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Oakland Homicides Climb Fueled by City Council Majority’s Defund the Police Policy and Broken Promise to Voters on Public Safety - Measure Z.
Nov 29, 2021
Contact: Oakland Police Officers' Association
Phone: (510) 834-9670
Email: policeofficers@opoa.org
November 29, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oakland Homicides Climb Fueled by City Council Majority’s Defund the Police Policy and Broken Promise to Voters on Public Safety - Measure Z.
OAKLAND – Sadly, Oakland suffered three (3) more homicides over the holiday weekend:
#125 – Man shot November 2nd in East Oakland died in hospital Thanksgiving Day
#126 – Retired police officer shot by robbery suspects died in the hospital on November 27th
#127 – Lake Merritt yesterday, victim confronts auto burglary suspect and is shot and killed.
Oakland’s crime statistics published today show further increases in the violent crime rate. Three more homicides were added to the tally. This weekend not only marked more homicides and violence, but also the Oakland Police Department staffing fell below the voter-approved Measure Z floor of 678 sworn police officers at all ranks. Today the number stands at 677 as the department continues to lose ten police officers a month to other departments.
“Oakland’s dwindling ranks of police officers, falling below the voter-approved Measure Z minimum number of 678, is yet another broken promise to Oakland residents by the “defund-the-police” majority on city council that are determined to make Oakland less safe,” said Oakland Police Officers' Association President Barry Donelan.
Oakland’s defunded police department’s sworn staffing is 677, the lowest since 2014 when 77% of Oakland voters passed the Measure Z property tax. Measure Z generates millions of dollars for Oakland to fund police officers, firefighters, and violence prevention programs. In 2014 to avoid past mistakes, the measure included a requirement for a minimum number of 678 Oakland police officers to collect the tax. In addition to breaking the Measure Z promise, the city council has also frozen fifty-five (55) police officer positions, increasing to one hundred frozen police officer positions in 2022. These decisions have helped fuel crime in Oakland as the “defund-the-police” council members remain silent about the daily bloodshed on Oakland streets.
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.
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