www.theCApartnership.or
g
[email protected]
g
California Partnership for Safe Communities
Oakland Ceasefire Audit Report
January 2024
Attachment B
www.theCApartnership.org 2
HOMICIDE RATES 2003-2022
www.theCApartnership.org 3
Gun Violence in Oakland:
● Significant rise of gun violence in Oakland since the end of 2019, continuing into 2023.
Purpose of the Audit:
● A nal yze effectiveness of Oakland Ceasefire strategy in reducing gun violence.
Specific Goals:
● Determi ne i f the Ceasef i re strategy has been i mpl emented ef f ecti vel y Scope:
● The analysis was conducted by examining each component of the Ceasefire strategy through both a variety of performance data and staff perspectives (qualitative and quanti tati ve data)
FRAMING AND GOALS
www.theCApartnership.org 4
SCOPE AND METHODS
The anal ysi s was
conducted by
examining each
component of the
Ceasefire strategy
through both a variety
of performance data
and staff perspectives
(qualitative and
quantitative data)
www.theCApartnership.org 5
Recommendations :
● Restart quarterly Ceasef i re performance reviews in Q1of 2024, the primary mechanism for the Ma yor to hold the partnership accountable . ● Es ta blis ha cohesive management team, incorporating key personnel from DVP and OPD .
● Rigorously oversee the team to ensure proper resourcing, focus on key individuals, and apply ef fective interventions for immediate gun violence reduction. ● Staff :
● Align the Ceasefire Director position with its original design and skills, and providing more authority with access to the Mayor and executive leadership. ● Introduce a data position for consistent data analysis and grant management. ● Establish a community engagement specialist position for growing and fostering partnerships.
MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE
www.theCApartnership.org 6
Recommendations
● Elevate the Shooting Review (SR) as a departmental priority, requiring consistent participation of the OPD executive team.
● Maintain the SR as the primary platform for comprehensive gun violence analysis and intervention in Oakland.
● Integrate analysis, investigations, enforcement, communication, and guide collaborative ef forts with justice system agencies and community intervention organizations within the SR framework.
● Utilize the SR to inform enforcement plans, and implemented them in a continuous 60/90- day cycle, measuring ef fectiveness through reductions in shootings and homicides.
● Prioritize and sustain NIBIN meetings for valuable insights, emphasizing its contribution to the SR.
SHOOTING REVIEW (SR)
www.theCApartnership.org 7
Recommendations :
● Consolidate meetings for e fficie ncy,optimizing time and resources . ● Place the Mayor's Of fice in a leadership role, guiding staf f in plan formulation and ensuring accountability .
● Emphasize a thorough examination of incidents, focusing on proactive city resource use to prevent re ta lia tion.
● Inform near -term violence reduction plans addressing retaliation and violence drivers. ● Hold staf f/agency heads accountable for plan outcomes in regular Performance Management and staff meetings.
COORDINATION MEETING
www.theCApartnership.org 8
Recommendations:
● Boost custom notifications for high- risk individuals impacted by gun violence, especially those not in custody , aiming for pre -pandemic communication levels (300- 400). ● Ensure a seaml ess data f l ow f rom OPD to DVP, supplying Life Coaches with information on communicated individuals, reasons, and contact details. ● Utilize more ef fective messaging in call -ins. Include diverse speakers, like the District Attorney's Of fice and trauma professionals, to align with best practices.
DIRECT COMMUNICATION
www.theCApartnership.org 9
LIFE COACHING & SERVICES AND SUPPORT
Recommendations
● Reorganize DVP's Gun V iolence Reduction work under a unified management structure, enhancing strategic focus.
● Dif ferentiate between prevention and intervention in strategy and focus ● Develop a clear theory of change for gun violence intervention, aligning with data and focusing on the very highest -ris k a dults .
● Combine Outreach Worker and V iolence Interrupter positions for relentless pursuit, a critical function for locating and engaging high-ris k individua ls . ● Shi f t Ceasef i re ref erral s to i n-house DVP Life Coaches ● Ensure 70% of DV P L i f e Coaches' casel oads ori gi nate f rom Ceasef i re ref erral s, with the remaining 30% meeting specific criteria to target the highest -risk population.
www.theCApartnership.org 10
Recommendations:
● Disband VCOC due to its insuf ficient focus on preventing and addressing current vi ol ence trends at the area l evel .
