Oakland Police Brief Residents On '100 Blocks' Crime Fighting Strategy
OAKLAND (KCBS) - An initiative to fight violent crime in the most dangerous parts of Oakland has so far focused on illegal weapons, drugs and prostitution in East Oakland, city officials said Friday.
"A huge goal of this program is to get firearms off the streets. Firearms are our number one killer," said Capt. Brian Medeiros, who oversees enforcement in the part of city adjacent to San Leandro.
Officials said more than 90 percent of the city's violent crime takes place in a 100 block area in east and west Oakland.
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
Residents packed the community room of a library in the heart of East Oakland Friday to hear a progress report from Medeiros and Councilman Larry Reid.
Reid reaffirmed his commitment to cleaning up an area of his district where residents complain that drug dealers and the sex trade make it unsafe for children to walk down the street.
"There's no reason why a young man and his sister have to walk the streets and not do it in a safe way," Reid said.
California Highway Patrol cruisers have become a regular sight on that stretch of International Boulevard on weekends as part of a strategy of stepped up patrols during high-crime periods.
Medeiros implored the community to do its part in helping investigators identify suspects.
Many at the meeting said they had been reticent at times to contact police, out of concern the officers might view the person reporting the crime with suspicion.
"We are limited in our resources. We need to work the community. We also know the community needs to trust us. That's a huge thing," he said.
Police distributed phone numbers that people in the neighborhood can use to report specific types of crime and illegal activity without disclosing their identities.
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