Reducing Crime

By Patricia Kernighan

Safer Neighborhoods: Fully implement community policing and hire more officers as promised by Measure Y

But it's not just about the number of officers; it's how they're used. We need true community policing -- officers who know the neighborhood and have time to do pro-active problem-solving. I have worked firsthand with our Problem-Solving Officers and know how effective they are and how much residents appreciate their work. I strongly oppose recent efforts to move community policing officers to other duties. Measure Y promised a community policing officer in every beat in the City. I am insisting that the City hire enough officers to keep that promise.

But let's not kid ourselves about the deep roots of the crime problem Oakland faces. We need to address the underlying hopelessness that would cause a teenager not to value his own life or that of a fellow human being. Young people need an education system that works, the support that good after-school programs provide, career preparation and the prospect of a decent job. That's why I have worked so hard to support our schools, to fund quality after-school programs, and to create the jobs that a revitalized Oakland economy will bring.