● Fully staf f Ceasefire Unit for simultaneous focus on multiple a ctive conflicts . ● Consolidate Ceasefire Unit, and Crime Gun Intelligence Center under one chain of command.
● Reintegrate Crime Reduction T eams into geographic areas, prioritizing staf fing for those most impacted by gun violence.
● Ensure area- based CRT s develop person- s pe cific pla ns a ligne d with Ce a s e fire Unit strategi es.
● Appoint the Assistant Chief of Police to manage the Ceasefire Unit with a specific focus on reducing gun violence.
● The Assistant Chief of Police should oversee both the Ceasefire and CRT gun violence plans
FOCUSED SUPERVISION & ENFORCEMENT
www.theCApartnership.org 11
● The Ceasefire strategy , once robust, faced
internal challenges in recent years, deviating
from its original structure.
● In 2019, evidence -based practices waned as
DVP focused on "hot places" and families,
diluting the targeted risk reduction approach.
● The pandemic redirected life coaches from
violence reduction to broader community
needs, compromising the strategy's impact.
CONCLUSIONS
● Structural changes within OPD, including
VCOC, disrupted proactive policing, hindering
cri me preventi on under the Ceasef i re strategy .
● Audit recommendations provide a
roadmap for restoring the strategy's
effectiveness and fundamental structure
with a focus on high risk individuals (HRI)
driving gun violence.
● Concerted efforts and strategic leadership
from the Mayor and city administration are
crucial to restore success in reducing gun
violence and rebuilding community trust.
www.theCApartnership.or
g
[email protected]
g
www.thecapartnership.org
Reygan E. Cunningham Co-Director
rey gan@thecapartnershi p
V aughn Crandall Executive Director
vaughn@thecapartnership
Marina Gonzalez Senior Program Manager
mari na@thecapartnershi p
Prioritizing Public Safety
Re s o lu t io n No . 8 9 9 0 6 C.M.S.
Oakl and Pol i ce Department
Police Chief Darren Allison
La t e ra l P o lic e Ac a d e m y
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• La t e ra l p o lic e a c a d e m ie s o ffe r va lu a b le b e n e fit s, in c lu d in g :
o Shorter trai ni ng durati ons and
o Lo w e r in it ia l c o st s t h a n re c ru it a c a d e m ie s • Th e c u rric u lu m t yp ic a lly sp a n s 6 t o 8 w e e ks. • L ateral academ i es are cost -ef f ecti ve:
o Ma in e xp e n se s a re o ffic e r sa la rie s a n d t ra in in g fa c ilit y re n t a ls • La t e ra l a c a d e m ie s d o n o t re q u ire P OST c e rt ific a t io n a s la t e ra l re c ru it s c o m e w it h p rio r P OST c e rt ific a t io n a n d e xp e rie n c e La t e ra l P o lic e Ac a d e m y
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• A f ter compl eti on of the l ateral academy, o ffic e rs w ill t ra n sit io n i nto the f i el d trai ni ng program.
• G i ven that these of f i cers are al ready POST certi f i ed, thei r tenure i n the f i el d trai ni ng program wi l l be adj usted.
• W h ile OP D h a s t h e c a p a b ilit y t o ru n la t e ra l a c a d e m ie s, t h e y a re not the most ef f i ci ent use of ti me and resources. • L ateral academi es produce a l ow y i el d of candi dates and of f i cers in t ra in in g .
• If OP D p rio rit ize s la t e ra l a c a d e m y re c ru it m e n t , it lo se s t h e a b ilit y to conduct recrui tment and background f or other key posi ti ons. 9 11 D i s p a t c h e r s
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• A conti nuous recrui tment and testi ng process f or the di spatcher c la ssific a t io n w ill re m a in o p e n u n t il a ll va c a n t p o sit io n s a re fille d . • Other recrui tment measures:
• OP D h a s u t ilize d so c ia l m e d ia m a rke t in g t o in c re a se it s Fa c e b o o k, T wi tter, and I nstagram presence.
