View Report — Oakland City Council, November 28, 2023

City Council
November 28, 2023

RECOMMENDATION

AGENDA REPORT

Staff Recommends That City The Council Receive An Informational Report From The Oakland Police Department, Department Of Violence Prevention, Oakland Fire Department On Efforts To Reduce Violence In Oakland Through The Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014 Presented To The City Council, Safety And Services Oversight Commission, Community Policing Advisory Board and the Police Commission.

EXECUTIVE SUM MARY

This report provides a summary of how City Departments have used funding from the Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Act of 2014 (Measure Z) to reduce crime through violence prevention and reduction services and programs.

The report is being presented at a joint meeting of the City Council and the Safety and Services Oversight Commission (SSOC), along with members of the Police Commission and Community Policing Advisory Board (CPAB) and provides an opportunity for the Commission and City leaders to articulate a commitment to reducing crime.

BACKGROUND/LEGISLATIVE HIS TORY

On November 4, 2014, the Oakland voters approved the Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Act of 2014 (Measure Z) with 77.05 percent of the vote, which surpassed the 66.7 percent approval requirement. Measure Z replaced the Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Act of 2004 (Measure Y) and maintained the existing parcel tax ranging between $51 and $100 and the 8.5 percent parking tax surcharge for a period of 10 years through December 31, 2024, to improve police services, fire emergency response services as well as violence intervention and prevention strategies for at-risk youth and young adults.

TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Felicia Verdin
City Administrator Assistant to the City
Administrator
SUBJECT: Violence Reduction Efforts Through
Measure Z - Public Safety And
Services Violence Prevention Act Of
2014
DATE: November 14, 2023

City Administrator Approval Date: Nov 17, 2023
Jestin Johnson (Nov 17, 2023 08:21 PST)

Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Violence Reduction Efforts Through Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014
November 14, 2023 Page 2
City Council
November 28, 2023

ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES

Measure Z Objectives And Desired Outcomes
As stated in the Measure Z, the objectives are to:

1. Reduce homicides, robberies, burglaries, and gun-related violence,

2. Improve police and fire emergency 911 response times and other police services, and

3. Invest in violence intervention and prevention strategies that provide support for at- risk youth and young adults to interrupt the cycle of violence and recidivism.

The production of this report aligns with Citywide priorities, holistic community safety, and responsive, trustworthy government, as shown below. Table 1 provides an overview of the objectives, legislation, funding, evaluation, and oversight of Measure Z supported activities.

Table 1: Overview of Measure Z – Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Act

OBJECTIVE • Reduce homicides, robberies, burglaries, and gun- related violence
• Improve police and fire emergency 911 response
• Invest in violence intervention/prevention to interrupt the cycle of violence
LEGISLATION ELEMENTS • Expires in 2024
• Requires 3rd party evaluation and audit
• Minimum 678 Officers and prohibits layoff of officers if layoff results in fewer than 800 sworn OPD personnel
• Layoff of officers requires adoption of City Council resolution containing factual findings
• Services for youth and young adults at high risk for violence as guided by data analysis; also includes domestic violence and commercial sexual exploitation
FUNDING • 3% of total revenue for evaluation of programs and services, audit, & oversight
• $2M to the Fire Department
• 60% to the Police Department
• 40% to the Department of Violence Prevention
EVALUATION AND AUDITS • OPD and DVP Evaluations - Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued on 12-3-21. Contract Award on 4-19-22 to Urban Institute / Urban Strategies Council. Council Resolution No. 89139 C.M.S. • Data – SARAnet – Utilized by OPD to track activities of Community Resource Officers
• Data – Currently Cityspan, transitioning to Apricot 360 in January 2023 - Utilized by DVP Grantees to report on programs and services
• Audit - Controller's Office

COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT
Public Safety and Services
Oversight Commission (SSOC)
• Nine (9)-member Commission
• Monitors annual performance audits
• Monitors annual financial audits
• Provides input on strategies
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Violence Reduction Efforts Through Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014
November 14, 2023 Page 3
City Council
November 28, 2023

Accountability And Evaluation

Measure Z created the Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Oversight Commission (SSOC), comprised of nine (9) community members, to monitor the financial and program implementation of Measure Z. The current members of the SSOC participated in the review of the Scope of Work included in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued in December 2022.

In addition, an SSOC Commissioner was included in the review and scoring of the applications that resulted in the award of a contract to the Urban Institute/Urban Strategies Council.

Measure Z specifies the duties,membership composition, required background experiences for SSOC members, and the requirement to have a joint meeting of the SSOC and the City Council.

Section 4(A)5 of Measure Z states:

Joint Meetings of the Commission and City Council: The City Council, the Commission, and other public safety-related boards and commissions shall conduct an annual joint special public informational meeting devoted to the subject of public safety. At each such meeting,the public, Commission, and City Council will hear reports from representatives of all departments and the Chief of Police concerning the progress of all the City’s efforts to reduce violent crime.

