High number of hit and runs in Oakland prompts new state funding

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, a government agency that provides grants to local and state public agencies for programs to help them enforce traffic laws, Oakland has consistently had the highest rate of hit-and-run crashes of any large city in the state. “In 2014, there were 7,000 traffic collisions, of which 4,000 were hit and runs,” said Officer Glenn Hara, who works in the traffic investigation unit at the Oakland Police Department. Out of those cases, which include incidents with injuries and fatalities as well as more minor cases, such as damage to a parked car, OPD has solved fewer than 2 percent.

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Mayoral candidate: Dan Siegel

Attorney and Oakland mayoral candidate Dan Siegel has some big plans for the city. And he wants your vote. “I have the ideas, experience, and ability to be a great mayor of the city of Oakland,” Siegel said. He faces a tough field that so far includes 14 other competitors for the city’s top job.…

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Oakland hosts gun buyback event

Riffles collected by OPD.

Residents came to Youth Uprising Saturday where volunteers and Oakland Police officials processed handguns and assault riffles people turned in voluntarily. The gun buyback event ended with an unofficial count of 145 guns received in about six hours.

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Urban Shield trains first responders, draws fire over weapons show

Alameda County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team participates in a training exercise during Urban Shield 2013. Photo by Jake Nicol.

“Urban Shield is the largest full-scale exercise in the nation,” said Sgt. J.D. Nelson, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) public information officer. The event was created by ACSO seven years ago and has grown each year. This year, Nelson estimates that more than 5,000 people participated from across the state, country and world.

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OPD launches anonymous tip by text service

Nixle spokesman Travis Scott holds up his phone to show how citizens can now text message crime related tips to the Oakland Police Department.

Oakland residents now have the ability to send completely anonymous texts or E-mail tips about crimes to the city’s police department, officials announced last week.

In response to a rash of homicides, with five deaths in a span of 18 hours from Monday, October 1 through Tuesday, October 2, Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan

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The Occupy Oakland eviction in photos

Around 4:30 am Tuesday, police raided the Occupy Oakland camp in front of City Hall that was created on October 10 and grew in size to over 100 protesters and tents. This is a slide show of the best photographs that Oakland North reporters took throughout the course of the day as events unfolded.

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