• OP D w ill p o st se ve ra l t im e s d a ily a c ro ss t h e se t h re e p la t fo rm s t o i ncrease communi ty engagement and encourage appl i cati ons. • OP D w ill c o n t in u e c o m m u n it y e n g a g e m e n t : g e t m o re in vo lve d in c o m m u n it y e ve n t s, c a re e r fa irs, a n d vo lu n t e e r in it ia t ive s. 9 11 D i s p a t c h e r s
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• Other recrui tment measures:
• Ut ilize e xist in g n e t w o rks: le ve ra g e o u r p e rso n a l a n d p ro fe ssio n a l networks to spread the word about j ob openi ngs
• Connect wi th other agenci es and get ref erral s f rom thei r e lig ib ilit y list
• A nal yze and i mprove recrui tment metri cs
From January 1 6 supplem ental report:
• Expedi ted recrui tment f or operators was cancel l ed. 9 11 D i s p a t c h e r s
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• Hirin g m e a su re s:
• HRM w ill c re a t e a m e c h a n ism fo r a c c e p t in g q u a lifyin g Crit iCa ll ex ams ( publ i c saf ety di spatcher test) .
• In J a n u a ry 20 24 , HRM w ill h o ld t h e Crit iCa ll e xa m a n d t yp in g t e st i n person on the same day .
• HRM w ill c re a t e a p ro c e ss fo r a p p lic a n t s w h o fa il t h e w rit t e n e xa m to retake and appl y i n three months.
• I ncrease the hi ri ng i ncenti v e to attract more candi dates. 9 11 D i s p a t c h e r s
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• Retenti on measures:
• Offe r a fin a n c ia l in c e n t ive fo r lo n g e vit y • Of f er prof essi onal and personal dev el opment i n the f ol l owi ng areas:
o Stress Management
o Fisc a l Re sp o n sib ilit y
o L egal I ssues that i m pact the Publ i c Safety I ndustry o Disaster/Mass Casualty Preparedness
• Cre a t e a w o rkp la c e in t e rve n t io n p ro g ra m sp e c ific a lly fo r t h e Co m m u n ic a t io n s Divisio n t o a d d re ss t h e e xist e n c e o f vic a rio u s traum a, secondary traum ati c stress, and com passi on f ati gue 9 11 D i s p a t c h e r s
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• Retenti on measures:
• Th e Divisio n is c u rre n t ly w o rkin g t o c re a t e a n e m p lo ye e recognition program
• Create a work -from -hom e program for call -t a kin g • I ncrease Prof essi onal Devel opment Funds to of f set the cost of attendi ng an accredi ted educati onal i nsti tuti on
• Conti nue to emphasi ze empl oyee wel l -bei ng, mental , phy si cal , and emoti onal , by worki ng wi th the Prof essi onal Dev el opment and Wel l ness Uni t ( PDWU)
W a lkin g Be a t Offic e r P la n
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• I n October 2022, OPD recei ved the ST A T E COPS G rant • T he grant f unded 2 sergeants and 1 5 of f i cers to be depl oy ed as fo o t p a t ro l in a ll a re a s o f t h e c it y
• T he Foot Patrol Uni t (FP U) w ill b e t h e first lin e c o n t a c t w it h busi ness merchants on thei r beats.
• FPU can qui ckl y respond to thei r compl ai nts or questi ons because they wi l l hav e an establ i shed rel ati onshi p. • BFO 1 FPU hours of operation are Tuesday -Friday 1 200 - 2200. T hese hours al so al l ow us to provi de coverage for Ci ty Counci l Meeti ngs every other T uesday and vari ous commi ttee meeti ngs.
• BFO 2 FPU hours of operation are Monday -T hursday 0700- 1 700.
W a lkin g Be a t Offic e r P la n
From January 1 6 supplem ental report:
• T wo trust bui l di ng of f i cers hav e been acti v e i n the f oot patrol uni t ( FPU) as needed.
