Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Darren Allison
City Administrator Interim Chief, OPD
SUBJECT: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime
report
DATE: August 31, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive An Informational Report From The Oakland Police Department (OPD) On Crime, Crime Trends And Crime Reduction Activities in the City of Oakland.
REASON FOR SUPPLEMENTAL
OPD was requested to present updated YTD crime data (Attachment A) at the July 13, 2023 Rules Committee meeting. OPD will be presenting the most recent crime data in Attachment A.
OPD was also requested to present a supplemental report regarding home invasions, high speed tracking mitigation/alternatives, and ghost/illegal gun updates. This information is included in this report.
Sep 6, 2023
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime Report
Date: August 31, 2023 Page 2
Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
Home invasions: What OPD is doing to respond/mitigate the number of home invasions? The Oakland Police Department has seen an uptick in home invasion robberies in the areas of Laurel, North Hills, Joaquin Miller, and the Greater San Antonio neighborhoods. In most recent trends, the armed individuals forcibly entered the residences by kicking in doors, prying windows open, threatening the victims, and taking personal belongings before fleeing the residence.
The department has taken a proactive approach to mitigate home invasions and educate the public by utilizing our social media outlets to share our safety tips incorporating our CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design.) Continuous public safety notification has been made to ensure the public is aware of the uptick in home invasion robberies. Here are a few tips that were shared with the public.
• Ensure all doors and windows are properly secured. Consider reinforcing doors with a security bar or a door brace.
• Strengthen home security by installing a security system with motion detection, surveillance cameras, and alarms. Ring or nest doorbell • Use outdoor lighting with motion sensors.
• Trim hedges and shrubs around entry points to eliminate potential hiding spots. • Do not open your door to strangers without verifying their identity. • Create an emergency plan to include a safe meeting point. • Join or initiate a neighborhood watch program in your community. • Ensure City streetlights are working around their property. • Contact the Post Office to hold mail for a prolonged vacation.
In addition to public notifications, Commanders have designated additional patrols in the impacted areas.
Investigators have worked tirelessly to follow-up on leads and currently have identified a person of interest linked to over a handful of home invasion robberies. Since this is still an active investigation, limited information will be shared, but an arrest of that person is imminent.
Investigators will continue to actively investigate each of these home invasion robberies and are seeking assistance from the public if they have any information pertaining to any of our home invasion robberies.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime Report
Date: August 31, 2023 Page 3
Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
Home invasions By Beat1 And By Incident (Highest to Lowest) (YTD as of August 15, 2023)
By Beat
Numerically
By No. of
Incidents
(Highest to
Lowest)
Beat
No. of
Incidents Beat
No. of
Incidents
02X 1 13Y 4
02Y 1 25X 4
04X 3 29X 4
05X 1 04X 3
06X 3 06X 3
07X 1 20X 3
08X 1 22X 3
11X 1 30X 3
12Y 1 17X 2
13X 1 18Y 2
13Y 4 19X 2
14X 1 21Y 2
15X 1 22Y 2
17X 2 02X 1
17Y 1 02Y 1
18X 1 05X 1
18Y 2 07X 1
19X 2 08X 1
20X 3 11X 1
21X 1 12Y 1
21Y 2 13X 1
22X 3 14X 1
22Y 2 15X 1
24X 1 17Y 1
24Y 1 18X 1
25X 4 21X 1
26X 1 24X 1
27Y 1 24Y 1
29X 4 26X 1
30X 3 27Y 1
30Y 1 30Y 1
32X 1 32X 1
1 Beat Map http://gisapps1.mapoakland.com/policedistricts/ Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime Report
Date: August 31, 2023 Page 4
Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
33X 1 33X 1
34X 1 34X 1
35Y 1 35Y 1
Total 59 Total 59
Home invasions By Area (YTD as of August 15, 2023)
By
Area
By No. of
Incidents
Area
No. of
Incidents Area
No. of
Incidents
1 10 4 17
2 8 1 10
3 10 3 10
4 17 5 10
5 10 2 8
6 4 6 4
Total 59 Total 59
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime Report
Date: August 31, 2023 Page 5
Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
Tracking technology and mitigation of high-speed pursuits The fixed-wing aircraft is the ultimate solution for mitigating high speed chases as it can safely track the vehicle from a vantage point where the suspects in a suspect vehicle are unable to see, hear, or know they are being tracked in real time. The fixed-wing can fly for over 10 hours without having to land; therefore, it is much more likely to already be in the air to mitigate pursuits. Even when it is not, it can take off from the airport nearly as quickly as the helicopter.
