Oakland Public Safety Committee Receives Update On Moving Special Events From Oakland Police Department To Civilians

Oakland, CA – Today, October 12, 2021, the City of Oakland’s Public Safety Committee volition person an informational study from the City Administrator regarding the presumption of implementing the July 2020 Council directive, introduced by Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan,  to transportation Special Events Permitting retired of the Oakland Police Department (“OPD”) to beryllium handled by civilians. Although the connection passed Council implicit a twelvemonth ago, it has not yet been implemented by the administration. 

Several assemblage members and organizers person shared their beardown enactment to region the Special Events Permitting retired of OPD to beryllium handled by civilians, owed to the costly fees, discarded of constabulary time, undermining of arts and civilization events, and deficiency of transparency successful however the fees are calculated.  As reported by KQED, “Critics of the existent argumentation are frustrated: In the years anterior to the pandemic, Oakland utilized arsenic overmuch arsenic 84% of its festivals and fairs money to wage the constabulary section for information alternatively of straight supporting artists and taste institutions. This police-led permitting strategy is cost-prohibitive and inequitable, critics say. They reason it hurts opportunities for artists and tiny businesses, hampers Oakland’s arts and civilization and related industry, and slows betterment from pandemic restrictions.”

Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, on with Council subordinate Carroll Fife scheduled the informational study to today’s 1:30 PM Public Safety Committee, to deliberate connected the hold and presumption of the implementation of this important assembly directive. Kaplan stated: “redirecting the Event Permitting retired of OPD to civilians volition let OPD to absorption connected responding and investigating superior crime, missing persons, and removing amerciable guns, and volition region important and costly barriers to Oakland’s arts and taste events and economy.”

 The Vice Mayor has continuously advocated and successfully passed resolutions to person OPD to absorption connected superior crimes and stopping amerciable guns.

Item: Link 

Tuesday, Oct 12, 1:30PM Public Safety Committee

Zoom Link:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83853066942

Agenda: Link