• T he FPU has had si gni f i cant measurabl e resul ts i n the reducti on of robberi es i n thei r assi gned corri dors.
o Of note i s the 98 th and Bi gge area where the number of robberi es has dropped.
• A ddi ti onal FPU staf f i ng i s not anti ci pated i n the near f uture and OP D w ill b e c o n t in u in g it s c u rre n t lo c a t io n s a n d t im e s.
FBI & C HP Partnershi ps
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• OPD has 2 OPD col d case i nv esti gators, 3 FBI speci al agents, and 1 FBI a n a lyst w h o a re fu ll t im e in t h is t a sk fo rc e . • T he OPD/FBI C ol d case uni t sol v ed 8 Oakl and col d case homi ci des in 2023.
From January 1 6 supplem ental report:
• OPD f requentl y requests the FBI cri me l ab to process col d case DNA evi dence, out of state assi stance wi th i ntervi ewi ng wi tnesses or suspects, and i denti f y i ng v i cti ms that were prev i ous Doe’ s. • OPD can al so cal l f or the i m m edi ate assi stance of a dozen or so agents i f needed.
• FBI agents can onl y hel p wi th speci f i c tasks si nce they are sal ari ed e m p lo ye e s a n d h a ve lim it a t io n s b y fe d e ra l la w .
FBI & C HP Partnershi ps
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• CHP started Operati on Saf e Streets i n September i n September of 2023. • T he mi ssi on of thi s operati on was C HP assi sted OPD i n the reducti on of cri mi nal acti v i ty wi th a pri mary f ocus on Hegenberger R oad near the Oakl and A i rport ( A nnex A ) , the Oakl and Hi l l s ( A nnex B) , porti ons of I nternati onal Boul ev ard i n E ast Oakl and ( A nnex C ) , and downtown Oakl and ( A nnex D) . • T he depl oy ments concentrated on proacti v e enf orcement to reduce cri mi nal a c t ivit y:
• Vehi cl e thef t
• Hig h w a y vio le n c e
• Org a n ize d c rim e
From January 1 6 suppl emental report:
• C HP i s not goi ng to make any changes to thei r current operati on. T hey wi l l conti nue to staf f si x of f i cers and one sergeant on ov erti me assi gnments on T uesday s and Fri day s f or the hours 1 200 -2200.
Co n fisc a t in g ille g a l g u n s
From Decem ber 1 9 report:
• On a year -to -year average, 25% of f i rearms recovered by OPD have been ghost guns.
• For the first 7 m onths of 2023 (January 1 st – Jul y 31 st) , there have been a total of 1 35 ghost guns recov ered i n the ci ty of Oakl and. • OPD l ev erages f ederal partnershi ps wi th the A T F to assi st i n in ve st ig a t io n s o f fire a rm s t ra ffic kin g a n d ille g a l p o sse ssio n o f f i rearms, i ncl udi ng G host G uns.
• Strategi es to deter f i rearms traf f i cki ng i ncl ude covert/overt enf orcement i n hi gh cri me areas known f or shooti ngs and open- so u rc e in ve st ig a t io n
• OPD and A T F anal yze E -T race to i denti f y trends and patterns of ille g a l fire a rm s t ra ffic kin g a n d “st ra w p u rc h a sin g ” o f fire a rm s.
Co n fisc a t in g ille g a l g u n s
From January 1 6 supplem ental report:
• T he Oakl and G uns to G ardens gun buy back program i s a partnershi p between the Oakl and Pol i ce Department and communi ty groups. • Communi ty members v ol untari l y surrender unwanted f i rearms i n ex change f or gi f t cards i n the amounts of $1 00 -$300.
• T here i s educati onal m ateri al avai la b le on gun storage saf ety and responsi bl e gun ownershi p, as wel l as other resources i n ef f orts to combat gun v i ol ence. • The surrendered f i rearms woul d be f orged i nto garden tool s by Oakl and bl acksmi th John R ogers.
• T he f ol l owi ng number of f i rearms hav e been sei zed duri ng the l ast 3 G uns to G ardens gun buy back ev ents:
o June 2022: 131
o June 2023: 42
o Novem ber 2023: 68
LEARN MORE AT:
OAKLANDCA.GOV/DEP ARTMENTS/P OLICE
Prioritizing Public Safety
Re s o lu t io n No . 8 9 9 0 6 C.M.S.
