Petition and Rally Jam City Hall

A month-long petition drive, culminating with a rally in front of City Hall on March 7, demonstrated beyond doubt that Oakland residents demand peaceful neighborhoods – no excuses, no more "trust us," no more "we're with you" from politicians who seem unable to act.

By February 2006 residents all across Oakland had suffered too many assaults, robberies, and forcible home burglaries to remain silent. For several months a few neighborhood activists in the Gaskill-Lowell neighborhood had contemplated some kind of protest.

At a packed Feb. 4 community meeting in councilmember Jane Brunner's district, these activists saw that many other people shared their outrage over the City's low priority for public safety. They also learned from literature based on information posted on this website that Oakland has only half a police department.

The activists completed the text of a petition, posted it online. and called for a rally on March 7. Little did anyone know what a huge response there would be.

Neighborhood groups adopted the petition as their own. In less than a month over 1,100 Oakland residents signed the petition. City officials tried a counter resolution, but no one bought it. The mayor and the chief of police shuffled officers around, but no one accepted their short-term measures as nearly enough.

The petition drive led up to a protest outside City Hall on March 7, followed by a mass entry into a city council meeting in session, filling the chambers with signs demanding public safety and an end to police understaffing.

The council reacted. On one hand, the council showed measures are available. They talked about declaring a state of emergency, which would enable the city to reassign officers without negotiating a change in the contract with the police union. It is a shame that the tide of lawlessness had to rise so high before City Hall began to think a little more seriously about what can be done.

On the other hand, the council trotted out the same tired excuses. For example, officials told the reporter for the Chronicle that Oakland did not receive Measure Y money until January 2006. The truth is that the Measure Y parking tax went into effect on Jan. 1, 2005, not 2006, and collected almost $4 million in the first six months. Furthermore, all property tax money, including the Measure Y parcel tax, arrives in January, even though the fiscal year began last July 1. Obviously, the City manages its cash flow without shutting down for six months.

At the rally, resident Margurite Fuller told the Tribune that Measure Y should be repealed to force the council to refocus. Actually, there is just one City budget, and we have the opportunity this May and June to defeat renewal of the misnamed Landscape and Lighting tax. We already pay enough for public safety and basic infrastructure.

Oakland Residents for Peaceful Neighborhoods jumped in with all the other victims who desperately need public safety restored. This website became a major channel for gathering signatures for the petition. People consulted the facts here on Oakland's understaffed police department.

Following is the original "Enough Is Enough!" call and text of the petition and some ORPN commentary from the historic month of February 2006.

GLNN (Gaskill-Lowell Neighborhood Network) and West Street Watch have initiated a grassroots community driven campaign to demand that Mayor Brown and City Council re-prioritize their goals immediately to address the fact that Oakland citizens are not safe on our streets and in our homes.

It is imperative that the City of Oakland address the needs of our community and immediately confront the persistent shortage of available officers on the street. Compared to other major US cities, the ratio of police officers to residents in Oakland is critically and unacceptably low. As of January 2nd 2006, Oakland had 683 police officers employed which equals 16 officers per 10,000 residents (down from 734 when Measure Y was written). Most major cities of our size have between 31 and 63 officers per 10,000 residents.

This petition will culminate in a citizen protest at Oakland City Hall Tuesday, March 7.

Text of Petition

Dear Mayor Brown and Oakland City Council:

As citizens of Oakland, the undersigned have personally witnessed or experienced the chronic shortage of police officers in our neighborhoods. The Oakland Police Department, faced with no other options, is regularly forced to participate in patrol diversions and inadequate police coverage at the cost of our families' safety.

We refuse to participate in a political shell game in which there are winners and losers. It is neither acceptable nor ethical that the citizens of one Police Service Area must fight to maintain their minimal and precarious safety while knowing they are depriving the citizens of another PSA the resources that they require to address similarly dangerous situations.

It is imperative the City of Oakland address the needs of our community and immediately confront the persistent shortage of available officers on the street.

The Signers of this petition are no longer willing to accept the state of our understaffed Police Department. Many of us have contributed to Community Policing involvement in many ways, at times at personal risk. The Oakland Police Department and our dedicated officers are outstanding in how they work with and listen to the citizens of Oakland.

The top priority of any government is the safety of its citizens. Safety is a right, not a privilege.

Calling for future research and studies does not ease our concerns, nor make our neighborhoods safer today.

The responsibility of finding a real solution rests with our City Officials, and the time is now.

Comments by Signers Reveal Outrage

Signers of the petition have added comments that testify to their outrage, outrage that councilmembers have let Oakland fall into lawlessness, outrage that with all the taxes we pay, we have only half a police department. Here is a selection from petitioners' remarks.

I live in the Maxwell Park area of Oakland where crime is rampant. Homes are broken into, personal property is stolen or destroyed, and vehicles are stolen and/or vandalized on a regular basis. This has got to stop... – Margo Iserson

We are absurdly understaffed. – Seth Katz

I am not one to always advocate for more police as a solution to crime. But, the staffing level in Oakland is appalling. Something must be done NOW to bring staffing levels to an adequate level. – Sara Wright

Letting smaller crimes continue because police are busy with bigger crimes is not how it should be. Smaller crimes that are tolerated over time will lead to bigger crimes within those neighborhoods. – Jon Mirsky

I Pay Taxes and I expect safe streets in return. You politicians are not providing for my family's safety. – Kurt Schumacher

The crime is out of control! – Todd Smith

Half a police force is unacceptable!... – Joe Bauder

What citizen can work a full time job, tend to family responsibilities and do volunteer law enforcment also? Don't we deserve a life too? – Galen Linder

Obviously, the city of Oakland is incapable of protecting its citizens. Mayor Brown and City Council officials need to do the right thing: refund our Measure Y taxes so that citizens can hire private security patrols to protect their own neighborhoods. – Jeanne Rose

CPAB Chair Attacks Rally in Advance

The City has a so-called Community Policing Advisory Board, but its chair, Don Link, was appointed by the mayor, not chosen by the people of Oakland. Mr. Link attacked the March 7 rally and petition campaign. Speaking to TV channel 7 reporter Willie Monroe, he said, "We don't want to make enemies out of the people we're trying to help. And I think it could have that effect." (Feb. 10, 2006 broadcast)

People are not attacking the hard-working police officers, and Mr. Link is irresponsible to suggest they are. The petition and rally clearly target understaffing of the police department. The working cop does not decide the staffing level. City councilmembers might feel under attack for keeping the police department understaffed, but it is their job to help the people, not vice versa. The chief of police might feel under attack for going along with understaffing, since he told reporter Monroe that having 700 officers when at least 1,100 are needed is "actually not a bad staffing model."

Yes, some people are hurt twice when, having just been robbed or burglarized, an officer appears to be dismissive of their needs. Most people understand that the officers are working mandatory overtime, often seven or more days in a row. The population needs more police, and the police need more police.

Shame on the CPAB Chair for his smear attack on the people of Oakland. It seems he is more loyal to the insider clique who appointed him to his beloved chairmanship than to the people who need peaceful neighborhoods.