We all did our best to prevent the City Council from cutting the Oakland Police Department’s budget by $18 million. But they went ahead and did it anyway, so now we have no choice but to live with the results.
That pilfered money is going, as we know, into “anti-violence” programs. That these programs are unproven and experimental is conceded by all honest observers; but hope is a fragile bird, and in the homicide-plagued neighborhoods, hope is all there is. We’re told that Oakland’s anti-violence programs include hiring so-called “violence interrupters” who are known and respected in the neighborhoods. With their “community credibility,” they will be able to intercede in feuding gangs, theoretically preventing revenge killings.
The lead anti-violence agency is the Department of Violence Prevention. It is led by Guillermo Cespedes. He is certainly a fiery, inspirational speaker; I was profoundly moved by his remarks at Chief Armstrong’s #SafeOakland rally a few weeks ago. But, as today’s San Francisco Chronicle headlined, the pressure is mounting on Cespedes and his department, and by inference on the City Council members who raided OPD, to prove that their plan works. If Cespedes can’t show results, and quickly, we’ll be justified in asking why 50 police officers were jettisoned in order to fund a failed program.
That’s my main concern: the unproven nature of these anti-violence programs. But I have another concern. Their primary focus seems to be on the soaring murder rate in East Oakland, and that’s a fine, noble goal. But most of us don’t worry about being shot in a gang-related killing. What we worry about is being accosted in the streets (as I was a few days ago), having our cars broken into, our purses snatched, our UPS packages stolen, our homes burglarized, our elderly assaulted and robbed. We’re offended by brazen, uncontrolled looting at the CVS or Target, and we’re intimidated by the drug-addled zombies that wander the streets. We resent not feeling safe to go out at night. These may be petty things compared to homicide, but they wreck our quality of life in Oakland, and it’s only fair to ask what the Department of Violence Prevention is planning on doing about them.
From what I can tell, nothing. Preventing murder is their goal. Everything else…whatever. The defunders on the City Council seem to believe that the Tooth Fairy will magically emerge from the heavens and usher in a new era of peace and tranquility because “violence interrupters” are doing whatever it is they’re supposed to be doing. Well, maybe it will happen and maybe it won’t. Either way, we’ll be watching, and reporting.
Steve Heimoff