Safety

At a Friday afternoon press conference outside the Interfaith Tent on Frank Ogawa Plaza, at the edge of the Occupy Oakland encampment, nine clergy members from around the East Bay made impassioned statements to media and passersby in defense of the camp following renewed calls to dismantle it in the wake of the fatal shooting nearby the night before.

On Occupy Oakland’s one-month anniversary, a man was shot and killed on the outskirts of the encampment Thursday afternoon. Witnesses at the scene said the victim was shot at around 5 pm, following an altercation with a small group of African American men that erupted near the portable toilets on the northeast side of the encampment.

Oakland Police Department spokesperson Johnna Watson released this statement at 5:30 pm: “On November 10, 2011 at 4:57 PM, the Oakland Police Department responded to the 1400 block of Broadway on a report of a shooting.

On Tuesday night, the Public Safety Committee heard a report by the Oakland Police Department on the efficacy of the North Oakland gang injunction, meant to provide more insight into the effects of injunctions before the city implements additional ones. It concluded that violent crime had risen in the gang injunction area, while other crimes were down.

Oaklanders have six days left to vote for or against Measure I, a tax increase for homeowners that would be used to compensate budget deficits in various city departments, specially the Oakland Police. Mayor Jean Quan’s proposal has incited a heated debate among councilmembers and residents on whether the tax increase will truly help alleviate the city’s financial crisis.

Oakland North has put together this overview of Measure I for Oakland residents who haven’t yet mailed their ballots.

In his first extended interview since his recent resignation as Oakland’s Chief of Police, Anthony Batts sits down with Oakland North to reflect on his success, his shortfalls, and what lies ahead for the Oakland Police Department.” I could have all the commitment in the world,” he says. “But if I didn’t have the tools to get the job done, it was a waste of time.”

East Bay Agency for Children’s Circle of Care program started in 1982 as a way to deliver basic illness and grief support to the community. Over the last three decades, the program has evolved to include individual and family counseling, as well as support groups.

This busy part of 8th Street is the site for one of the many proposed bikeways in Oakland. However, some Chinatown leaders said the city should think twice before adding bikes to the mix on 8th Street, as well as parallel 9th Street, which has a similar bustling vibe.