Annual independent program evaluations are also a requirement. Specifically, these evaluations include analysis and evidence that policing, violence prevention/intervention programs and strategies are progressing toward the desired outcomes, and to consider whether programs and strategies are reducing community violence and serving those at the highest risk. Based on the results of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for new Evaluation contracts that was issued on December 3, 2021, and awarded at the April 19, 2022, City Council meeting to Urban Institute / Urban Strategies Council, work has begun with the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) to develop evaluation criteria for the remaining term of Measure Z, which is scheduled to sunset in 2024.

Oakland Police Department
Measure Z identifies Community-focused Policing Services Strategies and emphasizes “uses” or strategies towards achieving the following specific objectives:

1) Geographic Policing:
a) Crime Reduction Teams (CRTs) and Community Resource Officers (CROs) b) Conduct intelligence-based violence suppression operations c) Domestic violence and child abuse intervention
d) Sustaining and strengthening of the City's Operation Ceasefire strategy e) Addressing criminal and nuisance problems
f) Providing needed resources and referrals by partnering with community-based organizations
g) Project management and crime analysis

2) Maintenance of Sworn Police Personnel positions.

Measure Z implemented several requirements related to maintaining sworn police personnel positions. First, the City is required to maintain a budgeted level of no fewer than 678 sworn police personnel at all times.

Furthermore, the City is prohibited from laying off any officers if this reduction will result in fewer than 737 sworn police personnel in OPD. In addition, the City may only lay off police officers upon adoption of a resolution by the City Council containing factual findings that it is necessary to do so.

OPD’s official strategic goals are to:
1) Reduce crime and improve public safety;
2) Improve community engagement and strengthen community trust; 3) Develop and foster a high-quality, involved, and respected workforce; 4) Demonstrate sustained compliance with the Negotiated Settlement Agreement; and 5) Prepare for the future of police service delivery.

Measure Z strategies align with OPD’s goals. Moreover, OPD is committed to reducing the risk of negative disparate impacts on the community by enhancing precision- based policing practices and continuously evaluating and mitigating racial disparities.

OPD received five areas in which SSOC requested updates for Measure Z goals:

1. Receive a report from OPD on their ability to maintain sufficient resources to accomplish Measure Z geographic policing goals through a hiring plan

2. Receive an annual Ceasefire Measure Z specific report that illustrates to the public the effectiveness of this violence reduction measure

3. Receive an annual report on the percentage of time CRO's have spent conducting geographical policing activities

4. Receive an annual report on the percentage of time operations CRTs have spent conducting geographical policing activities

5. Receive an annual update concerning diversity, recruitment, and retention for MZ-funded positions

The following is OPD’s combined response to items 1 and 5:

Receive a report from OPD on their ability to maintain sufficient resources to accomplish Measure Z geographic policing goals through hiring plan / recruitment.

Receive an annual update concerning diversity, recruitment, and retention for Measure Z funded positions.

The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is committed to recruiting and hiring a healthy and diverse candidate pool to fill vacant sworn and professional staff positions, which will assist with maintaining sufficient resources to accomplish Measure Z geographic policing goals.

The Department has identified several strategies (Attachment A) to reinforce this commitment, emphasizing increasing the number of female police officers and officers from diverse cultural backgrounds hiring a diverse and qualified workforce is crucial, retaining them is equally important.

OPD has prioritized the following strategies to retain its workforce:

Training. Training employees reinforces their sense of value. Through training, the Department will help employees achieve goals and ensure they have a solid understanding of their job requirements.

Mentoring. A mentoring program integrated with a goal-oriented feedback system provides a structured mechanism for developing strong relationships within an organization. It is a solid foundation for employee retention and growth. With a mentoring program, the Department will pair someone more experienced with someone less experienced to develop specific competencies and provide performance feedback.

Use communication to build credibility. No matter the organization's size, communication is central to building and maintaining credibility. OPD employees must know that the Commanders and Executive Team are listening and responding to (or acknowledging) employee input. The Department’s leadership is committed to providing regular updates to its employees about important issues that impact them so that they stay abreast of critical matters and hear them directly from top leaders.

Make employees feel valued. Employees will go the extra mile if they feel responsible for the results of their work, have a sense of worth in their jobs, believe their jobs make good use of their skills, and receive recognition for their contributions.

Employees should be rewarded at a high level to motivate even higher performance. Increasing longevity pay or providing some other financial reward to recognize employees who stay with the Department can be used as motivational power.

It’s essential for the Commanders and Executive Team to say “thank you” to employees for their efforts and find different ways to recognize them. Even something as simple as a free lunch can go a long way toward making employees feel valued.

