After Oakland defunded police, police chief warned ‘not having resources makes our city less safe’

Last Thursday the Oakland City Council voted 7-2 to cut $18 million from the city’s police budget over the next two years. Making this decision in the midst of a spike in crime was such a dumb move that even progressive Mayor Libby Schaaf was against it:

“Unfortunately, it [the budget] also cuts 50 police officers who respond to Oaklanders’ 911 calls and enforce traffic safety. It also cuts much-needed future academies, which will significantly reduce police staffing and delay response to Oaklanders in their time of crisis,” Schaaf’s statement read in part. “It will force our officers to work even more overtime shifts, which are expensive and unsafe for officers and residents alike.”

“I believe that until we have proven alternatives, we cannot destroy Oakland’s current public safety system at a time when we are losing so many to gun violence,” the mayor added.

As if on cue, Oakland had another violent weekend with four people killed over the span of three days. Homicides are up 90% over last year, shootings are up over 70% and carjackings are up nearly 88 percent. Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong gave a press conference Monday responding to the cuts.

“We see clearly that crime is out of control in the city of Oakland and our response was for less police resources,” Armstrong said. He continued, “That additional $17 million that was reduced from the police department’s budget will have an impact. When you hear the statements from those who say nothing will change, that is not true. Yes it will. The impact will be immediate.”

Chief Armstrong also said the cuts will mean there will be only two police academy classes per year. Those classes average 30 officers each which means about 60 new officers. But the city is currently losing an average of 5.5 officers per month or 66 per year. So the number of officers will necessarily continue to drop even apart from the other cuts.

At the end of his statement, Chief Armstrong showed photos of some of the people who’ve been murdered in the city this year. He became very emotional and had to stop talking for about 10 seconds. “I hope that we can put politics aside and put public safety first,” he said.

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