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Public Safety

Gripped by Oversight
How the Police Commission controls OPD’s equipment and operational effectiveness
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Rajni Mandal
3
Oakland Report Radar: May 26th, 2025
Memorial Day edition: upcoming meetings, public safety budget, and other Oakland news in brief.
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Rajni Mandal
3
Twenty years under watch: will Oakland police finally exit federal oversight this year?
A court hearing is scheduled for July. The federal monitor has used ambiguous evaluation criteria and has not issued a mandatory quarterly report…
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Rajni Mandal
3
“Our officers have been conditioned to do as little as possible—to stay out of trouble”
Zealous investigations of Oakland police officers have created a downward spiral of morale and performance
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Rajni Mandal
12
Detroit’s ShotStoppers violence intervention program pays for outcomes—and it works
Six community-based organizations helped to reduce homicides and shootings by 37% to 83% in their focus zones—almost double the reduction elsewhere in…
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James Donatell
Governor Newsom gives Oakland an ultimatum on policing
Newsom took aim at the Oakland Police Commission who recently refused a city council directive to update the police pursuit policy
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Rajni Mandal
17
Oakland's city employee counts show a dramatic shift in service priorities over five years
Public safety staff declined by 206 employees (-12%), and other departments added 336 employees (+13%). Police are slated to bear the majority of…
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Tim Gardner
21
We can balance Oakland’s budget without selling the future
Seven actions could save the city $200M per year without wage cuts, pension cuts, selling city assets, or gutting public safety
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Tim Gardner
28
Oakland’s policies undermine police ability to deter crime
Frequent cuts to the number of police in recent years have adversely impacted Oakland’s ability to take advantage of a major benefit to…
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Jacob Rukin
12
Oakland’s crime data mess: How politicians are playing shell games with public safety
Cherry-picked stats and untested reforms have left Oakland’s public safety in disarray.
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Tim Gardner
10
Oakland’s 2024-2025 budget squanders the city’s future
The City delays dealing with its ongoing deficit; instead it aims to pay its bills by selling $105M of public assets and diverting restricted funds from…
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Tim Gardner
14
The misrepresentation of Oakland crime data
City Administration used flawed data comparisons to claim that total crime has dropped in 2024
 • 
Tim Gardner
9
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