The Department can also solicit input from employees and ask for their ideas about what rewards might work best for them. The Department can conduct meetings and surveys to enable employees to share their input. Most employees will work harder to implement a decision they helped to influence.

Foster trust and confidence in leadership. OPD must develop strong relationships with employees from the start to build trust, and employees must believe that the leadership is competent and that the Department will succeed. The Commanders and Executive Team must be able to inspire this confidence and make decisions that reinforce it. The Leadership can accomplish this by communicating expectations frequently and on time, updating employees

about changes promptly and establishing open communication channels where employees can easily share their input.

OPD is committed to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse and qualified workforce of professionals who possess the moral, ethical, and professional standards that exemplify the City of Oakland. The Department believes implementing the above strategies will allow it to maintain sufficient resources to accomplish its goals.

Receive An Annual Ceasefire MZ Specific Report That Illustrates To The Public The Effectiveness Of This Violence Reduction Measure.

Measure Z also funds Ceasefire, which is a data-driven, partnership-based strategy to reduce gang/group related shootings and homicides. The goals are to develop better police-community relationships, decrease recidivism rates of participants, and reduce gang/group related shootings and homicides. OPD strives to achieve these goals through collaboration with many partners such as faith leaders, violence intervention and outreach organizations, service providers, victims of violence, residents of affected neighborhoods, criminal justice agencies, and the formerly incarcerated, all actively working to build alliances that will stop the violence.

Moreover, past years’ gun violence reductions in Oakland have been linked in part to the Ceasefire strategy, which emphasizes a shared focus on young men at the center of gun violence.

The Department of Violence Prevention’s (DVP) role in the strategy is to advocate for and serve these young men through coaching and resources. See Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: How it Works

Ceasefire Oakland is a partnership based, intelligence led, and data-driven strategy. The Ceasefire Partnership began on October 18, 2012. After a forty-year average of 108 homicides per year, Oakland experienced a sustained reduction in homicides and shootings. There was a

46.7% reduction in fatal and non-fatal shootings between 2012-2019.

In March 2020, the pandemic and shelter in place occurred. At that time, Oakland was experiencing a 53% reduction in homicides and a slight increase in shootings. The pandemic made it impossible to execute the Ceasefire strategy effectively. The outcome was a huge increase in both homicides and shootings in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, after several adjustments

to the strategy, Oakland saw a 4% reduction in homicides and a 25% reduction in shootings. In 2023, Oakland suffered more challenges, and the number of shootings increased, and homicides were even compared to 2022.

The Ceasefire Strategy is composed of four (4) vital components: Ongoing Analysis, Direct respectful communications, Intensive services, and intelligence- based enforcement that is informed by the principles of procedural justice. These activities are implemented continuously as a closely coordinated, joint strategy to reduce shootings citywide.

Another significant challenge is a lack of current data (the strategy is data driven). The last set of data points used to both analyze the effectiveness of Ceasefire and direct the strategy was 2021 and 2022, years that were wrought with unusual circumstances. The Ceasefire Program needs current data. The problem analysis is underway currently and will provide us with the most recent data.

The core driver of a Focused Deterrence Strategy is direct and respectful communications with those at the highest risk for violence. Our direct communications are generally with those directly driving or drawing violence (impact players) or those who can influence impact players (influentials).

Impact players are those who drive or draw most of the gun violence we see day- to-day. They are shooters and recent victims; those who can influence shooters, someone who is likely to shoot next or be shot and highly network connected individuals. Impact players typically represent only 10 to 20 percent of group members, yet they are responsible for most of the group violence, whether by instigating conflict or committing violent offenses themselves. Both in theory and in practice, it follows that changing the behavior of impact players will have a powerful impact on violence.

An “influential” is a person close to an impact player who has his respect and can help him make positive choices. This may be someone within his family or a person with moral standing and credibility within the community. Often, an influential can articulate the communi ty’s moral voice—the collective standards of a community affected by violence—and encourage the impact player to listen to messages. Ceasefire partners performing direct communications often connect with influentials when an impact player cannot be located and addressed directly.

Delivering the message to an influential is often an effective substitute for speaking directly with impact players. We want to reach those groups and individuals at the very highest risk of violence with the direct and respectful communication of an evidence- based “risk and opportunity” message.

Custom notifications and call-ins are the means that we communicate with impact players with a message that gives them information about their risks and offers them opportunities for help with services provided by Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention and its network. This is done by an alliance of concerned community leaders, victims, clergy, service providers, and criminal justice agency representatives.

