D4, D5, D7 Budget Amendments: East Oakland Community Safety Ambassador StrategyCouncilmember Janani RamachandranCouncilmember Noel GalloCouncilmember Treva Reid Prioritizing Public Safety•In a strained budget year with unprecedented revenue shortfalls, Councilmembers Ramachandran, Gallo, and Reid wish to prioritize public safety with our limited general funds•A safer Oakland in turn will lead to greater economic growth and development, cleaner and thriving neighborhoods, and greater stability and quality of life for residents of all ages and backgrounds.
Background: FY 23-25 Budget Asks•Councilmembers Ramachandran, Gallo, and Reid had made requests in their respective budget memos & amendments for East Oakland community safety ambassadors •Fruitvale (D5) and Hegenberger (D7) received small allocations of the $1M allocated via EWD in FY 23-24•Laurel did not receive any EWD ambassador funds, but CM Ramachandran used her direct community grant allocation to fund a small pilot program 6-week ambassador program.
FY 24-25 Mayor’s Proposed BudgetThe $1M slated for FY 24-25 – part of which would have gone to East Oakland small business corridors – are now proposed to be cut.Downtown, Chinatown, and Lakeshore were able to leverage Mayor’s support to procure $3.5M for their ambassador programs – leaving out East Oakland despite the substantial need.
The Need:•Safety Ambassador programs are new in East Oakland, unlike Downtown, Chinatown, and Lakeshore which have had thriving and successful programs for many years that are funded by the City, philanthropy, state and federal grants, and private sector.•Initial City investment for continuous ambassador programs is critical to gaining external funding for long-term East Oakland ambassador programs.
The Need: Crime in East Oakland•OPD Area 4 (which includes Fruitvale, Dimond, and Laurel) saw a 20% increase in robberies & 13% increase in burglaries between YTD 2024 and YTD 3-Year Average•In contrast, OPD Area 1 (which includes Downtown, Chinatown, and portions of Lake Merritt) saw 39% decrease in burglaries and 17% decrease in robberies in same time period – part of which can be attributed to the success of their Safety Ambassador programs Success in D4 Laurel Safety Ambassadors Pilot•The 6-week ambassador program in Laurel during the Winter Holiday Period successfully led to a decrease in crime by over 30% compared to the same time the year prior. Yet crime rose by 32% in the immediately six weeks that followed the program completion.•90% of residents surveyed said they felt safer ; 75% were more likely to shop and eat in the Laurel
Success in D7 Hegenberger Safety Ambassadors Pilot•Black Cultural Zone Safety Ambassadors have provided meaningful support in visible public safety efforts, merchant engagement, and homeless outreach•Since the pilot began, there has been a 18% decrease in homicides 74% decline in burglaries, and 42% decline in all serious crimes. •As home to the Oakland airport, D7 is a highly revenue generating corridor and serves as a gateway to the city.
Success in D5 Fruitvale Safety Ambassadors Pilot•The Fruitvale’s holiday season ambassador program had 24 Safety Ambassadors working around the clock 24 hours a day (KANO Special Services)•Led to decreased retail theft, incidents of harassment, vandalism, and violence •The ambassador program in Fruitvale serves 50,000 residents, 8,000 daily passengers in Fruitvale Village, and 365 businesses
The Ask: $900K for East Oakland Safety Ambassadors•For the FY 24-25 Mid-Cycle Budget review, we request Council to fund $900,000, split evenly between our districts, for a comprehensive East Oakland strategy•The needs of our districts cross borders. Dimond and Fruitvale are neighbors and share much of the same demographics of business owners and patrons. Similarly, Laurel and Deep East Oakland(6D & D7) share much of the same business patrons, employees, and residents.
Investing in East Oakland business corridors has a lasting impact for the entirety of East Oakland collectively – and we seek your support to building a safe Oakland that reaches all residents.
We urge the Oakland City Council to fund our $900K proposed East Oakland Community Safety Ambassador Strategy in FY 24-25 Thank youCouncilmember Janani Ramachandran, D4Councilmember Noel Gallo, D5Councilmember Treva Reid, D7