I am a resident of district 3, and I am echoing what many are saying in this thread. Year over year, the budget for the the Oakland Police Department has been given top priority, yet my city doesn't feel safer. If you actually listen, you'll hear the cries from the people of Oakland who have been affected by OPD. You need to do a better job. Cut the budget, invest in community programs. Housing the homeless, youth programs, mental health programs. Build up our community. Don't tear it apart.
My name is Jennifer Howell and I have been a resident of Oakland and District 6 for the past 7 years. The increase in OPD funding has not made our communities safer and crime continues to increase. In order to support our communities we need to spend money on programs to help directly address the issues and struggles that our neighbors are facing and policing does not accomplish this.
I urge you to defund the OPD and fulfill all demands set forth by the Anti-Police Terror Project immediately:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
My name is Karin Dahl and I am a resident of district 5 and have previously lived in 1 and 3. I am writing to urge you to reduce the Oakland Police Department’s allocation from the General fund by 50% (Roughly $150 Million). These funds should be allocated to services that assist the community rather than terrorize them. We are currently seeing statewide budget cuts to health, housing and disability services so it is absolutely imperative for our city to continue to address these issues by financially investing in them. Furthermore, the general fund should absolutely never be used to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence (for example nearly 1 million dollars was used to pay a lawsuit involving a minor that was sex trafficked by OPD a few years ago). I urge you to prioritize investing in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health services to keep the community safe.
The city of Oakland must defund and disarm our police department and invest that money into services that actually make our residents safe. My homeless neighbors have told me that they have been robbed and assaulted due to their unstable housing. Cutting police helicopters and teargas and using that money to build them permanent housing will prevent crime and reduce police brutality and systemic racism.
Hello -- I'm a D1 resident demanding that OPD defund the police by:
Reducing budget by 50% (150M) and redirecting funding to:
-- Homelessness and housing support services
-- Public health services (mental health support and emergency mental health services in particular)
-- Youth programs and resources
Oakland should also invest in NON-Police options to accessing emergency services for mental health that do not involve police dispatch.
Hi, I am a former resident of District 3 who continues to work in and have strong ties to Oakland. It's well past time to divest from the police and invest in the people of Oakland. The OPD is a violent institution that poses -- every day -- an existential threat to Oakland's Black and Brown communities. This is not about a couple bad apples; the whole batch is rotten to the core. Here are three, simple demands:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50%. Every time you fund the OPD you give them the tools to terrorize our communities. The anti-Black racism and violence perpetuated by the OPD is on your hands too.
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD.
3. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, mental health workers and other services that actually keep the community safe.
As the APTP makes clear, this is a step. The ultimate demand is to abolish the OPD. We're watching. Please see more here: https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/defund-opd.
As a resident of Oakland in district 1 I am demanding that city council defund OPD’s budget by 50% and invest that $150 million into our communities of color through education, affordable housing, accessible healthcare services, and restorative justice activities. Let this disinvestment in OPD be met with an investment in working towards the abolishment of OPD in replacement of trained community response services. We can not keep investing in the militarization of a police force that is proven to be non reformable. We can not keep ripping apart our communities through harmful and violent policing, disinvestment, the abolishment of necessary resources. We need to let our investment show where our priority lies, with the people of Oakland. All the people, not just the white elites. Thank you.
I am a resident in District 2. I support defunding, demilitarizing & disbanding OPD. The first step is defunding! OPD takes almost half of Oakland’s general fund per year & this percentage has skyrocketed in the past 20 years as essential city services & programs have had their budgets slashed. This is absolutely unacceptable. The investment in police has not made us safer.
In 2012, Camden NJ defunded their police department. Reallocated funds went into community-building initiatives & boosted the local economy. In the next 7 years, violent crimes dropped 42%.
Divesting from OPD is long overdue. I demand the city take these steps immediately: 1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% 2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD 3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence 4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
I currently live in Berkeley, but I had the pleasure of living in west Oakland for several months. The city of Oakland is a beautiful place that is made possible by so many wonderful people. Every time you pass a budget for the OPD, you officially sanction terror against the people who built this city and make it what it is. You may not be the ones pulling the triggers, but you are the ones buying the guns. The police are unnecessary, you must immediately defund their budget in its entirety and move all that money to community programs, public schooling, housing, food security, and other public services. The citizens of Oakland deserve reparations for the generations of trauma inflicted by police, a trauma with which you are now complicit. You can act NOW, and if you will not, you are standing in the way of progress and on the wrong side of history. These protestors will register to vote and they will VOTE YOU OUT. Find recommendations here: https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/
Trying to reform the police is like trying to bandage on a rotten limb that requires amputation. I insist the council defund the Oakland Police Department by at least fifty percent. To do less at this historic moment would be an unforgivable act of cowardice.