Through October 31, 2023, two hundred and twenty-four (224) custom notifications were conducted. Of those two hundred and twenty-four (224) custom notifications, one hundred and fifty-five (155) were completed with impact players. Sixty-nine (69) were completed with influencers. Eighty-six (86) of the one hundred and fifty-five (155) impact players received the Ceasefire message while incarcerated. One hundred and forty-three (143) people were referred for services. Seventeen (17) were for relocation. Data through September 30, 2023, shows that eighty-eight (88) Ceasefire participants received life coaching services and nineteen (19) received other DVP funded services. Through October 31, 2023, Ceasefire has had sixty-five (65) participants in four (4) separate call-ins. Fifty-five (55) were impact players, ten (10) were influencers, and forty-eight (48) were referred for services.

In 2021 a problem analysis on violence in Oakland was conducted by Lisa Barao, PH.D. of Westfield State University, and Anthony Braga, PH.D. of the University of Pennsylvania. That analysis used data for 2019 & 2020. Ideally, a problem analysis should have been conducted in 2023 using data for 2021 and 2022. For the current problem analysis, Dr. Lisa Barao of Westfield State University and her team is examining all homicides and nonfatal shootings from Jan 2023 – Sept 2023. They have all of the incident data and they’ve received criminal histories for all included victims and suspects. They have also conducted a group audit with OPD to update all groups/gangs in the city currently active in the city. For a problem analysis, they also interview detectives about every case.

They are in the process of conducting these interviews and expect to complete the problem analysis by the second week of December.

The problem analysis is a set of exercises designed to support the implementation of violence reduction strategies (Ceasefire). This analysis establishes a common understanding of the local violence problem that guides and informs the work of Ceasefire to reduce violence. It also identifies the networks and individuals within our community who are at greatest risk of violence and helps tailor an intervention to reduce that risk.

In addition to a current problem analysis being conducted, we have followed up on the recommendation from the previous analysis that we audit the resources allocated and activities used to implement Ceasefire. This audit will assess whether recent challenges have diminished focus. We have enlisted an outside agency, California Partners for Safety Communities, to conduct an audit of the strategy to further understand the impact of recent challenges. It should give the Ceasefire Program the data to determine if each of the key components (communications, service provision, and law enforcement) have the necessary focus, quality, and scale to continue to reduce the violence problem and allow the Ceasefire Program to adjust.

The following is OPD’s response to item 3.

Receive an annual report on the percentage of time CRO's have spent conducting geographical policing activities.

It should be noted that during 2022-2023, CROs were assigned to districts, not beats. A map of the police beats and districts (areas) can be found here. 1-2 CROs covered all Neighborhood Councils (NC) within all beats in the Bureau of Field Operations (BFO) 2 district. CRO’s spend their time conducting the following activities:

• CRO Projects/Beat priorities/Proactive policing within the district – 38% • Basic Patrol/Directed Operations/Crime Plan support – 30% • Administrative Documentation/Administrative meetings – 24% • Training – 8%

Below is the breakdown of categories:

CRO Projects/Beat Priorities/Proactive Policing – This category calculated the approximate time CROs spent in the community working on SARA projects (see Attachment B for the projects), NC beat priorities, general proactive policing (both enforcement related and high visibility) within each CRO’s district. This also included following up on correspondence to the community.

Basic Patrol/Directed Operations/Crime Plan support – This category calculated the approximate time CROs spent responding to patrol calls for service, operations supporting

VCOC or Ceasefire, directed assignments from Command Staff to support citywide crime plans and Emergency response activities.

Administrative Documentation/Administrative Meetings - This category calculated the approximate time BFO2 CROs spent on Administrative tasks such as Neighborhood Council meeting preparation (calculating statistics, etc.), Neighborhood Council meetings, Neighborhood Enhanced Service Team (NEST) meetings, meetings with Neighborhood Service Coordinators, ad-hoc community meetings, community outreach events, scan, analysis, respond and assess (SARA) project data entry, SARA project data analysis and correspondence with community members (email and telephonic).

Training – This category calculated the approximate time BFO2 CROs spent on CRO specific or departmental training assignments.

Here are OPD’s response to item 4:

Receive an annual report on the percentage of time CRTs have spent conducting geographical policing activities (VCOC Captain)

The Violent Crime Operations Center (VCOC) was created in March of 2021 by Chief Armstrong. He took 5 CRTs to create the VCOC, which includes operations teams 1, 2 & 3, Crime Gun Investigations Center (CGIC), and the Task Force Officer (TFO).

