Without wishing to bum anyone out on this day after Thanksgiving, two new reports should give us all a dire sense of alarm.
NBC news reports that so many cops are quitting the Oakland Police Department that they’re calling it “The Great Resignation.” Cops “are leaving in numbers we’ve never seen before,” says Oakland Police Officers’ Association president Barry Donelan. The 9-1-1 call center is overwhelmed, and new hiring isn’t coming close to making up for the personnel losses.
In an opinion piece Donelan published in the East Bay Times, he referred to the “mayhem” occurring on Oakland streets: the murders, carjackings, shootings, store invasions, looting and robberies. Donelan very properly lays the blame for this catastrophe where it belongs: “The response to the daily carnage by the Oakland council members whose defund the police votes helped precipitate this crisis is silence.” This is aimed directly at such individuals as Rebecca Kaplan, Carroll Fife, Nikki Fortunato-Bas and Dan Kalb, who suggested the other day that OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong is responsible for the staff shortage!
And speaking of the City Council, what is their response to the crime wave? As Donelan says, Silence, as usual. Oh, wait, they did do something: They scheduled a meeting on Dec. 7 “to discuss the violence.”
A meeting! Break out the coffee and donuts! I’m sure we’ll hear all about how “concerned” Sheng Thao is. We’ll hear from Dan Kalb about “violence interrupters” and how it will take years for them to be effective—if they ever are. As if Oakland has years to wait. We’ll hear from Rebecca Kaplan about—well, what do we hear from her about anything, except bringing a WNBA team to the Coliseum?
Chief Armstrong has been outspokenly critical of this gang of defunders on the City Council. In press conferences and public statements, he’s come close to tears, as he sees his community ravaged by violence while the City Council dithers. ABC News reporter Phil Matier, who’s covered these issues for decades, said of Armstrong’s criticism of Oakland government, “I can't remember the last time a police chief just said to City Hall 'you don't care.'”
But City Hall doesn’t care. Is there a single person reading this who can persuade us otherwise? Has anyone on the City Council apologized for defunding OPD last June? Have you heard a word of regret from these Council members? Would it be asking too much for Carroll Fife to step forward and say, “I’m sorry, Oaklanders. I was wrong to defund the police.” Would it be wrong for Nikki Fortunato-Bas to say it? For Dan Kalb or the rest of them? As far as I can tell, the only sane voice on the City Council is Loren Taylor, and God bless him for speaking truth to power.
Never forget that we have a big election coming up next year. People ask me every day, “What can I do?” I give them the same answer as I give now: Join the Coalition for a Better Oakland. Support us however you can. Tell your friends to join us. Never give up. And vote!
Number of days since I invited Carroll Fife to have tea with me, with no reply: 14
Steve Heimoff