My 15 Point Public Safety Plan-July 20, 2012

By Alex Miller-Cole

If Public Safety is our number ONE priority then we need more than catchy phrases and political posturing. We need a comprehensive plan that leverages our existing resources and does a good job at connecting the dots.

1. Effectively implement Community Policing as the guiding philosophy of the Oakland Police Department.
2. Implement data-driven strategies to target and predict crime hotspots.
3. Focus on eradicating gangs, drugs, and guns from our streets while leveraging existing resources to address truancy through positive youth engagement.
4. Increase OPD's capacity by collaborating with regional law enforcement agencies such as OUSD, BART, CHP, and Oakland Housing Authority.
5. Create the first Public Safety Roundtable with the cooperation of service providers, community groups, faith leaders and violence prevention agencies to create safe passages to schools for our youth.
6. Regain the public's trust in OPD through transparency, accountability and accessibility.
7. Allocate additional resources to criminal investigations
8. Require and support police officers to walk and bicycle their beats and address issues around illegal dumping and blight.
9. Improve OPD's call-taking and dispatch capability to improve response time.
10. Improve OPD's efficacy and community trust by assigning Commanders and staff for a minimum of two years to their specific Areas while demanding 50% local hire.
11. Assign one permanent Problem Solving Officer per beat to improve neighborhood police presence.
12. Support joint programs and activities between OPD and the community to increase positive youth engagement.
13. Accelerate compliance with the Negotiated Settlement Agreement to prevent Federal Receivership.
14. Fully fund and support Neighborhood Watch and NCPC programs to solve neighborhood and community concerns in direct collaboration with OPD and other agencies.
15. Support and provide needed resources to enhance the skills, capabilities, and professional development of our OPD workforce.