13 22-0524 Subject: Report And Recommendation On OPD Calls For Service
From: Council President Bas
Recommendation: Approve A Report And Recommendation From The City Administrator On Police Department Calls For Service Pursuant To Resolution No. 88717 C.M.S. With Recommendations For The Additional Transfer Of Certain Categories Of Non-Violent, Non-Criminal Calls For Service From The Police Department To Other Departments
There are about 660 officers, and OPD is budgeted for almost 740. There is no staffing crisis and they are not being underfunded. Also, Oakland’s spending on policing has not made us safer. The report by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform proves OPD wastes most of its time on things that are not even crimes at all, like noise complaints, harassing unhoused people, and abandoned cars. The report found that less than 10% of calls that OPD responded to were for violent crimes between 2018 and 2020 — and more than HALF were not even crimes at all. Hundreds of thousands of calls could be handled by other city departments (like Fire, which houses the MACRO program).
Spend that money where it is most needed, on community supports and services for low-income and unhoused Oakland residents who have been hurting through this pandemic!
There are about 660 officers, and OPD is budgeted for almost 740. There is no staffing crisis and they are not being underfunded. Also, Oakland’s spending on policing has not made us safer. The report by the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform proves OPD wastes most of its time on things that are not even crimes at all, like noise complaints, harassing unhoused people, and abandoned cars. The report found that less than 10% of calls that OPD responded to were for violent crimes between 2018 and 2020 — and more than HALF were not even crimes at all. Hundreds of thousands of calls could be handled by other city departments (like Fire, which houses the MACRO program).
Spend that money where it is most needed, on community supports and services for low-income and unhoused Oakland residents who have been hurting through this pandemic!