More defunding of Oakland police would hurt most vulnerable
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, a “Defund the Oakland Police Department” campaign started.
The discussion has sparked some good ideas, including City Council President Rebecca Kaplan’s initiative to transfer responsibility for fireworks to the fire department, the plan to send mental health counselors to 911 calls for those facing a mental health crisis and SEIU’s demand to end police response to homeless encampments.
But there is also an important public safety issue that must be considered: The need to ensure protection of residents, citizens, the vulnerable and city businesses from violent crime. Oakland’s already chronically under-resourced Police Department demonstrates there are real effects to defunding that the council should consider before impacting the lives of its residents.
Defunding the department would disproportionately impact the poor, the vulnerable, working people and small businesses, just as it did a decade ago when the council reduced spending for police, resulting in dangerous impacts to public safety.
Right now, Oakland faces an enormous demand for police service. In 2019, OPD received 748,647 calls for help. That works out to about 2,000 calls per day. Routinely, more than 100 calls are awaiting an officer’s response at any given time. Officers are straining to respond to emergencies.
Oakland continues to face staggering levels of violent crime. In 2019, crime rose while the number of OPD officers fell. Oakland’s upward violent crime trend continues this year, even amid the coronavirus pandemic. While many cities have seen substantial reductions in violent crime during the shelter-in-place, Oakland has had 236 shootings and homicides, a 24% increase year over year.
Faced with these growing crime numbers, high demand for police service and the call to defund OPD, the Oakland City Council passed a budget in June that partially defunded police.
Veteran City Council members’ legitimate concerns about policing and a desire to defund OPD was balanced with the reality of crime in the city. The council voted to cut the police budget by $14.6 million and fund community-based initiatives in the heartland of Oakland.
Now however, proponents of defunding OPD have demanded even larger cuts, saying the $14.6 million cut was not enough. Oakland’s leaders will vote July 21 to consider a second round of defunding and consider making more severe cuts to police and public safety.
Those, like me, who have seen this play before, know it turns out badly for Oakland residents.
A decade ago, the council defunded OPD by laying off 80 officers. The impact on crime was dramatic. In the years after the layoffs, Oakland’s crime rate increased by 30% while statewide crime numbers remained steady or even decreased. It took almost five years and an economic boom to reduce Oakland’s crime rate to pre-layoff levels.
That 30% crime increase was not spread evenly across the city. Residents in the more affluent hills combated crime by hiring private security. But those living in Oakland’s east and west heartland faced increased numbers of shootings and murders with limited protection from OPD due to the cutbacks.
Let’s hope Oakland doesn’t make the same mistake again by voting to further defund police. Right now, public safety demands far outstrip Police Department resources.
To make additional cuts would be cutting one’s nose to spite your face.
Additional OPD defunding would not only punish the most progressive police force in the nation, it would endanger the lives of Oakland’s most vulnerable citizens and further impact the response time to violent crime and citizen emergencies.
Please know, Oakland police officers are committed public servants, and we will remain on the front lines striving to protect and serve despite our dwindling numbers.