City Council September 19, 2023
AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor, City Council and Members of the Public FROM: Councilmember Dan Kalb Council District 1 SUBJECT: Resolution Prioritizing Public Safety DATE: September 7, 2023 RECOMMENDATION Councilmember Kalb Recommends That the City Council approve a RESOLUTION PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY AND DIRECTING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO TAKE SPECIFIED ACTIONS TO IMPROVE THE CITY OF OAKLAND’S RESPONSE TO CRIME, INCLUDING EVALUATING OPTIONS FOR INCREASING STAFFING AND RETENTION FOR 911 DISPATCHERS AND POLICE OFFICERS, INCREASING SUPPORT FROM LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, EXPANDING THE CITY’S VIOLENCE PREVENTION/INTERVENTION EFFORTS, AND CREATING A GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE CITY TO FUND THE PURCHASE OF SECURITY CAMERAS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Crime in Oakland has seen a dramatic increase. This increase calls for prioritization of policies and actions that will provide a comprehensive approach that includes a myriad of prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies. REASON FOR URGENCY The reasoning is the urgency of the crime problem in Oakland. Total Crime has increased 28% according to the Oakland Police Department’s Weekly Crime report from 28 August through 3 September 2023. Sunshine noticing would require this to go to the Sept. 26th Public Safety Committee meeting and then to the first City Council meeting in October. The urgency of the crime problem justifies skipping committee and going to the very next City Council meeting scheduled for Sept. 19, 2023. BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Total Crime has increased 28% from last year, according to the Oakland Police Department’s Weekly Crime report from 28 August through 3 September, 2023. Violent crime has increased 20%. Robberies have increased 31% and burglaries have increased 43%. Thefts of motor vehicles have gone up 52%.
Honorable Mayor & City Council Subject: Resolution Prioritizing Public Safety Date: September 7, 2023 Page 2 City Council September 19, 2023
The Alameda County Grand Jury analyzed the Oakland 9-1-1 dispatch response time and determined that the response rate was problematic, and that while the California Office of Emergency Services mandates that 90% of emergency calls for service be answered by a live person within 15 seconds, only about half of calls answered in Oakland were within 15 seconds. As a part of the FY 2023-2025 City Budget, Councilmember Kalb submitted and the Oakland City Council adopted, a Budget Directive directing the City Administrator to prioritize hiring, training and retaining 9-1-1 dispatchers to improve response time. Residents seeking emergency police, fire or medical care are at increased risk if they endure a long wait time to get a dispatcher on the phone, and the City of Oakland risks losing some state funding if 9-1-1 response times do not improve. Last year Councilmember Kalb, with Councilmembers Gallo and Kaplan, authored legislation prohibiting the possession, sale and manufacturing of unfinished frames or receivers that had not been imprinted with a serial number, commonly referred to as ghost guns and ghost gun kits. For several years the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has worked to assist the Oakland Police Department (OPD) Criminal Investigations Division in investigating and solving homicides and violent crimes involving gunfire. Ceasefire is considered a successful program that brings together law enforcement and nonprofit social service and faith-based organizations to guide past violent offenders away from violent criminal behavior and has led in the past to reductions in shootings and homicides in Oakland. REQUIRED LEGISLATIVE FOLLOW-UP As a part of this Resolution, the City Administrator will return to City Council with a report evaluating options and feasibility analysis to implement additional measures and procedures to increase recruitment and retention of 9-1-1 dispatchers, with the priority on retention of trained dispatchers, address the Grand Jury’s recommendations, and reduce 9-1-1 hold time so residents can access emergency services in a timely fashion. The City Administrator will return to City Council with legislation that will authorize and fund a lateral Police Academy class during this current two-year budget cycle, with appropriate safeguards as to who is accepted into the lateral academy. The City Administrator will return to City Council with options and recommendations for the creation of a City grant program for Oakland small businesses, merchant associations and Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to purchase high quality security cameras that can assist in OPD’s ability to investigate and solve crimes in Oakland.
Honorable Mayor & City Council Subject: Resolution Prioritizing Public Safety Date: September 7, 2023 Page 3 City Council September 19, 2023
The City Administrator will evaluate and analyze the development of a permanent walking beat officer plan, and report back the findings, options, and recommendations no later than December 2023. The City Administrator will explore and analyze an expansion of the CeaseFire program and report back the findings, options, and recommendations no later than December 2023. The City Administrator will analyze the use of MACRO teams, compare to other jurisdictions with similar programs, determine if substantially fewer calls are being referred to MACRO than otherwise should be, suggest ways to increase the number of appropriate calls referred to MACRO, and return to City Council with a report including options and recommendations. The City Administrator will identify funding to allocate to cover the costs for the programs, priorities and initiatives outlined in this Resolution and return to City Council with a report including options and recommendations. Any and all reports must be completed before the end of 2023, sooner if possible. For items that do not require additional Council action, the City Administration should implement these items as soon as possible. ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES Lateral police academies can bring in experienced sworn officers to OPD in fewer months and at a lower initial cost than a new recruit police academy. High quality security cameras placed on freeway on-ramps can improve OPD’s ability to obtain evidence and investigate and solve certain serious crimes. High quality security cameras located on commercial private properties along retail business district corridors in Oakland can improve OPD’s ability to obtain evidence and investigate and solve crimes. Oakland Police beat officers provide community presence, improve community relations and can deter criminal activity. Bringing reentry services to scale throughout Alameda County would help more people in need while reducing recidivism in our communities. Increasing MACRO’s capacity to handle 9-1-1 calls will reduce the number of calls that OPD is required to address. FISCAL IMPACT The Resolution directs the City Administrator to identify funding to allocate to cover the costs for the programs, priorities and initiatives outlined in this Resolution. COORDINATION Councilmember Kalb worked with the City Attorney’s office regarding this legislation. We have reviewed publicly available information regarding crime data. We have and will continue to engage with stakeholders—including residents of and business owners in Oakland, to make adjustments and move this forward.
Honorable Mayor & City Council Subject: Resolution Prioritizing Public Safety Date: September 7, 2023 Page 4 City Council September 19, 2023
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES Economic: While the Resolution does not propose specific economic projects or direct economic development, the proposed amendments are intended to remove constraints to the City’s ability to improve public safety. Improving public safety will improve economic opportunities for all Oaklanders. Environmental: By adopting this Public Safety Resolution, Oakland residents, businesses and the essential civic functions of the government will be better prepared to address crime in Oakland including environmental crimes such as illegal dumping. Race & Equity: The prevention, intervention and enforcement strategies in this Resolution ensure policies that reduce the risks and harmful impacts of crime on the City’s most vulnerable and frontline communities. ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Kalb respectfully requests that the City Council: Adopt a Resolution prioritizing public safety here in Oakland. For questions regarding this report, please contact Seth Steward, Chief of Staff to Councilmember Kalb, at 510-238-7013. Respectfully submitted, ___________________________ Dan Kalb Councilmember, District 1