My mother faced suicidal thoughts many times. In desperation, my grandmother called 911. The police came to take her away, but she didn't want to leave, so she was seen as "resisting arrest." Though she'd never been a danger to anyone but herself, she was seen as a threat because we have a gun in our home. She disassociated and fought back. So, in custody they abused her. Because she lost time I'll never know what happened then, but she was catatonic for a full day. Her police report was posted online, so she was not able to get work for 10 years. This was all so unnecessary. That taught my family not to call 911 even if my mother's life is in danger.
Break up the Oakland PD funds and reallocate them to other programs that do not use lethal force.
Karma Bennett - Oakland, 94609
1) End the City of Oakland curfew now and remove Sheriff Greg Ahern from the position of Director of Emergency Management, which gives him broad authority to declare curfews and other repressive measures
2) Block any military deployment to Alameda County
3) Act to terminate public educational institutions’ contracts with the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department
4) Cancel the county’s $318 million handout--a budget increase in the time of severe economic crisis--to the sheriff’s department; all county funds should be prioritized for life-affirming services, like healthcare and access to housing
5) Defund Oakland Police Department by at least 50% and reinvest in Community
6) Pass the full Black New Deal
Oakland Youth Advisory Commissioners support thoughtful solutions to address redistributing the City Budget to Community Services and Safety. As youth, we know first-hand many of the reasons for calling 911 do not necessarily require and are not best addressed with law enforcement resources, they are healed through trauma-informed services and trained professionals. We endorse CM Bas’ proposal to expand housing and support services for community members coming home from incarceration. We believe in funding school-site based life coaches, violence prevention, crisis intervention specialists to eliminate the need for law enforcement presence, suspensions, and expulsions. We support allocating funds toward the OPD Youth Leadership Council (OPD YLC), which empowers youth leaders to partner with the city’s police department. CM Bas' proposal for outreach to sex workers should be expanded to drug offenders and people recovering from substance abuse.
I am an Oakland resident in District 4. I have sent multiple emails to City Council on the issue of defunding OPD. I demand Oakland take the following steps towards defunding OPD:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence
4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
Hi, my name is Kaveh Rad and live in District 7. I am an engineer practicing from my office in Oakland. I implore you to defund OPD by 50%.
Oakland has served as the epicenter of so many important political movements, and you have the opportunity to continue that legacy by supporting radical, progressive police reform. Divesting from OPD is long overdue as this department has proven itself to be ineffective in deeply solving issues. But OPD takes the lion's share of the city’s general fund, and that percentage has risen exponentially for the last two decades.
I am urging that you take the following action steps:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence
4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, mental health, addiction rehab, and education to keep the community safe.
I am a resident of District 2 and I am writing to demand the following in solidarity with APTP to defund OPD:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence
4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe
Our current system of over-policing is NOT working. We need to divest in OPD and invest in our actual community.
I am a resident of Oakland, living in District 3. It is time to defund the Oakland Police Department. On the radio this morning, Councilmember Bas was quoted as saying that OPD has been under federal monitoring for 17 years, and in that time, it has failed to achieve "constitutional policing." This immense failure is reason enough to defund OPD. But even if OPD were to achieve constitutional policing, that would not be enough to bring about safety for communities of color.
The best way to achieve safety is by making sure everyone's needs are met. That means ensuring that everyone has access to housing, healthcare, living wage jobs, and appropriate social services like mental health and drug rehabilitation. The City of Oakland should take resources from OPD and invest them in things that will give all people the opportunity to live a meaningful and dignified life. I urge you to reduce OPD’s funding by 50% (roughly $150 Million) and invest in Oakland communities.
I am a resident of District 1 who wants the City of Oakland to defund the OPD and reallocate that money to programs and infrastructure that makes our community a safe place for all residents and supports mental and physical health. I echo many of my fellow Oaklanders who have listed so many excellent ideas for where this huge amount of money could be better spent, such as mental health services, restorative justice, housing for all, public schools, childcare, public transportation, food justice, youth programs, parks and rec, arts programs, etc. etc.
Hi My name is Marc Robbins and I'm a Berkeley resident with strong ties to Oakland. I would love to see at least 50% of the OPD's budget reallocated towards housing programs, mental health services, job creation and other community services.
I am a resident of district 3, and I am echoing what many are saying in this thread. Year over year, the budget for the the Oakland Police Department has been given top priority, yet my city doesn't feel safer. If you actually listen, you'll hear the cries from the people of Oakland who have been affected by OPD. You need to do a better job. Cut the budget, invest in community programs. Housing the homeless, youth programs, mental health programs. Build up our community. Don't tear it apart.
