Oakland Police Rehire Officers To The Force
OAKLAND (KCBS) – The Oakland Police Department is beefing up its force, just as the city went through a weekend of violence.
Two dozen officers, who were laid off a year ago because of ongoing budget cuts, have been rehired.
Many of the officers are now going through training and could be back on the streets as soon as this weekend.
KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:
"Things change very quickly with case law. Policies within the department can change," said Oakland police spokeswoman Holly Joshi. "We want to make sure they're safe so we make sure they're up to date will all of their training. We make sure that their firearms qualifications and their defensive tactics are good and strong."
Joshi said rehiring the officers is not directly linked to several recent homicides in the city. But the extra officers arrive at an important time.
"We had three homicides over the weekend and we had a homicide today," Joshi said. "Clearly, the streets are heating up. Traditionally, August and September are our busiest months for crime."
Many of the officers are leaving other jobs in the Bay Area to return to Oakland.
Serious crime in Oakland is up four percent through the end of July, with homicides up 20 percent.
(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
