MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor & City Council FROM: Erin Roseman Director of Finance
SUBJECT: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget DATE: June 6, 2025 Development Questions/
Responses #1
PURPOSE
The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit to the full City Council and public, responses to questions raised by City Councilmembers and the public related to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-27 Proposed Budget. To the extent additional information becomes available on any of the responses below, updates will be provided.
For questions, please contact Bradley Johnson, Budget Administrator, at (510) 207-5730.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/
ERIN ROSEMAN
Director of Finance
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 2
2 QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES
CM Rowena Brown Questions
Oakland Police Department:
● How will we achieve the Measure NN minimum officer amount of 700?
Oakland must slow the rate of Officer attrition and increase the number of trainees entering academies in order to achieve 700 officers in two years.
A review of the last five years of hiring, academy, field training, and attrition revealed that OPD academies start with an average of 32 trainees and an average of 20 who complete the entire process. The five-year attrition rate is about 5.75 officers per month, 69 officers per year.
The following are four actions that can be taken in attempt to increase OPD staffing:
Continue on the current course of three academies per year with 35 trainees authorized Increase the number of trainees per academy to 45
Increase the number of academies to four per year, still staffed at 35 trainees Slow attrition
Figure 1 shows four projections based on current trends and possible scenarios.
Figure 1 - Source OPD Staffing Data. The projection lines are approximate and do not show day to day staffing fluctuations.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 3
3 Regardless of academy and field training changes at this point, OPD will attrit to a low of about 625-635 officers based on current trend. Projection 1 estimates staffing based on current attrition rate, three academies every four months starting in July 2025, and a slightly increased academy/field training completion rate of 23 officers per cycle. This is the minimum requirement to hold staffing around 640 and will not net any additional staff in the long term. As previously stated, we are not currently on track for 35 recruits per academy, indicating that reality could trend below Projection 1.
Projection 2 estimates a low attrition rate of 4.5 officers per month, an academy every four months and 28 officers per hiring cycle. Projection 3 maintains the trends of Projection 1, but with an academy starting every three months. Projection 4 includes the lower attrition and higher completion rate with an academy starting every three months. In the more optimistic attrition model of Projection 2, a three academy per year model, this will be achieved in mid- 2027.
Slowing the rate of attrition is potentially the most cost-effective solution. OPD loses three academies worth of fully trained police officers each year. While not all can be retained, many can be influenced to remain at OPD. Review of previous exit interview data suggest that heavy discipline, family, lack of communication, and insufficient resources have been cited as the top areas of concern.
Increasing authorized academy size to 45 will increase number of graduates but based on the competitiveness of the current market for police officer hiring and the size of the applicant pool it will be challenging to successfully recruit 30 more candidates per year. Actions taken to slow the rate of attrition could potentially have a secondary impact on recruiting, making OPD a more desirable place to work than the surrounding a Bay Area cities that are also hiring in large numbers.
From a recruitment and background standpoint, law enforcement agencies across the nation are facing challenges similar to those of the Oakland Police Department (OPD) in both attracting and retaining officers compared to five years ago. Contributing factors to this trend include an increase in resignations and retirements, as well as a general decline in the perceived attractiveness of the law enforcement profession.
As discussed in response to Question #9, there is a critical need for significant investment in marketing to enhance recruitment efforts. At the local level, OPD is actively utilizing a wide range of strategies to attract talent from within the community. This local-first approach helps ensure that the department reflects the community it serves, thereby strengthening public trust and fostering meaningful community relationships. Local recruits often bring pre-existing ties to the area, a deeper cultural understanding, and a stronger long-term commitment to the city.
Key local recruitment strategies currently employed by OPD include:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 4
4 Partnerships with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) and Local Colleges Participation in Local Cultural Events, Special Interest Gatherings, and Community-Based Organization Activities
Targeted Advertising via Billboards, Radio, and Public Transit
Despite these robust local efforts, OPD has made minimal investment in national-level recruitment compared to peer cities such as St. Louis, Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, Austin, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C.; all of which have implemented comprehensive national recruitment campaigns. In today’s highly competitive labor market, it is essential for Oakland to extend its recruitment reach beyond city and state borders. Many jurisdictions in rural or lower- cost regions offer significantly lower salaries and fewer benefits, positioning OPD’s compensation package as a competitive advantage on a national scale.
Additionally, OPD has an opportunity to collaborate with local apartment communities that have expressed interest in offering discounted housing to officers. This initiative could be a highly effective recruitment tool, particularly for out-of-state candidates concerned about the cost of living. Such a partnership would offer multiple benefits for the city:
Increased Officer Residency in Oakland: Officers living within city limits are more likely to be engaged in and committed to the neighborhoods they serve. Economic Reinvestment: Officers residing locally contribute directly to Oakland’s economy by spending their income on local goods and services. Enhanced Community Integration: When officers are also residents, they build stronger personal relationships in the community, fostering greater trust, accountability, and responsiveness.