My name is Jennifer Howell and I have been a resident of Oakland and District 6 for the past 7 years. The increase in OPD funding has not made our communities safer and crime continues to increase. In order to support our communities we need to spend money on programs to help directly address the issues and struggles that our neighbors are facing and policing does not accomplish this.
I urge you to defund the OPD and fulfill all demands set forth by the Anti-Police Terror Project immediately:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
Enough is enough
My name is Karin Dahl and I am a resident of district 5 and have previously lived in 1 and 3. I am writing to urge you to reduce the Oakland Police Department’s allocation from the General fund by 50% (Roughly $150 Million). These funds should be allocated to services that assist the community rather than terrorize them. We are currently seeing statewide budget cuts to health, housing and disability services so it is absolutely imperative for our city to continue to address these issues by financially investing in them. Furthermore, the general fund should absolutely never be used to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence (for example nearly 1 million dollars was used to pay a lawsuit involving a minor that was sex trafficked by OPD a few years ago). I urge you to prioritize investing in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health services to keep the community safe.
The city of Oakland must defund and disarm our police department and invest that money into services that actually make our residents safe. My homeless neighbors have told me that they have been robbed and assaulted due to their unstable housing. Cutting police helicopters and teargas and using that money to build them permanent housing will prevent crime and reduce police brutality and systemic racism.
Hello -- I'm a D1 resident demanding that OPD defund the police by:
Reducing budget by 50% (150M) and redirecting funding to:
-- Homelessness and housing support services
-- Public health services (mental health support and emergency mental health services in particular)
-- Youth programs and resources
Oakland should also invest in NON-Police options to accessing emergency services for mental health that do not involve police dispatch.
Hi, I am a former resident of District 3 who continues to work in and have strong ties to Oakland. It's well past time to divest from the police and invest in the people of Oakland. The OPD is a violent institution that poses -- every day -- an existential threat to Oakland's Black and Brown communities. This is not about a couple bad apples; the whole batch is rotten to the core. Here are three, simple demands:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50%. Every time you fund the OPD you give them the tools to terrorize our communities. The anti-Black racism and violence perpetuated by the OPD is on your hands too.
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD.
3. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, mental health workers and other services that actually keep the community safe.
As the APTP makes clear, this is a step. The ultimate demand is to abolish the OPD. We're watching. Please see more here: https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/defund-opd.
As a resident of Oakland in district 1 I am demanding that city council defund OPD’s budget by 50% and invest that $150 million into our communities of color through education, affordable housing, accessible healthcare services, and restorative justice activities. Let this disinvestment in OPD be met with an investment in working towards the abolishment of OPD in replacement of trained community response services. We can not keep investing in the militarization of a police force that is proven to be non reformable. We can not keep ripping apart our communities through harmful and violent policing, disinvestment, the abolishment of necessary resources. We need to let our investment show where our priority lies, with the people of Oakland. All the people, not just the white elites. Thank you.
there were 50+ comments under the agenda #7 section in favor of defunding the police, why were they deleted?
I am a resident in District 2. I support defunding, demilitarizing & disbanding OPD. The first step is defunding! OPD takes almost half of Oakland’s general fund per year & this percentage has skyrocketed in the past 20 years as essential city services & programs have had their budgets slashed. This is absolutely unacceptable. The investment in police has not made us safer.
In 2012, Camden NJ defunded their police department. Reallocated funds went into community-building initiatives & boosted the local economy. In the next 7 years, violent crimes dropped 42%.
Divesting from OPD is long overdue. I demand the city take these steps immediately: 1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% 2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD 3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence 4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
I currently live in Berkeley, but I had the pleasure of living in west Oakland for several months. The city of Oakland is a beautiful place that is made possible by so many wonderful people. Every time you pass a budget for the OPD, you officially sanction terror against the people who built this city and make it what it is. You may not be the ones pulling the triggers, but you are the ones buying the guns. The police are unnecessary, you must immediately defund their budget in its entirety and move all that money to community programs, public schooling, housing, food security, and other public services. The citizens of Oakland deserve reparations for the generations of trauma inflicted by police, a trauma with which you are now complicit. You can act NOW, and if you will not, you are standing in the way of progress and on the wrong side of history. These protestors will register to vote and they will VOTE YOU OUT. Find recommendations here: https://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/
Trying to reform the police is like trying to bandage on a rotten limb that requires amputation. I insist the council defund the Oakland Police Department by at least fifty percent. To do less at this historic moment would be an unforgivable act of cowardice.
