Immediate steps to reduce crime

By Clinton Killian

Oakland has to request Federal support

Oakland's crime problem is more than just a local issue and requires more than our resources to solve. We must accept and recognize Oakland's crime is primarily driven by drug trafficking. Oakland serves as the regional distribution of drugs in Northern California. As a result, our city has extensive crime networks that cause the bulk of our crime problem. It is bigger than our local police can handle.

I support our city to request resources to fight this regional crime problem. The DEA, federal Drug Enforcement Agency, investigates drug trafficking, The focus is Oakland as the drug entry point throughout Northern California. They have much more resources than the Oakland police narcotics division to bring to the table. They will be able to investigate the entire pipeline of drugs from Mexico and South America into Oakland. They can cut-off the drug trafficking from outside of Oakland.

Though Oakland has no license gun shops, our city is the supermarket for illegal guns purchased throughout Northern California. Illegal sellers purchase all kinds of guns in Nevada, and then bring them to Oakland. Our city is flooded with illegal guns that are used to murder and terrorize Oakland residents. That is why it is imperative to bring in the FTA, Firearms Tobacco and Alcohol Control, to investigate the extensive drug running and stop it from coming into Oakland.

It's time for Oakland to accept that we are the hub for organized criminal gangs that rival the mafia organizations of the East Coast. The federal government passed RICO statues, the Racketeering Influence and Corruption Organization Act, to combat organized crime. This is the device that was used to clean up New York City. Remember Time Square in the early 90s? It was a haven for drugs, crime, and prostitution. Now, Time Square is considered the tourist mecca of New York City. RICO is a powerful tool available to the federal government to break criminal organizations and can rid Oakland of its horrendous crime problem. The federal government will also bring other agencies like the FBI, ICE, and other resources into Oakland to tackle our crime problem.

I have analyzed Oakland's crime problem and proposed this direct and concrete solutions. We cannot rely on simplistic acts of buying guns from closets to solve our illegal gun problem, or other bad ideas that are just as quaint as Nancy Reagan's "just say no" solution to the drug problem.

The city must rise above petty bureaucratic infighting, turf protection, and problem denial to accept Oakland has a severe crime problem that must be addressed with resources well beyond our city. Now it is time for everyone in Oakland to support bringing federal resources to combat our crime problem. This successful strategy has been used in other cities most recently Salinas to combat a crime problem that has outgrown local law enforcement. It is long overdue in Oakland and greatly appreciated.

Once the federal resources arrive, our local police can concentrate on the secondary local crimes that greatly impact our neighborhoods, like home and commercial burglaries. It is unacceptable that the city no longer responds to home burglaries I will make public safety a priority. Head-in-the-sand approach to public safety is unacceptable.

Home burglaries have evolved from night time break-ins to day time crimes of opportunities. Burglars literally drive around neighborhoods looking at houses that residents are gone for the day. They know that in many neighborhoods the Oakland police do not patrol regularly during the day. As a result, they literally pull into driveways; break-in and move stuff out as if they are the local moving company. By the time the burglary is reported and the police respond, the burglars are long gone.

I propose useing police resources to combat home burglaries. These crimes of opportunities are discouraged by a presence. Understandably we cannot use fully trained and armed to patrol all of our neighborhoods. Here's a solution that is being tried in other cities including our sister across the bay San Francisco: civilian patrol and responses. Yes, have trained and lesser armed non-police force patrol our residential neighborhoods to create a presence. This will greatly discourage crimes of opportunities like home burglaries.

I support the other two components of stopping crime, rehabilitation and prevention through education. Studies have shown that over 80% of Oakland crime is committed by repeat offenders. We have to break the cycle of conviction, prison, and back on the street to commit more crimes. We have to support programs that have a hugh success rate, and trains and educate offenders so that they can become productive members of society; they

Part of the Measure Y funds that we agreed to tax ourselves were supposed to be used for crime prevention and education. As your councilperson I will insure that those funds are being properly used and producing effective results. We will develop standards for funding these programs. Currently there is very little oversight or auditing of how the funds are spend, directed, or used. It's time to fund effective programs. There will be an audit program and clear performance guidelines. If the funds are not being used for direct impact programs, then they should no longer be funded. If guidelines and goals are not being met, then the funds should be used on better programs.

I will provide the better leadership from and not rely on quaint little responses that have virtually no impact on our serious crime problem. It is time we fully embrace federal aid and resources to combat our horrendous crime problems and embrace working together we can make Oakland a better city. The time for this to occur is now. as your councilperson, I will make it my top priority.