The VCOC is organized under the Bureau of Investigation. The VCOC is primarily structured into the following components (CGIC/Operations/Intel/TFO’s). VCOC has all the TFO spots filled. The mission of the VCOC is aligned with the Chief of Police’s vision, mission, and values, which are included in the strategic plan:

• Mission: rapid apprehension of suspects involved in violent crime. • Take lead on complex cases (211’s, 215PC and 245 (a)(2)PC) that required long term investigations.
• Assist CID in building strong chargeable cases by: Surveillance, SW service, locating witnesses, canvassing, and evidence recovery.
• VCOC leverages our federal partners by assigning TFO’s to the tasks forces, which result in successful operations that include: Long term Federal and State narcotic operations, Federal and State Firearms trafficking operations, and apprehension of wanted suspects by United States Marshal Service (USMS).

• Multiprong (assist CID, area commanders’ spikes in crime, VCOC complex investigations, and TFO with investigations.
• Reduce Crime to Improve Public Safety
• Improve Community Engagement and Strengthen Community Trust • Develop and Foster a High Quality, Involved, and Respected Workforce • Demonstrate Sustained Compliance with the Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA).

The table below represents how many arrests the CRT made by geographical area. The second table is sorted by highest-to-lowest arrest by police area. Click here for police area maps.

Percentage Of VCOC/CRT Activity By Area:

The VCOC is also directly involved in successful violence suppression operations where we target areas that have seen increases in violent crime including robberies, carjackings, and shootings. The VCOC also participates in the USMS NorthStar operations, where the mission is to apprehend the most violent wanted suspects.

Here are the VCOC YTD stats:
• YTD Arrests: 340
• YTD Firearm Recoveries: 196
• YTD Search Warrants: 56
• YTD Arrests by Charge:
• Other 29%
• Weapons 21%
• Robbery 15%

• Homicide 13%
• Assault w/ Firearm 7%
• Stolen Vehicle 5%
• Attempt Homicide 5%
• Carjacking 4%
• Drugs 1%

Department Of Violence Prevention

The Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) is mandated to reduce gun violence, intimate partner violence, commercial sexual exploitation, and trauma associated with these forms of violence in Oakland. In service of that mission, the DVP performs three primary functions:
• Awards and manages roughly $20 million in grants each year to community-based organizations (CBOs) in the areas of group violence, gender-based violence, and community healing.
• Hires and supervises staff who perform direct service work in the areas of violent incident crisis response and family coaching.
• Coordinates violence prevention services across funded CBOs and trains CBO staff to enhance service delivery and coordination.

This work advances the following two objectives of Measure Z:

1. Reduce homicides, robberies, burglaries, rape, domestic violence, human trafficking and gun-related violence.

2. Invest in violence intervention and prevention strategies that provide support for at-risk youth and young adults that data says are at the highest risk of gun violence to interrupt the cycle of violence and recidivism.

As of July 1, 2023, Measure Z funding received by the DVP is primarily used to fund grants to CBOs to deliver violence prevention and intervention services. On September 19, 2023, the City Council approved new grant agreements with CBOs selected through a competitive request for qualifications process to deliver violence prevention and intervention services from October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, for $28,087,500 (Resolution No. 89899 C.M.S.), as well as youth and adult employment services from October 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024 for $2,375,000 (
Resolution No. 89900 C.M.S.). In September 2023, the DVP received a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for $999,998 to augment school-based services over three years, $498,871 of which be allocated to CBOs during the period of October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.

Funding in the Group Violence Strategy is allocated across nine service categories in a total amount of $13,312,500. Table 1 provides an overview of the services, staff, and agencies funded through the Group Violence Strategy and the expected number of people served.

Table 1. Services, staff, and agencies are funded through the Group Violence Strategy.

Service category Direct service staff
funded
Number of
agencies
funded
Number of
people
served
Funding
amount
Adult employment 2 case managers 2 145 $500,000
Adult life coaching 13 life coaches 5 349 $2,905,000
Emergency
relocation
1 relocation
coordinator
1 129 $463,750
Family support 2 crisis responders 1 175 $481,250
Hospital-based
intervention
1 intervention
specialist
1 violence interrupter
1 140 $656,250
Violence interruption 18 violence
interrupters
5 1,000 $4,200,000
Youth diversion 1 OUSD enrollment
coordinator
3 case managers
3 308 $848,750
Youth employment 2 work experience
counselors
1 work-based learning
coordinator
2 case managers
1 academic mentor
4 300 $1,437,500
Youth life coaching 8 life coaches 3 200 $1,820,000
Total cost 2,746 $13,312,500

Funding for the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Strategy is allocated across nine service categories for a total amount of $7,525,000. Table 2 provides an overview of the services, staff, and agencies funded through the GBV Strategy and the expected number of people served.

Table 2. Services, staff, and agencies are funded through the GBV Strategy.