My mother faced suicidal thoughts many times. In desperation, my grandmother called 911. The police came to take her away, but she didn't want to leave, so she was seen as "resisting arrest." Though she'd never been a danger to anyone but herself, she was seen as a threat because we have a gun in our home. She disassociated and fought back. So, in custody they abused her. Because she lost time I'll never know what happened then, but she was catatonic for a full day. Her police report was posted online, so she was not able to get work for 10 years. This was all so unnecessary. That taught my family not to call 911 even if my mother's life is in danger.
Break up the Oakland PD funds and reallocate them to other programs that do not use lethal force.
Karma Bennett - Oakland, 94609
1) End the City of Oakland curfew now and remove Sheriff Greg Ahern from the position of Director of Emergency Management, which gives him broad authority to declare curfews and other repressive measures
2) Block any military deployment to Alameda County
3) Act to terminate public educational institutions’ contracts with the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department
4) Cancel the county’s $318 million handout--a budget increase in the time of severe economic crisis--to the sheriff’s department; all county funds should be prioritized for life-affirming services, like healthcare and access to housing
5) Defund Oakland Police Department by at least 50% and reinvest in Community
6) Pass the full Black New Deal
Oakland Youth Advisory Commissioners support thoughtful solutions to address redistributing the City Budget to Community Services and Safety. As youth, we know first-hand many of the reasons for calling 911 do not necessarily require and are not best addressed with law enforcement resources, they are healed through trauma-informed services and trained professionals. We endorse CM Bas’ proposal to expand housing and support services for community members coming home from incarceration. We believe in funding school-site based life coaches, violence prevention, crisis intervention specialists to eliminate the need for law enforcement presence, suspensions, and expulsions. We support allocating funds toward the OPD Youth Leadership Council (OPD YLC), which empowers youth leaders to partner with the city’s police department. CM Bas' proposal for outreach to sex workers should be expanded to drug offenders and people recovering from substance abuse.
Sincerely,
Julia Basch,16, D2
OYAC
I am an Oakland resident in District 4. I have sent multiple emails to City Council on the issue of defunding OPD. I demand Oakland take the following steps towards defunding OPD:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence
4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe.
Thank you,
Crista
Hi, my name is Kaveh Rad and live in District 7. I am an engineer practicing from my office in Oakland. I implore you to defund OPD by 50%.
Oakland has served as the epicenter of so many important political movements, and you have the opportunity to continue that legacy by supporting radical, progressive police reform. Divesting from OPD is long overdue as this department has proven itself to be ineffective in deeply solving issues. But OPD takes the lion's share of the city’s general fund, and that percentage has risen exponentially for the last two decades.
I am urging that you take the following action steps:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence
4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, mental health, addiction rehab, and education to keep the community safe.
I am a resident of District 2 and I am writing to demand the following in solidarity with APTP to defund OPD:
1. Reduce OPD’s allocation from the General Fund by 50% (roughly $150 Million)
2. Disallow unauthorized overtime by OPD
3. Discontinue use of general fund dollars to pay for settlements due to police murder, misconduct, and negligence
4. Invest in housing, jobs, youth programs, restorative justice, and mental health workers to keep the community safe
Our current system of over-policing is NOT working. We need to divest in OPD and invest in our actual community.
I am a resident of Oakland, living in District 3. It is time to defund the Oakland Police Department. On the radio this morning, Councilmember Bas was quoted as saying that OPD has been under federal monitoring for 17 years, and in that time, it has failed to achieve "constitutional policing." This immense failure is reason enough to defund OPD. But even if OPD were to achieve constitutional policing, that would not be enough to bring about safety for communities of color.
The best way to achieve safety is by making sure everyone's needs are met. That means ensuring that everyone has access to housing, healthcare, living wage jobs, and appropriate social services like mental health and drug rehabilitation. The City of Oakland should take resources from OPD and invest them in things that will give all people the opportunity to live a meaningful and dignified life. I urge you to reduce OPD’s funding by 50% (roughly $150 Million) and invest in Oakland communities.
I am a resident of District 1 who wants the City of Oakland to defund the OPD and reallocate that money to programs and infrastructure that makes our community a safe place for all residents and supports mental and physical health. I echo many of my fellow Oaklanders who have listed so many excellent ideas for where this huge amount of money could be better spent, such as mental health services, restorative justice, housing for all, public schools, childcare, public transportation, food justice, youth programs, parks and rec, arts programs, etc. etc.
Hi My name is Marc Robbins and I'm a Berkeley resident with strong ties to Oakland. I would love to see at least 50% of the OPD's budget reallocated towards housing programs, mental health services, job creation and other community services.