the recommendations and findings of the audit report.

(see previous Press Release here)

Should you wish to attend, the Finance and Management Committee is at 1:00 p.m. in Hearing Room 1 of City Hall on Tuesday, December 11th. (This item is at the top of the agenda, so we expect it to be heard very shortly after 1:00 p.m.)

There is an opportunity for public comment at the meeting. If you wish to speak please complete a speaker's card at the meeting or online.

Please continue to stay connected with our office. We will continue to keep you updated on the progress of this and other audits, and we will continue to work diligently on your behalf.

Warmest regards,

Courtney A. Ruby, CPA City Auditor
Office of the City Auditor, City of Oakland

1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 238-3378

Email: cityauditor@oaklandnet.com

Website: www.oaklandauditor.com

Brown Cracks Down On Illegal Gun Possession

2007-12-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES – California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton today announced the seizure of 541 handguns, rifles and assault weapons during a “statewide crackdown” on 1,000 dangerous individuals barred from firearms possession because of violent felony convictions.

“During this statewide crackdown, Department of Justice agents investigated 1,000 of the most dangerous cases in the state’s firearms database,” Brown told a news conference at the attorney general’s Los Angeles headquarters.

“The Department of Justice joined with local law enforcement to disarm hundreds of individuals—felons, domestic violence perpetrators, and people committed to mental health facilities—that should have relinquished their weapons.” -full story-

Another related article: Enforcing California's Gun Laws ... By Frank D. Russo -full story-

Press Release: Council President Ignacio De La Fuente Announces Fruitvale Safety Project

2007-12-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

MEDIA RELEASE

December 6, 2007

Contact: Edith Guillen, Aide to Council President De La Fuente;

(510) 238-7051 or (510) 773-0467 (cell)

Council President De La Fuente Announces Public Safety Project in Fruitvale Focus will be on rising gang violence and prostitution

(Oakland, CA) - Oakland City Council President and District 5 Council Member Ignacio De La Fuente introduced the Fruitvale Safety Project - a three-month focused effort to reduce rising crime and violence in the vibrant Fruitvale Neighborhood through improved coordination and targeting of resources. "We all have to pick priorities and my priority is increasing public safety in the Fruitvale," said President De La Fuente.

The project area is bounded by San Leandro Blvd., Foothill Boulevard, 23rd Avenue to 40th Avenue. Crime and violence in the Fruitvale area is on the rise, with much of the increase in violent crime and homicides attributed to rising gang violence. In only two police beats (20X and 23X) there have been 18 homicides and 512 robberies reported since the beginning of 2006.

This year, the Oakland Police Department Vice Unit has made 153 arrests related to prostitution in Police Service Area 3. Because of language barriers, many crimes in this area are never reported to the Police, which skews statistics used to allocated resources.

An action team including President De La Fuente and his staff, the police department, merchants, and non-profits will meet bi-weekly in the target area to problem-solve and track results, with an emphasis on gang and prostitution activity. "It's one thing to sit in City Hall and allocate resources and making policy. It's another thing to be on the ground using those resources to attack known problems," said Council President De La Fuente.

The Fruitvale Safety Project will bring together Oakland Police Department (OPD) Problem Solving Officers, Patrol, Gang Unit, Alcohol Beverage Action Team (ABAT), Vice Unit, along with Measure Y resources, Neighborhood Services Coordinators (NSCs) and Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils (NCPCs). Police Chief Wayne Tucker said, "The geographic re-organization will allow the Police Department to focus the responsibility for crime reduction on area based captains. At the same time, authority to solve problems will be given to officers who in the past focused only on reactive response to 911 generated problems."

OPD-related goals of the Fruitvale Safety Project include getting the Gang Unit working with Patrol and other specialized units, getting Measure Y resources working with OPD, shutting down problem liquor stores, abating problem properties, getting more walking officers, and getting a Spanish-speaking neighborhood watch coordinator.

In addition to coordinating with OPD, the Council President will work with City Staff including Service Delivery System Team IV, Graffiti Abatement, Litter Enforcement, Nuisance Abatement, Public Works and the Neighborhood Law Corps to improve the neighborhood. The Council President will further organize local merchants, non-profits and schools. "We have many resources to work with, but we all have to more accountable. We'll see results when we all work together with urgency and intention," said the Council President.

The Fruitvale Safety Project will take advantage of Measure Y violence prevention resources now available as well as $575,000 the City Council authorized this week for additional street outreach workers. These new workers are to be hired to work in the Latino community in the Fruitvale, East Oakland and West Oakland. Measure Y (the Violence Prevention and Public Safety Act), passed by voters in 2004, has made about $6 million per year available for violence prevention activities.

Residents of the Fruitvale district are concerned that sufficient Measure Y Violence Prevention funds have not reached their youth.

