Tuesday 11 May 2021

Survey: 78% of Oakland residents want more police officers

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) - A 2021 survey conducted earlier this year says that over 70-percent of Oakland residents want more police officers, not less. But some question the survey's results.

The Oakland Police Department receives 2,000 calls for service per day.

Some residents say that some calls get a police response. Some calls don't. 

In a Nextdoor post regarding a noise complaint that preceded a recent shooting at Lake Merritt a frustrated resident writes:

"Oakland has given up on enforcing the noise ordinance. Last night (the night after the shooting) when I called, the dispatcher said we have 109 calls tonight to answer. No one is coming for a noise complaint. There has to be a shooting. They were here quick after that."

According to the violent crime index in the Oakland Police Department's Crime Analysis weekly crime report, between May 3 and May 9, OPD responded to 98 violent crimes.

From 2019 forward, the year-to-date total increases each year.

Some of that frustration with OPD’s response to calls for service may be reflected in this 2021 Oakland Budget Advisory Commission survey which found that 78% of the 1,862 people surveyed say they want about the same number or more police patrolling neighborhoods and responding to 911 calls.

KRON4's Haaziq Madyun: Were you or any of the folks at APTP part of the polling?

Cat Brooks: "No we weren't! In fact, we can't find a single solitary person who took that poll."

The co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project Cat Brooks say there is a problem with the survey.

“The question in that poll is disingenuous. The question on that slide asks about patrol and response to 911 calls and then the headline says people want more patrols. It conflates answers to 2-different questions to get that 78% number,” Brooks said. 

The Oakland Police Department currently has 709 officers. OPD's current budget is authorized not to exceed more than 788 officers.



from KRON4 https://ift.tt/2RMNWa5


No comments:

Post a Comment