public safety – Oakland North

Tuesday night’s Oakland Public Safety Committee meeting’s main agenda item—reviewing a report about holding a special election to amend the regulations that govern the Oakland Police Commission—was initially upstaged by jarring testimony from former Councilmember Wilson Riles Jr. about his arrest last week. Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan introduced the issue for the committee to address.…

Photo by Brian Krans

O’Neil is using the training device that comes with each set of Evizo auto-injectors, which deliver a potentially life-saving dose of naloxone, a drug that counteracts the effects of opioid drugs. This includes both prescription drugs like hydromorphone, hydrocodone, and oxycodone, and street drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

Current situation of the street where 16 people lost their lives in the 1991 Oakland firestorm because a broken car blocked the route.

City of Oakland plans to reduce plants that can fuel fire and create a more accessible pathway for emergency vehicles, but there’s opposition.

Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent addresses the Public Safety Committee of the City Council Tuesday.

At a meeting of the Oakland City Council’s public safety committee Tuesday night, Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent pointed to a “very significant” reduction in uses of force by police. He said new policies, training and body cameras all contributed to the reduction.

At the Smart & Final grocery store nearly every window was broken and boarded. Photo by Jacqui Ipp.

As many as 170 people were arrested in Oakland after protests erupted in the days following a grand jury decision in Missouri to not indict the officer responsible for the death of Michael Brown. Over three nights, arrests were made in connection with vandalism in the Temescal and downtown areas, as well as attempts to shut down local freeways.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan makes calls to voters urging support for Measure Z, a parcel and parking tax that would go toward public safety.

Voters will be deciding this November on Measure Z, which if approved would continue a parking and parcel tax that funds public safety services and violence prevention programming.

bicycle lane separate from cars

The East Bay Bike Coalition is currently in the planning stages of a potential bike lane for Telegraph Avenue. As they consider several designs to help keep cyclists safer, however, they are finding themselves running up against opposition from businesses that may have their on-street parking removed to make way for the bike lane.

Dozens of speakers lined up at Tuesday night's Public Safety Committee meeting to speak out against a proposed youth curfew in Oakland.

Oakland City Councilmember’s Noel Gallo’s appeal that “Every city in the U.S. has a curfew” drew boos and yelling from the packed council chambers as his controversial anti-crime strategy was roundly condemned by citizens and officials alike.

At issue: Gallo’s proposed citywide curfew from 10 pm to 6 am seven days a week and from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm on school days. It would make it illegal for youth to be in public or in businesses during those hours. Although the proposed ordinance was aimed at curbing offenses like prostitution and human trafficking, many speakers Tuesday night passionately argued against it for criminalizing all youth.

At least 535 illegal firearms have been recovered in Oakland since the beginning of the year amid calls by civic groups and members of council for the city prioritize the eradication of illicit firearms and reduce the prevalence of gun crimes.

Amidst accusations of electioneering, the Oakland City Council approved legislation that would determine how funds from a proposed $80 parcel tax would be spent if Measure I passes next month. The legislation, authored by Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan, Councilmember Pat Kernighan (District 2) and Council President Larry Reid (District 7), determines how the $60 million collected from the tax under Measure I would be spent over the next five years, and allocates a majority of the funds toward public safety items.

During the New Year’s holiday period, over 20 law enforcement agencies in Alameda county will be conducting checkpoints or patrols to catch drunk drivers. Meanwhile, many local groups are offering options to help those who’ve drunk too much to drive find a safe way home.

On Monday afternoon the Oakland Police Department issued a community alert regarding a series of robberies in East and North Oakland that have occurred after victims responded to phony craigslist ads offering vehicles for sale.

The Oakland Police Department wants to hold information sessions in 2011 to help the public better understand its policies and practices. What subjects would you like them to address?

Jack London Square reflection in the Christmas tree ornament (from Flickr, by Hitchster)

Hot door knobs, swinging paint cans and pet Tarantula spiders may have defended the young Kevin McAllister against two burglars in “Home Alone,” but boobytraps may not be enough to protect your belongings during the holidays, when some kinds of crime typically increase.

Carrying bowls of pasta salad, watermelon, and meat to grill, on Tuesday night people left their houses and streamed into hundreds of neighborhood gatherings being hosted throughout the city as part of National Night Out—a nationwide block party that encourages people to get to know their neighbors and promotes community safety.

mayoral candidates sitting on stage at church

“Ladies and gentlemen, you could be taking dance lessons in Jack London Square or having a drink. But no, we’ve had too important a week, haven’t we?” With that, Aimee Alison, host of the KPFA Morning Show and founder of OaklandSeen.com, opened the Oakland mayoral forum on public safety held Thursday evening, July 15th at the Lakeshore Baptist Church.