Service category Direct service staff
funded
Number of
agencies
funded
Number of
people
served
Funding
amount
24-hour hotlines N/A 1 7,000 $700,000
Bedside advocacy 7 bedside advocates 2 168 $875,000
Emergency shelter 6 youth engagement
specialists
3 224 $1,400,000
Employment 3 employment
trainers/facilitators
1 job developer
1 70 $437,500
Legal advocacy 1 legal advocate
2 staff attorneys
1 1,225 $1,137,500
Life coaching 2 life coaches 1 50 $437,500
Safe space
alternatives
1 youth outreach
specialist
1 program coordinator
2 1,920 $612,500
Therapeutic support 2 therapists 3 1,725 $1,400,000
Transitional housing 8 housing navigators 1 35 $525,000 Total cost 12,417 $7,525,000

Funding in the Community Healing Strategy is allocated across three service categories in a total amount of $4,620,000. Table 3 provides an overview of the services, staff, and agencies funded through the Community Healing Strategy and the expected number of people served.

The DVP also funds Town Nights events in the Community Healing Strategy using a combination of general purpose funds and funding from private and public donors. Information about Town Nights events is not included in this report since the service category does not receive Measure Z funding.

Table 3. Services, staff, and agencies are funded through the Community Healing Strategy.

Service category Direct service staff
funded
Number of
agencies
funded
Number of
people
served
Funding
amount
Healing and
restorative activities
5 community healers 4 3,775 $1,750,000
Neighborhood and
community teams
4 outreach teams 4 5,880 $2,520,000
Therapeutic
supports
1 clinical case
manager
1 140 $350,000
Total 9,795 $4,620,000

In response to the urgent need for additional resources to prevent and respond to violence impacting OUSD students, the DVP developed school-based versions of the violence intervention, life coaching, GBV, and community healing services that it funds in the community.

The resulting School Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Program places teams of three individuals – one violence interrupter, one GBV specialist, and one youth life coach – in seven high schools in OUSD and provides healing services as needed across sites. Table 4 provides

an overview of the services, staff, and agencies funded through the School VIP Program in a total amount of $5,223,871, as well as the expected number of people served.

Table 4. Services, staff, and agencies are funded through the School VIP Program.

Service category Full-time direct
service staff funded
Number of
agencies
funded
Number of
people
served
Funding
amount
Community healing N/A 1 840 $612,500
GBV services 7 GBV specialists 1 3,155 $1,400,000
Life coaching 7 life coaches 4 150 $1,618,750
Violence interruption 8 violence interrupters 3 540 $1,592,621 Total 4,685 $5,223,871
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Violence Reduction Efforts Through Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014
November 14, 2023 Page 15
City Council
November 28, 2023

Table 5 provides the total value of grant agreements by agency across service categories and strategies.

Table 5. Total Funding Allocations By Agency.

Agency Amount
Abode Services $262,500
Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency $3,605,000
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Oakland $700,000
Center for Employment Opportunities $125,000
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice $2,398,454 Community & Youth Outreach $2,222,500
Community Works West $350,000
Covenant House California $700,000
East Bay Asian Youth Center $1,820,000
Family Violence Law Center $4,550,000
Lao Family Community Development $250,000
National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform $350,000
Oakland LGBTQ Community Center $262,500
Oakland Kids First $250,000
Oakland Private Industry Council $375,000
Oakland Unified School District $498,750
Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth $962,500
Roots Community Health Center $1,102,500
Ruby's Place $437,500
Safe Passages $543,750
Sister-to-Sister 2 $350,000
Student Program for Academic and Athletic Transitioning $350,000 The Mentoring Center $1,303,750
Trybe $1,155,000
Urban Peace Movement $612,500
Youth Employment Partnership $875,000
Young Women's Freedom Center $350,000
Youth ALIVE! $3,919,167
Total $30,681,371
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Violence Reduction Efforts Through Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014
November 14, 2023 Page 16
City Council
November 28, 2023

Table 6 provides funding sources for grant agreements for the period of October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025, which total $30,681,371. Measure Z funds $23,813,750 of the total or 78%.

Table 6. Funding Sources for Grant Agreements from October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.

Funding source Amount
Measure Z – FY23-25 adopted budget $18,330,908
Measure Z – Reserve Fund $2,800,000
Measure Z – Anticipated carryforward $2,682,842
General Purpose Fund – FY23-25 adopted budget $4,816,480 General Purpose Fund – Anticipated carryforward $1,552,270 OJJDP grant $498,871
Total $30,681,371

In addition to funding violence prevention and intervention services delivered by CBOs, Measure Z funds the following systems and services for the DVP:

 $70,000 annually helps fund the DVP’s data management system, Apricot 360, which allows the DVP to collect data on services rendered by CBOs and DVP direct service staff.
 $50,000 will fund mental health services for DVP direct service staff in FY23-24. Funding is split evenly between individual talk therapy sessions and holistic wellness sessions, which include acupuncture, massage therapy, and indigenous healing practices.

