NAACP joins chorus of criticism over Oakland's failure to apply for retail theft grant
OAKLAND -- Already at odds with Mayor Sheng Thao over her firing of former Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong and her response to growing concerns over public safety, the Oakland branch of the NAACP ripped city officials over the recent failure to apply for funds from the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program.
On Thursday, state officials confirmed that Oakland was disqualified from the application process because they submitted their proposal too late.
ALSO READ: Oakland officials missed deadline for grant funds to combat organized retail theft
"We are shocked, perplexed, and furious that the City of Oakland forfeited millions of dollars in crime prevention funding by missing a state grant deadline," the letter issued by the Oakland NAACP office opened.
The letter went on to list how much money San Francisco and other local cities and counties received through the grant process, emphasizing the millions of dollars that the state made available with the program. A total of over $267 million was offered to law enforcement to help combat rampant organized retail theft operations across California.
ALSO READ: Oakland residents blast city snafu over application for anti-crime funds
In addition to San Mateo County and Santa Clara County, Bay Area cities including Campbell, Daly City, Fremont, Modesto, Newark, Palo Alto, San Bruno, San Jose, San Ramon, Santa Rosa, and Vacaville all qualified for funding through the grant application process.
"This is a devastating blow to citizens and businesses who have been clamoring for crime prevention measures which could have been funded by the millions of dollars in grants offered by the state," the letter read.
On Thursday, KPIX found several residents and activists who were critical of Oakland's leadership over the costly mistake. They expressed outrage and disbelief after the city's flubbed opportunity to cash in on a grant worth millions.
At the community garden in West Oakland, Seneca Scott started a grassroots movement to make the town safer. He founded Neighbors Together Oakland. When he heard that Oakland missed out on millions of dollars to combat retail theft, he was extremely disappointed.
"Everyone else turned their homework in on time but, when it gets to Oakland, the excuse is, metaphorically, the dog ate our homework," Scott said.
The NAACP letter was even more biting in its comments about the gaffe committed by Oakland city government.
"This was an epic failure. We desperately needed these funds, but we got nothing," it read. "We need strong, effective leadership. Shame on all who failed to get desperately needed funding when all they had to do was submit the application on time."