This housing initiative represents not only a recruitment incentive but also a long-term investment in public safety, economic growth, and civic engagement.
Oakland must also consider implementing signing bonus which has become an increasingly common and effective tool in law enforcement recruitment. Below is a summary of current signing bonuses offered by comparable agencies:
Bay Area Police Department Signing Bonuses
Agency Bonus
Amount Eligibility & Payout Structure
Alameda PD Up to
$75,000
$25,000 upon swearing-in with POST certification; $50,000 after completing Field Training Program with a 5-year service commitment.
San Mateo PD Up to
$30,000
For lateral officers with 3+ years of California patrol experience and POST certification.
San Jose PD $20,000 $5,000 upon hire, $5,000 after 6 months, $10,000 upon completing probation.
San Francisco
PD $5,000 $2,500 after Field Training Program; $2,500 upon completing probation.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 5
5 Berkeley PD $25,000 Proposed to enhance recruitment efforts.
Hayward & El
Cerrito PDs $10,000 Offered to attract new officers.
Other California Agencies
Agency Bonus
Amount Eligibility & Payout Structure
Costa Mesa PD
$25,000
(Lateral)
/ $10,000
(Entry-
Level)
Lateral: $7,500 upon hire, $7,500 after Field Training, $10,000 upon completing probation. Entry-Level: $3,000 upon hire, $3,000 after Field Training, $4,000 upon completing probation.
Westminster PD $10,000 $5,000 upon hire, $5,000 after probation for lateral officers with POST certification.
El Monte PD $5,000 $2,500 upon academy graduation, $2,500 after one year of service.
Beverly Hills PD $15,000–
$20,000
Pre-service: $15,000 over two years; Lateral: $20,000 over two years.
Long Beach PD $3,000–
$5,000
$3,000 for new recruits; $4,000 for lateral hires; $5,000 retention bonus in 2024.
A re-investment in the Police Cadet Program, Lateral / Returning Officers Initiative and Pre- Academy Employment.
Police Cadet Program. The Police Cadet Program provides individuals as young as 18 years old with early exposure to law enforcement by offering them employment within the department.
This program immerses cadets in all facets of departmental operations, fostering a strong understanding of OPD’s culture, values, and responsibilities. Upon reaching the age of 20½, many cadets successfully transition into the Police Officer Trainee (POT) position, with an impressive academy graduation rate of approximately 90%. Furthermore, cadets who join the department through this pathway typically remain with OPD for an average of five years post- academy; demonstrating its effectiveness in both recruitment and retention.
Learning/Returning Officers Initiative. OPD’s Recruiting and Background Unit frequently receives inquiries from experienced law enforcement professionals interested in joining or returning to the department. However, the prospect of completing a full six-month academy often discourages these candidates; particularly those with extensive field experience. To address this, the creation of a condensed Lateral Academy is recommended. A streamlined 10- week program, and an additional 16-week Field Training phase, would allow seasoned officers to quickly integrate into the department and resume patrol duties. This approach would support OPD’s goal of reaching 700 sworn officers within the next two years. Notably, five former officers had submitted applications to return to OPD prior to the hiring freeze, signaling an existing pool of qualified candidates ready for reintegration.
Pre-Academy Employment. Pre-Academy Employment has proven to be an effective strategy for retaining high-caliber recruits following the issuance of conditional offers. This temporary employment bridges the gap between selection and the start of the police academy, helping to
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 6
6 maintain engagement and commitment. Unfortunately, recent delays in academy scheduling led to the loss of three top-tier POT candidates, who instead accepted offers from neighboring agencies, including Hayward PD, Alameda PD, Antioch PD, and Albany PD. If OPD had been able to pre-hire these individuals, the department’s recruitment numbers would be notably stronger.
● The Mayor's proposed budget funds 6 police academies. When was the last time that OPD was able to fill at least 4 academies in a two-year period? The last time the OPD successfully filled at least four police academies within a two-year period was between FY 2013-14 and FY 2014-15. The 168th, 169th and 170th academies began and completed in FY 2013-14, and the 171st and 172nd academies began in FY 2013-14 and completed in FY 2014-15.
● What’s the minimum number of recruits needed to start a police academy?
The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) which sets minimum selection and training standards for California law enforcement doesn't regulate what the minimum class size would be in order to start an academy. POST is aware of statewide recruiting challenges, so it would be up to OPD leadership whether to start on a proposed start date with only small numbers ready.