Oakland Fire Department

In addition to its core goals and objectives, as listed in Table 1 on page 2, the annual Measure Z funding allocation to Oakland Fire Department (OFD) in the amount of two million dollars ($2,000,000) plays a critical role in supporting overall department efforts to maintain adequate personnel resources to respond to fire and medical emergencies, including, but not limited to, structure fires, traumatic incidents, medical emergencies, and violent crimes such as shootings, stabbings, and other bodily assaults.

Measure Z supports key elements of the OFD, such as ensuring effective response times for emergencies, but the funding has a comprehensive positive impact on the department’s ability to achieve its mission of providing the highest quality and highest level of courteous and responsive services to the residents, businesses, and visitors of Oakland. This is accomplished by implementing comprehensive strategies and training in fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical services, and all risk mitigation, including human- caused and natural disasters, emergency preparedness, 9-1-1 services, and community-based fire services.

Measure Z funds ensure that the OFD has the necessary personnel resources to maintain the minimum daily required staffing requirements; meet and improve upon mandated fire emergency 911 response times; and can respond quickly and effectively to violent crime and traumatic incidents where high level emergency medical services (EMS) treatment is needed. Often, a prompt and

skilled response by Fire and EMS personnel will make the difference in whether a person who is violently assaulted or involved in a shooting becomes a homicide victim or not.

Staffing Challenges and Overtime Use:

OFD operates twenty-five (25) fire stations located throughout the city, twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week. OFD is responsible for fire and medical dispatch, fire prevention, fire suppression, mitigation, emergency medical response, specialized rescue operations, fire investigation, emergency management, and fire code inspection within the city.

Currently, OFD has five hundred and thirty-four (534.00) Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) sworn personnel and two hundred four and eighty-eight hundredths (204.88) FTE civilian personnel authorized, for a total of seven hundred thirty-eight and eighty-eight hundredths (738.88) FTE.

Sixteen of the 534.00 FTE sworn personnel are allocated as 40-hr staff positions.

Operationally, OFD fire suppression staff are organized into three (3) shifts referred to as A, B, and C Shifts. Shift positions operate on a 48/96 schedule whereby members work two (2) shifts (48-Hours) followed by four (4) days off.

Section 4.2.4 of the MOU between the City and Local 55 identified, through the year 2027, daily minimum staffing levels for "Fire Suppression Staffing" of OFD sworn personnel. The MOU minimum staffing sets a daily number of sworn staff, broken out by specific ranks, which must be in the field at any given time. The total suppression staffing equates to one hundred and thirty-seven (137.00) FTE sworn personnel per shift and four hundred and eleven (411.00) FTE sworn personnel to cover all three (3) shifts. This staffing level includes the ARFF staffing requirements of a minimum of six (6.00) FTE sworn personnel one (1.00) FTE Captain and five (5.00) FTE Firefighters).

In FY 22-23. The Oakland Fire Department overspent in its annual personnel budget in the General-Purpose Fund by $5.42 million, primarily due to overtime.

The Fire Department’s overtime use is due to three main causes: staff vacancy level with unfilled positions, compliance with the Local 55 MOU for minimum staffing provisions, and a significant number of personnel out on long-term industrial leave (work related injuries). In previous years, a lack of academies created vacancies that needed to be filled with personnel working overtime. However, during this time frame, the department hosted two (2) academies which required the department to pull personnel from their regularly scheduled shifts in the fire house to serve as instructors in the academy cadre, and whereby creating vacancies in the fire house which needed to be filled at the overtime rate.

9-1-1 Response and the Fire Communications Center

The Fire Communications Center (FDC) serves as the first point of contact for 9-1-1 callers needing fire or medical services in the City of Oakland. Annually approximately 70,000 calls are processed each year by highly trained, Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certified staff. In addition to biennial recertification, which includes CPR training, OFD Communications has been an Accredited Center of Excellence (ACE) by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch for 15 years.

Medical Services Division

The OFD Medical Services Division (MSD) is responsible for providing Oakland Fire Department personnel and Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Violence Reduction Efforts Through Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014
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responders with continuing education and training which m eets the state -mandated minimum requirements for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Paramedics (EMT- P). Fire personnel serve as first responders to emergency calls that may require basic and advanced emergency care when dispatched through the 911 system. MSD is committed to providing the highest quality medical care to the citizens and visitors of Oakland through training, disaster preparation, and managing the day -to-day needs in a high- call volume EMS system. MSD adheres to the policies and procedures of our Local EMS Agency (LEMSA), Alameda County, and California State Emergency Medical Services and provides written guidelines and procedures related to the operation of first responder fire personnel, EMT and Paramedics.