Oakl and Fi re Departm ent
Fire Chief Damon Covington
and Dave Ebarle, Fire Dispatch
Communications Manager
T i p of the Spear f or Emergency Response
• The Fire Dispatch Center (FDC) receives approximately 65,000 emergency calls for service annually.
• The bulk of calls that come to Fire Dispatch start at the OPD dispatch center prior to being transferred to Fire.
• The calls are a mix of medical and fire related emergencies. • In 2022-23, The City launched the MACRO program, which offers an alternative response model other than police and a fire engine for non-emergency quality of life incidents. Those calls come thru 911. • Each day, FDC is staffed by 1 supervisor and the 3-5 dispatchers during each of the three 8 hour shifts.
Each day, FDC is staffed by 1
supervisor and the 3-5
dispatchers during each of
the three 8 hour shifts.
The FDC currently has 26
Full Time Employees
The FDC is currently in the
process of hiring to fill 3
vacancies.
Each day, FDC is staffed by 1
Supervisor and the 3-5
dispatchers during each of the
three 8 hour shifts (24 hrs.).
The FDC is budgeted for 26
Full Time Employees; 1
Manager; 5 Supervisors; and
20 Dispatchers. Additionally,
there are two dispatcher
positions funded thru the
MACRO budget.
The FDC is currently in the
process of recruiting to fill 3
vacancies.
Re so lu t io n Exc e rp t
WHEREAS, residents seeking emergency medical care or reporting a fire could be 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.
• The FDC is a secondary public safety answering point (PSAP). All 9-1-1 calls generated in the City of Oakland are answered by the OPD Communications which is the primary PSAP. It is true that delays which occur at the primary PSAP level may impact our ability to quickly process emergency medical or fire related calls.
• OFD utilizes Computer Aided Dispatch (PCAD) and NFPA 1710 response standard to ensure it is on par with national best practices. • OPD and OFD Comm Centers work together to provide the best service possible.
• Aside from the fact we utilize the same CAD software, steps have been taken to improve coordination of field responses.
• OFD instituted combined supervisor meetings with OPD to address routine issues and identify common areas in need of improvement. We co-host each other’s academies for familiarization and observation time to increase knowledge of internal operations
Re so lu t io n Exc e rp t
WHEREAS, on September 11, 2023, the Mayor and four councilmembers announced a new $2.5 million technology investment in Oakland's 911 response system
• City Administrator recently announced that joint recruitment opportunities • to fill vacant dispatcher positions at both OPD and OFD could expedite filling of these positions.
• OFD’s Dispatch Center is anticipating returning three Senior Fire Communications Dispatcher position to increase the capacity at FDC and to have greater flexibility and capacity to meet current need, and allow OFD to have increased staff to handle the demand of over 60,00) calls for service that OFD receives annually.
R ecrui tment, Hi ri ng and R etenti on ( A )
Recruitment
• A conti nuous recrui tment and testi ng process f or the di spatcher c la ssific a t io n w ill re m a in o p e n u n t il a ll va c a n t p o sit io n s a re fille d . • T hree requi si ti ons are bei ng opened f or posi ti ons that currentl y ex i st i n our di spatch center.
• OFD w ill c o n t in u e it s so c ia l m e d ia c a m p a ig n t o a d ve rt ise t h e di spatcher posi ti ons.
• OFD w ill c o n t in u e t o u t ilize OP D’s e lig ib ilit y list t o e xp e d it e t h e recrui tment and hi ri ng process.
R ecrui tment, Hi ri ng and R etenti on ( B)
Hiring
• OFD has conti nued to partner wi th C i ty of Oakl and Human R esources whi ch handl es al l OFD recrui tment and hi ri ng processes. • Ut ilize fre e o r lo w-cost onl i ne j ob boards and i ndustry -sp e c ific websi tes to post j ob announcements: I ndeed, monster. com, L i nkedI n, etc.