● Is the budget proposal for police academies in alignment with our ability to recruit for the academies over the next two years?
The proposed budget, which includes funding for three academies per year, will enable the Department to initiate the lengthy process of recruiting to fill existing vacancies and maintain a steady pace in anticipation of attrition. However, it is important to recognize that OPD faces competition from other local agencies for academy candidates. Therefore, a dedicated budget for marketing and advertising, is essential to reach a broader and more diverse pool of applicants and to remain competitive in the recruitment arena. The proposed budget allocates $750,000 per academy under Operations and Maintenance (O&M), with $250,000 designated for the Recruiting and Background Unit and $500,000 designated for the Training Division.
While there is no specific line item for marketing and advertising, the allocated funds are intended to support overall academy operations, including contracts, supplies, and other necessary expenses.
It is also important to understand that, on average, the process from application submission to completion of a background investigation takes approximately four to six months. Therefore,
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 7
7 filling academies is not immediate, but rather a gradual process that requires sustained effort over time.
● How is police overtime used? [Please list special operations]
There is no discretionary overtime. All overtime is related to beat backfill, NSA required investigations and hold over due to operational requirements related to critical incidents. If an operation is necessary which requires overtime the request is routed through the chain of command and presented to the City Administrator for approval prior to scheduling.
Department of Violence Prevention:
● What is the department’s Ceasefire budget and staffing?
The current Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Ceasefire budget is $4.39 million, which funds 30.80 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions and participant stipends. Of this amount, $1.83 million (42%) is supported by the General-Purpose Fund, while the remaining 58% is funded through state, federal, and philanthropic grants.
The FY2025-27 Mayor’s Budget proposes to restore nine Ceasefire positions—eight Case Manager I roles and one Violence Prevention Services Supervisor—increasing the City’s investment in Ceasefire to $4.68 million in FY25–26. This funding will support 39.80 FTE positions, stipends for 80 new Ceasefire participants, and one-time infrastructure costs for Ceasefire. In FY26–27, the City will invest $3.21 million in Ceasefire to fund 39.80 FTEs and provide incentives for 80 new participants.
Oakland Fire Department:
● How much funding does MACRO receive in the budget? And, how much does it cost to run the program annually?
The MACRO budget is $6.9 million per year in the proposed budget. The department estimates that MACRO would need to approximately $7.6 million per year to fully budget for the program. This funding would support 8-9 MACRO teams deployable per day and other O&M costs, however, actual spending has been significantly lower at $3 million per year due in FY23 and FY24, due to salary savings. For the current year, the department anticipates projected expenditures of $5.7 million for the program across all funding sources. MARCO costs are covered in large part by settlement funds regarding Opioids.
Oakland Public Works:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 8
8 ● Why were Environmental Enforcement Officers and Graffiti Abatement positions left vacant? What would it cost to unfreeze those positions and continue to hire for them?
The Environmental Enforcement Officers (EEO) and Painters (Graffiti Abatement) were left vacant due to the hiring freeze. The cost for an EEO is approximately $206K per year not including any premium or shift benefits. The cost for a Painter is approximately $225K per year.
Oakland Wifi:
● What are the savings from the OakWifi reduction? How much does the department estimate that repairs would cost?
The elimination of Oak WiFi service and maintenance equates to a $200,000 annual reduction from the ITD budget. The Department estimates that the total restoration of the network would cost $3+ million.
Human Services:
● Are there any reductions to the City’s Head Start program?
There are no reductions to the HeadStart Division that impact staffing or operations.
● Are there reductions to other food distribution programs aside from the youth summer meals program?
Due to the reallocation of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax (SSBT) funding, the Senior Services division was unable to fully fund Mercy Brown Bag for the full amount of $300,000. The support in the current budget is $150,000 in FY 2025-26, and $100,000 in FY 2026-27 of the proposed budget. Due to the reductions to funding for the Community Housing Services (CHS) division, there is no funding to support the Annual Thanksgiving Day dinner and meals provided to seniors and homeless individuals for approximately $300,000 for fully funded support.
Community Policing & Community Safety:
● Does the budget restore Neighborhood Services Coordinators (NSCs)? If not, what is the City’s plan to meet this community need?
No, the NSC position has been eliminated. The City Administrator’s Office (CAO) has developed a plan to support Neighborhood Council Chairs with their work by establishing Area Team
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 9
9 meetings led by CAO Sustainability and Resilience Staff in partnership with the Oakland Police Department (OPD) Area Commanders. These will be used to identify areawide priorities that OPD and the CAO can address in an inter-departmental manner (the NEST Approach).