MSD is responsible for providing continuing education, course requirements, and skills testing to maintain licenses and certificates for Paramedic and EMT credentials. MSD ensures that adequate medical equipment and supplies are available for Engine all Companies, establishes procedures for patient care reporting for legal documentation and quality assurance/quality improvement purposes, and is responsible for providing Designated Infection Control Officer (DICO) duties for reporting exposures to suspected or actual communicable diseases, which has been a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MACRO: A new model to respond to non-violent, quality of life calls

In April of 2021, The Fire Department launched the Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) Program, a community response program for non-violent, non-emergency 911 calls. The purpose of MACRO is to meet the needs of the community with a compassionate care first response model grounded in empathy, service, and community. MACRO's goal is to reduce responses by police, resulting in fewer arrests and negative interactions and increased access to community-based services and resources for impacted individuals and families.

Over the course of the 18-month pilot phase, which concluded on October 9, 2023, the MACRO program logged over 15,000 contacts with Oakland residents. Prior to the launch of MACRO, it is likely that many of those incidents would have prompted a response from the Oakland Police or Fire personnel.

Over the lifetime of the program, over 83% of MACRO service recipients are Black, Hispanic or, Asian, or Indigenous individuals, fulfilling the mandate set forth in Resolution 88553 by Council in 2021. The breakdown of perceived racial demographics of the total 83% BIPOC are as follows: 66% Black, 12% Latinx, 2% Asian, 1% Middle Eastern, and 1% other.

The Fire Department recently presented a report to the SSOC committee on October 23, 2023.

The MACRO program does not currently receive designated funding from Measure Z. However, the stated goals of Measure Z -- which include reducing delays in the 911 responses -- align almost directly with some of the core goals of MACRO, which are focused on creating a civilian response alternative for nonviolent and non-emergent calls for service to reduce the need for sworn police and fire personnel to these additional non-emergency call types.

The City may consider identifying an area in the new ballot measure whereby, if re-authorized, MACRO is allocated designated funding to support these shared goals. And in doing so, it may Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
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identify the SSOC committee as an appropriate oversight body for the Fire Department to report on the progress of its efforts, in addition to the volunteer MACRO advisory board, which meets monthly with the Oakland Fire executive leadership team members.

Community Engagement to Promote Safety and Service Career Pipelines

The Oakland Fire Department Public Education and Community Outreach arm works to reach, educate, and train the public on fire and life safety hazards. OFD members can be found at local community meetings, health fairs, and special events throughout the year. This gives the Oakland Fire Department an opportunity to interact with tens of thousands of residents a year, disseminating a message of safety first. In 2022, OFD hosted or participated in over 160 community public education events, including school visits, station tours, fire safety training, career fairs, mentoring, National Night Out, and smoke alarm distribution events. Together with the community, OFD has installed nearly 950 smoke alarms in a total of 250 different homes and apartments throughout the city, but with a focus on our most vulnerable populations. Over 1,700 people reside in those 250 housing units, and they are safer today because of this innovative effort.

PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST

No outreach was deemed necessary for this report beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures.

COORDINATION

This report was prepared in coordination with staff from the Oakland Police Department, Oakland Fire Department, and Department of Violence Prevention.

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact associated with this informational report.

SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES

Economic: There are no economic opportunities associated with this report.

Environmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this report.

Race and Equity: Maintaining Measure Z funding is a benefit to residents and visitors to the City of Oakland by providing programs and services to reduce violent crime. It is highly recommended that departments and community members view the work of Measure Z through an equity lens. Applying an equity framework will help ensure the City’s ability to address violence prevention in a strategic manner.

ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL

Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive An Informational Report From the Oakland Police Department, Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Fire Department On Efforts To Reduce Violence In Oakland Through The Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014 Presented To The City Council, Safety And Services Oversight Commission, Community Policing Advisory Board and the Police Commission.

For questions regarding this report, please contact Felicia Verdin at [email protected].

Respectfully submitted,

Darren Allison
Interim Chief of Police
Oakland Police Department

Damon Covington (Nov 16, 2023 20:27 PST)
Damon Covington
Chief of Fire
Oakland Fire Department

Reviewed by:

Joe DeVries
Deputy City Administrator
City Administrator’s Office

Prepared by:

Felicia Verdin, Asst. to the City Administrator
City Administrator’s Office

Mailee Wang
Department of Violence Prevention

Jennifer Linchey
Department of Violence Prevention

Tracey Jones
Oakland Police Department

Michael Hunt
Fire Department
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Violence Reduction Efforts Through Measure Z - Public Safety And Services Violence Prevention Act Of 2014
November 14, 2023 Page 21
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November 28, 2023

Attachment (1):

Attachment A: OPD recruitment strategies
Attachment B: OPD SARA Projects

Oakland City CouncilNovember 28, 2023

Oakland City Council
November 28, 2023