Oakland police officers, community leaders warn against laying off cops

On Monday morning, Oakland police officers and community leaders gathered at the site of a recent murder in West Oakland to warn of what could follow if Oakland’s police force is drastically cut to help close the city’s $31.5 million budget gap. “This is a dangerous city,” Dominique Arotzarena, president of the Oakland Police Officer’s Association, told a small group composed mostly of journalists. Laying off one quarter of the police staff, he said, “sends the wrong message.”

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Letter from the Community: An Oakland mother’s story

By Jilala Foley/Special to Oakland North My son was shot this week; one bullet lodged in his back, beneath his kidney, and the other went through his arm, breaking the bone as it passed. He had made the not-too-wise choice to attend a side show in East Oakland. Consistent with past events, there were gun…

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Door-breakdown burglaries subject of meeting tonight

by ISABEL ESTERMAN Nov. 13–Nanci, 50, a teacher living in Montclair, hardly ever uses her front door.  She and her family just go in through the carport.  But one bright Tuesday  afternoon in September, a burglar came right through it.  “They just broke the door,” says Nanci, who asked her last name be withheld because…

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Domestic violence reports up, but leaders see progress

By CLARE MAJOR OCT. 27 — Less than 24 hours after an Oakland woman was fatally stabbed by her estranged husband and dumped from a car near the Caldecott Tunnel, public and non-profit leaders convened for the 5th Annual Report and Forum on Domestic Violence & Sexually Exploited Minors at City Hall. Oakland City Councilmember…

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Oakland considers controversial municipal ID cards

by CLARE MAJOR The cards would look much like any other ID card—driver’s license, student or employee ID—that people use in Oakland every day. The new cards would display a photo, name, and address; a magnetic strip would run across the back. And these cards, issued by the City of Oakland, would be available to…

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Council debates facelift for Oakland’s taxis

Read a Twitter feed of the council meeting here By ISABEL ESTERMAN and MARTIN RICARD OCT. 8 — It’s hard to know what to expect when taking a cab ride in Oakland. But in a city that operates more than 60 taxi companies, some problems have become irritatingly predictable: People left stranded in an area…

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NN promises more police, but some voters dubious

by MELANIE MASON “The first thing you do in municipal government is take care of public safety.” That was a quote from Oakland resident Charles Pine, who runs the community group Oakland Residents for Peaceful Neighborhoods. But it was also, almost verbatim, a quote from City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente. And a quote…

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New cell phone service helps stranded drivers

By CHRISTINA SALERNO  audio slide show by HENRY JONES and CHRISTINA SALERNO Sept. 16 — With fewer than 200 people a month using the bright yellow call boxes that dot Bay Area freeways, transportation authorities are turning to a different device to help stranded motorists: cell phones. Drivers with a flat tire, empty gas tank or…

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