By Andres Picon - San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland officials and community members issued an urgent plea Monday for the city’s residents to become more involved in helping to stem a surge in violent crime amid the police department’s ongoing staffing issues.

The call for increased support from community members came after a weekend marred by two homicides, including the killing of Dirk Tillotson, an Oakland education equity activist who police said was the victim of a violent and apparently targeted home invasion Friday night.

“We need family and friends and loved ones to grab their loved ones and give them the support that they need to to draw on city resources, community-based organizations’ resources ... so that they don’t have to engage in violence,” Armstrong said at a news conference, surrounded by city residents who have been affected by gun violence.

“We can’t arrest our way out of this problem,” Armstrong said. “It is a collaborative partnership that it’s going to take to address gun violence in the city of Oakland and we are a part of that partnership.”

Armstrong’s appeal for a more preventative approach to Oakland’s rising crime levels comes as the police department becomes increasingly hamstrung by staffing shortages. In the first four days of October, 10 police officers resigned, shrinking the police force to a total of about 695 officers, Armstrong said.

“These numbers are dwindling fast,” he said, declining to say why the officers had quit. “This is very concerning for us.”

Meanwhile, Oakland is experiencing a level of violent crime that has not been seen in years. In September, police investigated 17 homicides — the most of any month this year. There have been 106 homicides in Oakland in 2021 compared with 80 at this point last year, Armstrong said.

Loren Taylor, councilmember for District 6, said the importance of addressing violent crime and stopping it before it happens was highlighted by the death of Tillotson, an Oakland community member who for years led efforts to make education more equitable for students of color.

“As Dirk’s councilmember, I feel a responsibility to get to the bottom of this and ensure that we are able to not just hold the perpetrator of this crime accountable, but fulfill the legacy and the mission that Dirk stood for,” Taylor said.

Tillotson was killed, and his wife, Amina Assefa, 44, was injured when an intruder broke into their home in the 2600 block of Monticello Avenue and shot the couple after being confronted by Tillotson. Armstrong said police believe the intruder targeted their home specifically.

Police did not have suspects as of Monday and asked that anyone with information on the shooting call the departments’ homicide unit at 510-238-3821.

“I stand here committed to furthering our work of reimagining public safety, of implementing real violence prevention programs, pulling our community together, partnering with our law enforcement officers, our violence prevention professionals, our community members, our faith organizations and others,” Taylor said. “It will take all of us to continue to address the crime and the violence that’s happening in our community, both in responding to it as well as addressing the root causes that allow it to occur in the first place.”

Brenda Grisham, executive director of the Christpher LaVell Jones Foundation — a local community organization — called for Oakland’s residents to intervene when loved ones show signs of distress, and to connect them to support networks that can help them before they resort to gun violence.

“It’s a whole community that needs to come together to make a difference,” said Grisham, whose son was killed on New Year’s Eve in 2010. “The police can’t do it alone. We need to step in where we can and make a difference so that we can see tomorrow.”

The Oakland Police Department will hold a community meeting next week where community members and police officials will discuss the wave  of violent crime and efforts to stop it, Armstrong said.

Andy Picon is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon