Contact: Oakland Police Officers' Association

                                                                               Phone: (510) 834-9670 

                                                                                                 Email: policeofficers@opoa.org

September 21, 2021 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Fueled By City Council Majority’s Defund the Police Strategy – Oakland Hits 100 Homicides in Record Time.  

OAKLAND – Sadly, yesterday, Oakland suffered homicide #100 for the year:

#100 – Yesterday, at about 10:40 am, a caller advised 911 they heard gunshots and saw a man down near the Bart Station located at 7200 San Leandro St. Officers arrived on the scene and located the victim, who was suffering from 5 gunshot wounds to the upper torso. Unfortunately, the victim did not survive the injuries. 

Oakland’s 100th homicide of 2021 is also Oakland’s 10th homicide in seven days. It has been thirteen years (2008) since Oakland last recorded its 100th homicide in September. This time last year, there were 70 homicides. Yet, amid the violence, Oakland defund-the-police council members play a political shell game by talking about more police academies that they voted against previously.       

“Oakland’s dwindling ranks of police officers are struggling to stem the violence and bloodshed on city streets. City council members who previously voted to defund the police, helping fuel Oakland violence, are now considering more police academies. How about this strategy; support your hardworking police officers and act against violence,” said Oakland Police Officers' Association President Barry Donelan. 

Oakland’s defunded police department’s sworn staffing is 694 - the lowest since 2014. Oakland is currently losing about ten officers a month. City council defunding froze fifty-five (55) police officer positions, resulting in the disbandment of the Traffic Division, walking details, some Crime Reduction teams, and Community Resources units. Yet, Oakland’s hardworking and underappreciated police officers took 859 firearms off Oakland streets this year – Truly #OaklandsFinest.      

   

About the Oakland Police Officers’ Association: The Oakland Police Officers’ Association (OPOA) represents all sworn members at all ranks within the Oakland Police Department. Representing the hardest working Police Officers in America. The OPOA can be found on the Web at www.opoa.org.

###