The only other two reasonable alternatives are first not to get involved in the pursuit (no authorization), and the other is utilizing stop sticks. Stop sticks are designed to puncture a vehicle tire so that it slowly deflates while allowing the driver to maintain control. They ultimately disable the vehicle, or at least greatly reduce its speed. However, deployment of stop sticks is inherently dangerous and discouraged at high speeds and locations frequented by the public.
Canceling pursuits allows the suspect to escape. Given that OPD can only chase for violent forcible felonies since there is always an inherent danger to the public, the offender may violently re-offend prior to our capturing them at a later date.
The following explains why drones simply have not technologically elevated to the level to mitigate pursuits.
An OPD drone trained Officer is not always on duty. An OPD watch commander must give permission for a drone deployment. The drone Officer must call the FAA in DC and request permission to operate.
Typically, that process takes between 10 to 20 minutes. This permission from the FAA is required because of the proximity to the Oakland International Airport. Most of Oakland is underneath the Class C airspace of Oakland International Airport.
It is unsafe for occupied and unoccupied aircraft to operate in the same airspace. Typically, when the FAA grants permission for the drone to operate, they will restrict the drone to 100 feet or less. This is to keep separation from other occupied aircraft. This 100-foot ceiling restriction limits the visibility of the drone.
The drone Officer must respond to the scene. Typically to drive across Oakland to the scene will take 10 to 20 minutes. This furthers the deployment time. The drone Officer must operate the drone within line of sight. That means the operator must be able to always see the drone. This requirement, combined with the altitude restriction, means the drone can usually only operate within one City block radius of the drone Officer/operator.
The drones have a 5-pound payload. This limits the size of the camera it can carry. The size of the camera limits its quality. Which also limits the distance the camera can see. Typically, with our current drone and camera combinations, the drone can only effectively work a 2 or 3 house radius at a time. Drones cannot mitigate pursuits due to their technical limitations. They cannot respond to a call in seconds, or minutes, like an occupied aircraft can. Drones cannot fly for routine patrol or handle calls for service.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime Report
Date: August 31, 2023 Page 6
Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
Ghost gun/illegal guns response
Since 2020, the Oakland Police Department has seen a significant increase in the recovery of Privately Made Firearms (PMF), also known widely as “Ghost Guns”. On a year-to-year average, 25% of firearms recovered by OPD have been Ghost Guns. Ghost Guns have gained popularity and notoriety since there are little to no laws governing the sale, purchase, or possession of the parts required to manufacture Ghost Guns. Furthermore, “building” a Ghost Gun from legally purchased/possessed parts has become easier due to the public availability of tools and equipment to build them. Due to the lack of a serial number, the origins and legal lifeline of a Ghost Gun cannot be traced. However, Ghost Guns can still be traced to crime scenes via ballistics technology such as IBIS and NIBIN.
For the first 7 months of 2023 (January 1st – July 31st), there have been a total of 135 Ghost Guns recovered in the city of Oakland. Individuals arrested with firearms, including Ghost Guns, are arrested with appropriate California Penal Code charges. Charges may include felony violation of Possession of an Un-Serialized Firearm for illegal possession of a Ghost Gun.
The OPD’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC), which is housed under the Violent Crime Operations Center (VCOC), identifies recovered crime guns, and works with CID to ensure test- fire lab requests are submitted in order to determine if a firearm has been used in shooting(s) to further the investigation. VCOC/CGIC, in conjunction with Ceasefire and CID, analyzes ballistics intelligence leads (via IBIS/NIBIN) produced by the Crime Lab to share any relevant and pertinent information for investigative and/or prosecutorial purposes.
OPD leverages federal partnerships with the ATF to assist in investigations of firearms trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, including Ghost Guns. Strategies to deter firearms trafficking include covert/overt enforcement in high crime areas known for shootings and open- source investigation of individuals trafficking illegal firearms and Ghost Guns. Additionally, OPD and ATF analyze E-Trace to identify trends and patterns of illegal firearms trafficking and “straw purchasing” of firearms.
Criminal cases involving individuals arrested with illegally possessed firearms and Ghost Guns, and if the necessary criteria is met, may be presented to the US Attorney’s Office for consideration of federal charging.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: SUPPLEMENTAL – OPD Crime Report
Date: August 31, 2023 Page 7
Public Safety Committee
September 12, 2023
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive An Informational Report From The Oakland Police Department (OPD) On Crime, Crime Trends And Crime Reduction Activities in the City of Oakland.
For questions regarding this report, please contact James Beere, Deputy Chief of Police, at [email protected].
Reviewed by:
James Beere, Deputy Chief of Police
OPD, Bureau of Field Operations I
Tracey Jones, Police Services Manager
OPD, Research and Planning Section
Prepared by:
Nicole Freeman, Crime Analysis Manager
OPD, Criminal Investigations Division (CID)
Attachment:
A: OPD Crime report January-July 2023 presentation