Oakland Approves Extra Patrols From CHP
OAKLAND (KCBS) – The short-staffed Oakland Police Department will continue to get help patrolling the streets from the California Highway Patrol.
Late Tuesday night, the Oakland City Council voted to pay more than $500,000 for the CHP to continue its extra patrols in high crime areas.
Not only will the extra patrols continue, but the presence of the CHP will actually increase. 10 officers and two sergeants will be deployed four days a week instead of two.
Oakland City Council Approves Extra Patrols From CHP
That's happening because the Alameda County Sheriff's Office has decided to no longer send deputies for those extra patrols over questions about cost.
City Administrator Deanna Santana said Oakland will use some of the money it was going to give to the sheriff and instead pay the CHP.
"We shift those funds to this contract and since we're recommending four nights of patrol and a longer term, the remainder of those funds would come from the $2 million that we have set aside in the proposed budget," Santana said.
But critics have argued that that's not appropriate until the mayor's budget is actually approved.
The deal with the CHP is for 90 days and it can be extended another 90 after that.
(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