• Co n n e c t w it h o t h e r a g e n c ie s a n d g e t re fe rra ls fro m t h e ir e lig ib ilit y list . Th is m a y w o rk w it h sm a lle r a g e n c ie s w it h a p o o l o f e lig ib le candi dates i nterested i n bei ng di spatchers.
R ecrui tment, Hi ri ng and R etenti on ( C )
Retention
• I ncrease Prof essi onal Devel opment Funds to of f set the cost of attendi ng conti nui ng educati on trai ni ng.
• E stabl i sh three ( 3) Seni or Di spatcher posi ti ons f or upward mobi l i ty of our workforce.
• Conti nue to emphasi ze empl oyee wel l -bei ng, mental , phy si cal , and emoti onal , by worki ng wi th the OFD wel l ness program to promote a heal thy , producti v e workf orce, bui l d empl oy ee moral e, and f oster empl oy ee pri de and i nv ol v ement.
Re so lu t io n Exc e rp t
WHEREAS, MACRO has been functioning as a pilot program for almost 18 months and only handles a relatively small number of 911 calls for service, and it is noted that MACRO was intended to take a higher number of nonviolent 9 -1-1 calls . • T hrough the 1 8 -month pi l ot, MA C R O has shown the capaci ty to respond to a si gni f i cant number of i nci dents that woul d hav e prev i ousl y been handl ed by pol i ce or fire op e ra tion s sta ff.
• MA C R O’ s presence i n the publ i c saf ety space accounted f or ov er 1 5, 000 cal l s f or serv i ce, and i denti f y i ng Oakl and resi dents i n need of support and care. • One of the maj or tenants of the MA CRO model i s to rel i eve stress on the 9 -1-1 system and to of f er nonv i ol ent serv i ces i ndi v i dual s ex peri enci ng a mental heal th cri si s. • T he di rect phone number to MA C R O wi l l be av ai l abl e to our resi dents begi nni ng i n March 2024 ( Q1 of 2024) , and ci ty staf f f rom OFD and Oak31 1 are expl ori ng a cal l f or servi ce pi l ot program to al l ow extended opti ons to request MA CRO servi ces as needed.
• MA CRO currentl y has a staf f of el even ( 1 1 ) responders, operati ng seven days a week fro m 6AM -2P M, w it h a m in im u m o f t w o c re w s a va ila b le t o re sp o n d . • MA C R O i s currentl y i n process of hi ri ng si x teen ( 1 6) new members to boost capaci ty a n d a va ila b ilit y.
Re so lu t io n Exc e rp t
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Council hereby directs the City Administrator to 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, review existing OPD calls for service statistics, suggest ways to increase the number and types of appropriate calls referred to MACRO, and return to City Council with a report including options and recommendations .
• T he Fi re Department i s seeki ng to work C i ty A dmi ni strati on to i denti f y an i ndependent vendor to conduct a 3 rd party assessm ent of the fi rst 20 m onths of MA CRO operati onal peri od.
OFD has reached out to UC Berkel ey to determi ne avai l abi l i ty of a research team. • I n the ni neteen ( 1 9) months that M A C R O has been i n operati on, the program has prov en to be on par wi th si mi l ar al ternati v e response programs i n the Uni ted States. A s hi ghl i ghted i n the M A C R O One Y ear R eport publ i shed i n A pri l of 2023. M A C R O i s comparabl e, and i n some areas ex ceedi ng, the i mpact of si mi l ar programs i n A tl anta, G A , San Franci sco, C A , and E ugene, OR . • T he asserti on regardi ng M A C R O and cal l v ol ume bei ng substanti al l y f ewer compared to other j uri sdi cti ons i s i ncorrect. Pl ease see suppl emental agenda report data that has been com pi l ed to i l l ustrate our progress com pared to m ore establ i shed program s.
LEARN MORE
For more information on the Oakland Fire Department Dispatch Center and MACRO Program, visit:
www. oakl andca. gov/departm ents/fi re
Prioritizing Public Safety
Re s o lu t io n No . 8 9 9 0 6 C.M.S.
Cit y Ad m in ist ra t o r’s Offic e
City Administrator, Jestin D. Johnson