Oakland leaders address residents' frustration over rising crime
OAKLAND -- The concerns over crime in Oakland led to dueling public events on Saturday, highlighting the growing divide over the issue of public safety in the city.
A group of residents calling themselves "Neighbors Together Oakland" staged a morning block rally in East Oakland to express their belief that crime is out of control in the city.
"This event is community members -- neighbors -- coming together acknowledging that their voices have not been heard," said former Oakland city councilmember Loren Taylor.
The rally was held in advance of another community safety meeting at a church next door featuring elected officials. Taylor, who narrowly lost the last mayoral election, said various citizen groups are offering solutions but they're not being heard at city hall.
"People are afraid to leave their homes, go downtown," he said. "We've got other challenges -- everything from the rising homelessness to blight -- and there's a sense that it's just 'business as usual' by elected officials."
"We're very worried about where Oakland is and we're scared," said Gina Rivera. "Some of us are scared to go to the lake or just go shopping. You have to think twice about it when you go to the grocery store."
"There is no single solution but not enforcing the laws we have and removing consequences for breaking laws is no way to ensure the safety of a community," said Lynne Cooper.
That's the feeling in town these days -- that the police force has been gutted and criminals aren't being prosecuted. But inside the church, Mayor Sheng Thao pointed to her efforts to increase law enforcement as well as crime prevention and she rejected the calls to declare a public safety state of emergency.
"Calling for a state of emergency right now, when we are doing everything this would allow for us to do? I mean, let's call it what it is. It's just political theater," Thao said. "And so, for me, I'm about doing the action and doing the work and so this work has already been done. I've already got the investments. On to the next!"
District Attorney Pamela Price is also under fire. Her criminal justice reform agenda is seen by many as being soft on crime but, at the meeting, she struck back, saying criticism of her is based on something else.
"That's racism. I'm calling it for what it is," Price said. "If you believe the media hype, I went from a well-respected lawyer and businesswoman with 40 years of experience in this community to a bumbling, incompetent idiot who knew nothing about the law or the criminal justice system."
"There is a lot of upset in the community and there's -- among the youth -- a lot of disenfranchisement," said Price supporter Ellen Coffey. "That's not Pamela Price. We live in a world right now when things are very difficult for many people, partly because the criminal justice system has been so unfair, so far."
Outside the church waiting to get in was a true rarity: someone whose mind wasn't made up. Bob Nutter said he was coming to hear if any solutions might be offered in between all the infighting.
"That seems to be the way things are these days. Sniping is much more important than actually trying to figure out what the problems are and how to best solve them," Nutter said. "But if this is something that is affecting people across the country then perhaps there'll be more people looking to come up with meaningful solutions. And perhaps we can then begin to address some of these problems in a positive manner."
Everyone wants the same thing, a city where people respect each other. But it may be hard to get there when one side feels it's being demonized and the other feels it's being ignored.