Public Safety

By Ignacio De La Fuente

Hiring more police might help public safety, but a multi-faceted problem needs an intelligent, multi-faceted solution. Here's what I think:

Hiring more police might help public safety, but a multi-faceted problem needs an intelligent, multi-faceted solution. I support:

• Improving the Oakland Police Department Operations: I will continue to work for police response and public safety management as well as an accountability system that requires the police to track crime in our neighborhoods. I will also work to pass an ordinance that mandates all City vehicles (especially police and fire) be equipped with global positioning systems (GPS). And lastly, I will continue to bring together various city departments to target areas where crime is affecting quality of life. As one of the authors of Measure Y, I cemented my commitment to giving the OPD more resources and making the OPD a great place to work + with modern technology, quality facilities, and a culture of achievement, respect, and integrity.

• Increasing the Number of Police Officers and Amount of Police Service in Oakland: Oakland needs more neighborhood walking officers out of their cars and to working proactively with communities to solve problems and build unity. In addition, I support attracting and training Oaklanders to become police officers, for these residents are more likely to understand the community and be committed to staying in the force. Lastly, I also led the effort to dedicate $25,000 of Measure Y funds toward hiring bonuses for `laterals' + officers that transfer to Oakland from other agencies. Because these officers have already been trained, this is an economical way to expand and improve our needs.

• Balancing Law Enforcement with Prevention: To truly achieve results, we need to tackle crime where it starts. This means funding prevention programs to make sure convicted drug dealers are taken off the street, funding re-entry services and offering city resources to ex-offenders to reduce recidivism, forcing slumlords to clean up activities at their apartment buildings, encouraging businesses to improve their facades, installing surveillance cameras, and conducting undercover surveillance and buy-bust operations.

• I will spearhead more multi-agency collaborative projects like the recent Fruitvale Safety Project which has now become a model for other neighborhoods. The three month team effort which ran from December 2007 to March 2008 focused on the area bound by San Leandro Blvd., Foothill Boulevard, 23rd Avenue to 40th Avenue. The Fruitvale Safety Project brought together members from various city agencies including: Oakland Police Department (OPD) Problem Solving Officers, Crime Reduction Team (CRT), Measure Y Outreach Workers, Neighborhood Services Coordinators (NSCs), Parks and Recreation, Nuisance Enforcement Unit, Park Maintenance, Litter Enforcement, Code Compliance, Neighborhood Law Corps, Tree Services, Public Works' Electrical Division and Alameda County Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker's office. The action team met on a bi-weekly basis to track projects, coordinate efforts, and problem solve by building off of team members' areas of expertise.

• Prosecute more crimes: I've heard hundreds of stories of criminals being back on the streets after committing crimes. Why? Because the criminal justice systems fails to deal with criminals in a complete way. In addition to reducing recidivism, we must improve our prosecution of crimes. There are not enough municipal judges to deal with those who commit misdemeanors and therefore these people end up back up on the streets. I support the addition of criminal prosecution to the City's functions so we can be a part of the solution.

• Ensuring Relationships Between Police and Neighbors, Equal Access: I strongly feel that the police department must have a strong relationship with residents and that is why I am very involved with District 5 NCPCs (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils). I believe more bilingual officers must become part of OPD so that we can truly serve all Oaklanders. Bilingual officers can have a better relationship with the community and vice-versa. With a trusting relationship, more Oaklanders will feel comfortable reporting crimes in their neighborhood OPD should reflect the community that it serves as much as possible.

• Support those who work in public safety: I have consistently earned the support of the Oakland Police officers because I have demonstrated that I understand the challenges of being a police officer in Oakland.

• Reduce Recidivism: I am proud of the many creative solutions that my City colleagues and I have implemented to welcome ex-offenders back into the community. This City goes out of its way to help ready ex-offenders to get back in the community so that they do not continue to be a part of the criminal-justice system.