"Fruitvale is the heart of Oakland. People are investing in this neighborhood. We have incredible merchants, community groups and schools. All of these people deserve a safe place to go about their lives," said President De La Fuente, "While many local organizations and leaders have addressed public safety in the Fruitvale area, we have not yet succeeded in stemming increasing gang activity or prostitution."

The District 5 office is also scheduling educational events including gang prevention parenting classes and self-defense training. Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) meetings will continue to be used to gather information and implement solutions to crime. Those who have information about crime and violence in the area are encouraged attend their NCPC meetings or contact OPD or the Council President's office.

Eugene Smith, chair of the Beat 20X NCPC stated, "The time has arrived, that we as a community have no choice but to stand up and be counted. We can no longer wait for the Calvary to arrive. We are the Calvary, and we have a responsibility to our families, friends, neighbors, and the City of Oakland. We must take our streets back, and be willing to come together as one."

From the Mayor's Office: EFFORT TO FIGHT CRIME GETS COUNCIL “OK”

2007-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

Mayor Applauds Council's Support of Coordinated Street Outreach in High Crime Areas

OAKLAND – Efforts to prevent and lessen violence in Oakland took a major step forward last night with the City Council's endorsement of Mayor Ron Dellums' coordinated street outreach strategy. The council passed a resolution authorizing the Department of Human Services to request proposals for hiring street outreach workers in high crime areas in a manner designed to prevent the escalation of tension that often leads to violence.

"We need to intensify our efforts to fight crime and reduce violence in our city," said Mayor Dellums. "This investment will move Oakland forward as it enables us to provide safer and more secure neighborhoods for all our residents."

National best practices in violence prevention recommend street-based outreach in hot spot areas as an important strategy to help prevent street violence in urban communities. This strategy calls on community members who are familiar with neighborhoods most impacted by violence and skilled at conflict mediation, intervention, and mentorship to walk the streets and connect with youth and adults involved in street life.

The resolution makes $575,000 available on an expedited basis ($375,000 of which will come from Measure Y – Reserve Funds) to support a qualifying proposal that brings on street outreach workers to carry out the following tasks:

- Create a public safety presence of credible civilians in hot spots;

- Build and use relationships with "hot spots" residents, including "street leaders," to actively promote positive life choices that build healthy communities;

- Connect "high risk" individuals and their families to resources that provide opportunities for productive lives, including career and education services;

- Increase community cohesion through rallying community response following violence, ensuring linkage to support services and hosting community events aimed at fostering non-violence.

Given that Oakland and community agencies have also long recognized the importance of job training for formerly incarcerated individuals as a central component of violence prevention, the Mayor's office has also directed the Department of Human Services to issue an additional $200,000 Request for Proposals for re-entry job training services.

###

Foreclosure homes are being used for teenage parties, homeless squatting and drug use

2007-12-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

Here is just an example what other cities are doing to fight crime.

Manteca to secure vacant homes

City hopes beefed up codes will keep neglected structures in line

Starting today, a series of ordinances will take effect that give Manteca the ability to dole out civil penalties of $1,000 per violation per day, or up to $100,000 per structure per year.

Manteca now also has authority to abate a home by keeping it properly boarded or maintained at the property owner's expense.

Though the laws have kicked in, enforcement officials insist they won't be looking around for vacant homes. Rather, they will respond to homes identified by concerned neighbors and send out courtesy notices first.

"Initially, there's not going to be a big crackdown," Manteca police Capt. David Bricker said, adding the city would act on properties for which the foreclosure process is complete or on a response to complaints. "For now, we can let the banks and lenders know of the potential penalties and inform them of the new rules," Bricker said.

"We're not going to do anything until the banks own the property," said Greg Baird, the city's code enforcement officer.

Police spokesman Rex Osborn said the new rules should eliminate a lot of theft and deter squatters, adding that police will "know who to contact if someone is found in a home."

-full story-

Increase in Crime Is No "Gathering Storm"

2007-12-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

By Famin Ahmed, NCPC Senior Multimedia Editor and Writer

In 2006, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) commented on the significant increase in violent crime from 2004 to 2005 that was reported in the FBI’s 2005 Uniform Crime Reports. The elected president of PERF, Chief William Bratton of the Los Angeles, CA, police department, called it “a gathering storm.” Richard Rosenfeld, Curators professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, disagrees.

Rosenfeld studies coincident factors to predict crime rates. For example, factors such as rising drug rates or an increased use of firearms in violent crime can lead to rising rates of robbery or homicide. Similarly, a good economy usually leads to lower crime rates. Rosenfeld notes that crime dropped in the 1990s because of an increase in the rate of imprisonment and a booming economy.

