Oakland Police Officer’s Association releases statement about “confusing” week
on November 1, 2011
Early Tuesday morning, the Oakland Police Officer’s Association released the following “Open letter to the citizens of Oakland,” reprinted here in its entirety:
We represent the 645 police officers who work hard every day to protect the citizens of Oakland. We, too, are the 99% fighting for better working conditions, fair treatment and the ability to provide a living for our children and families. We are severely understaffed with many City beats remaining unprotected by police during the day and evening hours.
As your police officers, we are confused.
On Tuesday, October 25th, we were ordered by Mayor Quan to clear out the encampments at Frank Ogawa Plaza and to keep protesters out of the Plaza. We performed the job that the Mayor’s Administration asked us to do, being fully aware that past protests in Oakland have resulted in rioting, violence and destruction of property.
Then, on Wednesday, October 26th, the Mayor allowed protesters back in – to camp out at the very place they were evacuated from the day before.
To add to the confusion, the Administration issued a memo on Friday, October 28th to all City workers in support of the “Stop Work” strike scheduled for Wednesday, giving all employees, except for police officers, permission to take the day off.
That’s hundreds of City workers encouraged to take off work to participate in the protest against “the establishment.” But aren’t the Mayor and her Administration part of the establishment they are paying City employees to protest? Is it the City’s intention to have City employees on both sides of a skirmish line?
It is all very confusing to us.
Meanwhile, a message has been sent to all police officers: Everyone, including those who have the day off, must show up for work on Wednesday. This is also being paid for by Oakland taxpayers. Last week’s events alone cost Oakland taxpayers over $1 million.
The Mayor and her Administration are beefing up police presence for Wednesday’s work strike they are encouraging and even “staffing,” spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for additional police presence – at a time when the Mayor is also asking Oakland residents to vote on an $80 parcel tax to bail out the City’s failing finances.
All of these mixed messages are confusing.
We love Oakland and just want to do our jobs to protect Oakland residents. We respectfully ask the citizens of Oakland to join us in demanding that our City officials, including Mayor Quan, make sound decisions and take responsibility for these decisions. Oakland is struggling – we need real leaders NOW who will step up and lead – not send mixed messages. Thank you for listening.
You can see Oakland North’s complete coverage of Occupy Oakland here.
3 Comments
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Oakland North is an online news service produced by students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and covering Oakland, California. Our goals are to improve local coverage, innovate with digital media, and listen to you–about the issues that concern you and the reporting you’d like to see in your community. Please send news tips to: oaklandnorthstaff@gmail.com.
1. The city is broke. (financially and morally)
2. Police are obligated to protect the public FROM these leaders who have bancrupted our city. (arrest the highest authorities involved first, starting with the mayor)
3. Any of you that have been there, know the protesters care about you, but the riot gear needs to go. (fear is tactics from criminals above you)
4. Read the U.S. constitution AGAIN.
5. I am a veteran, just like Scott Olsen.
6. I am not confused, so I hope you find the COURAGE to do what we all know is right.
7. Your grandchildren and my grandchildren want to live in a peaceful society, so stop escalating the violence.
8. These are PEACEFUL protests, we all know it.
9. Thank you for your careful consideration.
10. We love you man!
POLL on Scott Olsen and the cover up (support alt. media, pass it around): http://members.beforeitsnews.com/story/1288/751/NL/
[…] neared, tensions between Oakland city officials grew as the Oakland Police Officers Association released a statement criticizing the “confusing” orders being given to law enforcement by the mayor’s office, legal groups began investigating the […]