City Disbands Police Beat Health Unit

"The police department recently disbanded its six-member Beat Health Unit and reassigned the officers to community police beats. ... Beat Health, which concentrated on cleaning up or shutting down businesses or buildings – such as sleazy motels, drug houses and liquor stores – that blight neighborhoods and cause nuisances was nationally recognized and considered very effective." (Oakland Tribune, Sept. 26, 2005)

A retired police sergeant lamented the foolhardy cutback: "I'm sorry to see that this decision was made. The Beat Health Unit was effective and largely responsible for the elimination of a lot of long term problems such as motels that were used for drug dealing and prostitution, etc. There was a level of expertise, understanding and know how that a community police officer, no matter how well intentioned, will not have time to develop, nor will a lieutenant know how to effectively monitor." (as posted to a discussion group)

The Community Policing Advisory Board (CPAB) knew of the Beat Health shutdown at its Sept. 7 meeting, where it received a letter from Oakland Community Organizations expressing OCO's concerns about the loss of Beat Health. The CPAB is supposed to help lead the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils, but they did not send out the news, for example, on the PSA discussion groups. No, community activists had to read the newspaper three weeks later to find out.

That's how Oakland works: voters passed Measure Y taxes for public safety, and the City responds with cut after cut:

• Overworked community policing officers are supposed to take on Beat Health's operations, too.

• This past spring, walking officers in the Fruitvale and other areas were eliminated.

• Park rangers were reduced, while council members praised themselves for not totally abolishing the entire park ranger unit.

• Patrol officers are unhappy because of the huge amount of mandatory overtime.

All these changes occurred after voters approved $20 million per year of additional parcel and parking lot taxes under Measure Y.

However, Measure Y allows the money to be collected only if the City maintains 802 sworn officers. The City employs far fewer and is unable or unwilling to reach 802 for years.

Ironically, the disappearance of Beat Health was reported under the headline, "Anti-crime programs finally in effect." Perhaps the headline writer did not have space to write, "Fewer anti-crime programs in effect."

The article reports:

"Others accuse the council of betraying the promises they made voters by using the money raised by Measure Y while the department has fewer than 739 officers, the authorized strength of the department at the time of the election. These critics contend the text of the measure prohibits such expenditures. City officials say they will abide by the spirit of Measure Y."

In other words, City officials have disdain for the law. They interpret its "spirit" as they wish and keep the police department understaffed. They spend the money on badly supervised social programs and political pork. As for the critics, the Tribune reporter takes care not to name them, including the organization that maintains this website, Oakland Residents for Peaceful Neighborhoods.

The deacon of St. Bernard Catholic Church, Javier Fuentes, was happy that his neighborhood was assigned one more officer. However, he spoke for all of Oakland when he said, "But we are robbing other communities. The cost is too much. The price is too steep." At the Oct. 5, 2005 meeting of the Community Policing Advisory Board, Deacon Fuentes was equally blunt. According to the minutes, "He felt he had been duped by Measure Y because its implementation led to the demise of Beat Health, the one program available to citizens that really worked for the community."