Posts Tagged ‘Measure Y’
Oakland City Council backs teachers; doesn’t vote on rent protections
The Oakland City Council meeting ended in confusion and shouts of anger Tuesday night after a legal issue delayed a vote on an ordinance that would have extended rent control protections to tenants living in own-occupied duplexes and triplexes. “What’s the issue?” shouted attendee Reisa Jaffe at new Council President Rebecca Kaplan (at-large). “I’d like…
Read MoreCity Council OK’s hiring law enforcement consultants including ex-LAPD chief William Bratton
The City Council on Tuesday night voted in a slew of programs aimed at reducing violent crime in Oakland, including hiring a police consulting firm for $250,000, contracting with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, hiring 20 civilians to assist police, and funding a third police academy in two years.
Read MoreAs reported shootings rise, analyzing gun violence, and its effect on young people, in Oakland
Scid Howard III grew up on the streets of East Oakland, so he knows what it’s like to be a teenager in a city where some young people are lost forever to gun violence and others live on, scarred physically and mentally. Howard himself was shot at age 19 and witnessed the shooting death of…
Read MoreIn East Oakland, Friday night parties seek to reduce street violence
On Friday, over 60 Havenscourt neighborhood residents gathered at Carter Gilmore Park in East Oakland to attend “Friday Summer Nights at the Park,” a weekly series of family-friendly fun nights hosted by Messengers 4 Change, a coalition of Oakland organizations and residents working together to decrease violence. At the same time, a similar party was happening further east at Willie Wilkins Park in the Elmhurst neighborhood. The goal of these Friday night events is to decrease street violence by turning strangers into neighbors.
Read MoreCity council debates funding for violence prevention programs
Violence prevention programs funded by Measure Y are working, according to a report presented at the Oakland City Council meeting on Tuesday night. But not well enough, councilmembers and speakers from the public responded.
Read MoreOakland City Council hears report on problem-solving officers at Tuesday’s meeting
Limited staffing and budget constraints hamper Oakland’s recently reinstated problem-solving officers, Deputy Chief Eric Breshears said in a report presented to the City Council Tuesday. Breshears said the police department is optimistic about the program but has faced challenges in implementation since its reinstatement in January.
Read MoreProblem-solving officers return to the beat, but with a few differences
After community policing positions in the Oakland police department were temporarily cut last summer due to city budget constraints, nearly all 57 problem-solving officers (PSOs) have returned to duty, working their first shift on January 15.
Read More2010 in Oakland: The year’s biggest stories
2010 was a tumultuous year for Oakland as both the city and state faced a heated election season, the courts weighed the validity of controversial measures passed during previous elections, and the effects of the 2008 financial collapse continued to reverberate throughout the local economy, but it was also a year of new beginnings. Oakland North presents a guide to the year’s top stories.
Read MoreCourt rules Oakland did not misspend Measure Y funds
On Friday, a state appeals court panel in San Francisco ruled that Oakland did not misspend millions of dollars generated from Measure Y, a 2004 police staffing parcel tax.
Read MoreMeasure BB preserves tax, enhances safety services
After an election season filled with debate over Oakland’s public safety funding woes, voters passed Measure BB Tuesday by a two-thirds majority. The measure’s approval means the city will continue collecting parking and property taxes for police, fire and violence prevention programs.
Read MoreOaklanders decide the fate of local and statewide ballot initiatives
On Tuesday, Oakland residents decided the fate of several local education and public safety funding measures, along with statewide ballot initiatives like Proposition 19.
Read MoreVoters decide future of violence prevention funding
Two measures on the ballot this November give voters the chance to decide the future of public safety funding in Oakland. If either Measure BB or Measure X passes, the city can again collect funds for a slew of public safety programs that currently have no revenue to support them.
Read MoreCommunity organizers urge support for Measure BB
At a Monday morning press conference, 12 community activists from anti-violence, religious and crime prevention groups backed Council Member and mayoral candidate Jean Quan in promoting Measure BB, a public safety measure that will appear on the November city ballot.
Read MoreWith fewer officers, Oakland’s policing strategy changes
Since the layoff of 80 police officers, Oakland’s policing strategy has changed, and neighborhood safety groups are grappling with how to react. The Oakland Police Department plans to focus more on emergencies and less on community problem-solving and the investigation of non-violent crimes.
Read MoreThe Oakland budget, by the numbers
A quick look at a few of the numbers you should know before the city council deliberates the budget Thursday night, June 24.
Read MoreTensions flare as Oakland residents, city officials discuss budget solutions
In a community meeting that was often spirited and at one point even led to a physical altercation, city officials met with Oakland residents Thursday night for the last of three sessions to share ideas about how to close the city’s budget gap.
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