However, the city will not be able to visit every Neighborhood Council (NC) meeting, provide daily individual attention to NC members, follow-up on Oak311 requests and specific crime occurrences/concerns, or support the planning of neighborhood events such as community clean-ups, safety walks. There is also currently no funding to support the Neighborhood Watch program. Staff have considered identifying overtime funds (approximate cost 15K annually) to support limited Neighborhood Watch trainings and recording those trainings, making them accessible online, and engaging with the Neighborhood Watch Block Captains Steering Committee to provide trainings.
● What new staff and funding are needed to implement the Neighborhood Enhancement Services Team (NEST)?
The NEST approach does not rely on funding explicitly but rather, assembles a team of staff from multiple departments who are already assigned to perform services and simply organizes them to provide those services in a coordinated manner to support community-identified priorities. The capacity of the NEST Teams is impacted by the loss of the Neighborhood Services Division (NSD) and also by the overall reduction in positions the city has faced across all departments. The speed with which NEST Teams can address interdepartmental priorities is slowed down by these capacity challenges. If there were more Community Resource Officers (CROs) in OPD, more illegal dumping crews in OPW, or more OakDOT Vehicle Enforcement Officers then the response to priorities would be much faster.
Staffing Reductions:
● Please provide the full list of deleted and frozen positions by department with functional titles (current list has just job class)
The budget reports reflect only official job classification titles do not include functional or working titles.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 10
10 CM Zac Unger Questions
1. a. How many police recruits per academy are we projecting? Between 24-28 recruits per academy, except for one academy which is a smaller academy where the range is anticipated between 14-16.
b. What would be the savings by going to 5 larger academies rather than 6 smaller ones?
Running larger academies does not necessarily result in cost savings. Larger class sizes require additional resources, including instructional staff, training space and other logistical support. They also reduce the amount of individualized training time – or “touch hours” available for each cadet, which can impact training quality. For these reasons, scaling up academy operations at this time would be difficult to operationalize effectively. OPD has advised that class sizes should be capped at 45 recruits; based on the competitiveness of the current market for police officer hiring and the size of the applicant pool it will be challenging to successfully recruit 30 more candidates per year.
2. Ten year report of how much we’ve put aside in the self-insurance fund and how much we’ve spent each year.
Fiscal
Year
Personnel
& OH
Insurance
Premium
Claims
Settlements
Legal
Fees
Other
O&M (1) Total
Repayment
Amount
Budgeted
FY14
3,341,151
2,636,514
14,193,344
4,727,125
2,201 $ 24,900,335 $ 1,675,953
FY15
4,415,490
2,903,484
9,315,247
4,927,090
2,201 $ 21,563,513 $ 881,259 FY16
5,128,866
5,311,936
7,695,173
4,671,163
367,768 $ 23,174,906 $ 1,329,632 FY17
5,278,890
11,593,009
3,924,568
5,634,158
406,246 $ 26,836,871 $ 2,112,875 FY18
2,378
283,283
7,794,072
10,784,495
(17,863) $ 18,846,365 $ 2,351,647 FY19
5,902
9,263,693
5,541,049
11,122,503
942 $ 25,934,089 $ - FY20
54,463
11,156,219
8,859,397
13,838,698
5,921 $ 33,914,698 $ 2,081,075
FY21
175,443
14,709,703
4,814,592
9,942,058
27,050 $ 29,668,847 $ (779,105) FY22
432,681
17,441,921
6,004,413
15,222,045
15,758 $ 39,116,817 $ 1,797,270
FY23
587,435
18,414,833
7,204,801
9,827,034
957 $ 36,035,059 $ 17,270,779
FY24
209,447
22,627,698
24,958,644
11,787,183
3,318,081 $ 62,901,052 n/a
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
Subject: FY 2025-27 Proposed Budget Development Questions/Responses #1 Date: June 6, 2025 Page 11
11 Fiscal
Year
Personnel
& OH
Insurance
Premium
Claims
Settlements
Legal
Fees
Other
O&M (1) Total
Repayment
Amount
Budgeted
(1) FY24 Other O&M amount is due to the booking of prior year expenses for cyber security related to the February 2023 cyber-attack.
3. How much remains in the self-insurance fund from FY 24/25? As of the Third Quarter revenue and expenditure report, the projected ending fund balance is -$1.3 million.
4. a. How does revenue from the PFRS override get counted? Revenue from the PFRS override is not included in the GPF and is accounted separately as a dedicated funding source to pay the system’s annual pension obligations, which are actuarially determined.
b. What do we predict happening with that account over the 2-year cycle? Based on the latest actuarial analysis, the override collections combined with investment earnings are on track to eliminate the unfunded liability by the end of FY 2026-27.