“Economic improvement leads to decreases in violent crime,” he says.

Rosenfeld also follows other indicators and has noted that crime rates tend to go down in communities where there are more police and higher rates of imprisonment. Rosenfeld said that although imprisonment can have complex effects on crime, increasing imprisonment rates have been associated with declines in crime, at least in the short run.

What can we do to prevent a rising crime rate?

Rosenfeld says that these factors can lead to a decline in crime rates.

Booming economy
Effective imprisonment
More police

-full story-

Who tried this case, Mr. City Atty.?

2007-12-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

After reading the below article, a community member ask:

Alex, as spokesperson for City Atty. Russo, we request answers to the following questions:

Which attorney from the City Attorney's office represented the City in this ($6 million jury award) trial?
How much trial experience does this atty. have...both in Federal court & otherwise?
Presuming this atty. actually has trial experience, what is the win/loss record of this atty. and what were the cases involved?

On another timely, yet unrelated note, how many of the 40 plus attys. in the City Atty.'s office receive the $750 per month car allowance?

When listening to the fleet report recently @ committee, N. De Luca verified that the car allowances were known to him to be job perks in your office. Please give us the # of attys. in the City Attorney's Office receiving this perk.

Thank you in advance for your attention to these matters of great importance to us. We anxiously await you response.

Hannah L. James, Beat 17Y

Oakland cops violated couple's rights, jury says; $6 million award
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, December 1, 2007

(11-30) 18:08 PST OAKLAND -- A federal jury awarded $6 million in damages Friday to a parolee and his then-girlfriend who said Oakland police violated their civil rights when they went into their home and falsely arrested him on charges that he had a rifle.

The city must pay $5.85 million in compensation for emotional distress suffered by Torry Smith and Patricia Gray, a jury decided after a weeklong trial before U.S. Magistrate Edward Chen in San Francisco.

The panel also said the city must pay an additional $100,000 in civil penalties and that Officers Marcus Midyett and John Parkinson must each pay $100,000 in punitive damages, with the bulk of each figure going to Smith, who had accused police of planting the gun.

"This is a message to every officer out there to follow the rules," said Ben Nisenbaum, an attorney for the plaintiffs. "You don't get to make up your own rules or your own law, and that's why you have the power you have. We need you - but only if you're going to act within the law."

The city intends to appeal the verdict, said Alex Katz, spokesman for Oakland City Attorney John Russo.

Russo said he was baffled at the decision of the jury, which also awarded Smith $8,000 in lost wages even though he wasn't employed at the time.

He said the panel was "bedazzled by a trumped-up conspiracy theory."

Russo said, "To reach this decision, the jury had to believe that two highly respected officers, in uniform, in a community where they are well known, in broad daylight, carried a 2 1/2-foot assault rifle from their car and planted it in the backyard of a man they had never even heard of before that day."

Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker said the two officers "do not deserve this verdict." -full story-

Violent crime climbs in the Bay Area

2007-11-11T06:04:00.000-08:00

As homicides and other felonies decrease in L.A., several Northern California cities are recording increases. Experts say finding the culprit will be tough.

By Maria L. La Ganga, Richard Winton And Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers November 11, 2007

Excerpts

In a grim twist on the longtime rivalry between Northern and Southern California, a group of Bay Area cities has won the disturbing distinction of seeing violent crime rise as it continues to plummet in Los Angeles.

While the incidence of homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault dropped in Southern California's biggest city from 2005 to 2006, Oakland, San Francisco and Richmond, in particular, struggled with rising rates of serious felonies. Other cities in Northern California, including Fremont, Novato and San Rafael, also recorded increases.

Oakland saw the number of homicides spike 57% in 2006 from the year before, one of the biggest jumps in a major U.S. city. One hundred forty-eight people were killed there last year; 2007 is shaping up to be a bit less bloody.

Oakland had the highest rate of violent crime of any large city in California last year: -- 190.5 incidents for every 10,000 people, according to a Times analysis of recently released FBI data. That's nearly 2 1/2 times the rate in Los Angeles.

But at that same meeting, Dellums acknowledged the difficulty his city has had in attracting and keeping qualified police officers. Voters passed Measure Y three years ago to generate money for violence prevention and police recruitment; the measure also set the Police Department size at 803 sworn personnel.

Right now, however, there are only about 730 officers. Although 119 graduated from the Police Academy last year, Dellums said, 60 retired, 40 left for other law enforcement agencies and 10 were fired. The net result: nine new officers.

Measure Y also funds services for the large number of parolees who are released to Oakland every year. The city estimates that 3,000 are returned to the area annually.

In fact, Alameda County, site of Oakland, received nearly 50% more new parolees per capita than Los Angeles County in 2005, the most recent year for which state government statistics are available.

-full story-