Oakland Councilmember Annie Campbell Washington doubts the city administration is serious about reducing overtime hours for its public safety employees. OAKLAND CITY COUNCILOakland’s overtime budget for the police and fire departments is bursting at the seams, leading one normally reserved… Read More ›
public safety
EBC AGENDA | JAN 5-11 | Oakland library parcel tax on the horizon? No ICE, baby!; San Leandro allocates A1 funding for 62 affordable housing units
THE WEEK OF JANUARY 5-11 –OAKLAND– Regular council committee meetings, Tuesday, Jan. 9, start at 9 a.m. ➤Finance & Management Committee, 9 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]–LIBRARY PARCEL TAX POLL– Budget cuts last year significantly hampered Oakland’s public library system. Unsurprisingly, reduced… Read More ›
EBC AGENDA | DEC 8-14 | OAKLAND strike continues; 200-unit senior market-rate housing in HAYWARD; multiculturalism in SAN LEANDRO
THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 8-14 –OAKLAND– [MEETINGS CANCELLED DUE TO STRIKE] City Council committee meetings, Tuesday, Dec. 12, start at 9 a.m. ➤Finance & Management Committee, 9 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]–PUBLIC SAFETY OT IN THE RED– Oakland’s overtime budget for police and… Read More ›
Survey: Hayward residents are concerned about housing, jobs
A city survey found 75 percent of residents have a positive image of their city. HAYWARD CITY COUNCILHayward residents consistently voiced concern over the overall lack of affordable housing and job creation in the city, according to a city survey… Read More ›
In hotly-contested East Bay State Senate race, Schaaf endorses Skinner
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, left, endorsed Nancy Skinner over another Democrat, Sandre Swanson. STATE SENATE | DISTRICT 9 | Former East Bay Assemblymember Nancy Skinner received her highest-profile endorsement yet for the Ninth State Senate District. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Monday… Read More ›
LISTEN! East Bay Citizen Show podcast with guest Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/3917448/height/250/width/450/theme/legacy/direction/no/autoplay/no/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/ Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf EPISODE 11 | What’s in Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s “secret sauce”? Maybe we’ll get to the bottom of the city’s proprietary ingredients? Or maybe not? Along the way the first-year mayor adds to her State… Read More ›
Sen. Loni Hancock calls for closure of ‘dilapidated and unsafe’ state prison
State Sen. Loni Hancock STATE SENATE | DISTRICT 9 | East Bay State Sen. Loni Hancock says a Southern California state prison housing over 2,400 inmates should be closed due to its unsafe and dirty conditions. In a letter sent… Read More ›
During safety walk to highlight prostitution on International Blvd; Quan mistakenly hops into a stranger’s car
Volunteers walk the streets on International Boulevard in Oakland, Dec. 5, to highlight public safety. Mayor Jean Quan’s difficulties with personal transportation continued Friday night. OAKLAND | Oakland Councilmember Noel Gallo couldn’t help cracking wise. During a neighborhood safety walk… Read More ›
Schaaf, Quan Vow A Seamless Transition
Oakland Mayor-elect Libby Schaaf at press conference Thursday morning at City Hall with Mayor Jean Quan in the background. PHOTOS/Steven Tavares OAKLAND | MAYOR | Oakland’s current and future mayor addressed the media two days after Libby Schaaf’s surprisingly easy… Read More ›
Oakland District 2 Council Candidates Offer Nuanced Positions on Public Safety
Abel Guillen OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL | DISTRICT 2 | The way the five current candidates for Oakland’s District 2 City Council seat were talking inside the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church you would think they were there for sanctuary from the… Read More ›
Smartphone Kill-Switch Gets Reboot in State Senate; Oakland Applauds Passage
STATE SENATE | PUBLIC SAFETY | The push for smartphone kill-switches got a reprieve Thursday when the State Senate passed a bill mandating the inclusion of the disabling software on all cell phones sold in California. The same bill, authored by… Read More ›
Oakland Mayoral Challengers Debate Crime, Need for More Officers
Oakland mayoral candidate Joe Tuman addresses voters during a candidate’s forum Wednesday at Laney College. PHOTO/STEVEN TAVARES OAKLAND | MAYOR | Ten of the 17 current candidates for the Oakland mayoral race met at Laney College this week. Mayor Jean… Read More ›
Tuman and Quan Call Each Other Out at Public Safety Debate
Oakland mayoral challenger Joe Tuman PHOTO/Steven Tavares OAKLAND | MAYOR | “Did you hear the first words out of her mouth?” Oakland mayoral candidate Joe Tuman said incredulously of Mayor Jean Quan. “‘I’m sorry I misspoke.’ How many times have… Read More ›
Bryan Parker is Outraged
Bryan Parker OAKLAND | MAYOR | Bryan Parker’s demeanor is typically business-like. He wears nice suits and often shows polite empathy. But there was a more agitated Bryan Parker on display last Thursday night at the first major Oakland mayoral… Read More ›
Oakland Mayoral Candidates Discuss the Election’s Defining Issue—Public Safety
A full house at Oakland’s Temple Sinai Thursday night listened as nine of the city’s mayoral candidates discuss a single issue–public safety. PHOTO/Steven Tavares OAKLAND | MAYOR | Public safety, the likely signature issue of this year’s Oakland mayoral election,… Read More ›
The Skinny: Oakland City Council Committee Preview, Feb. 11, 2014
Oakland City Council Committee Preview1 Frank Ogawa PlazaTuesday, Feb. 11, begins at 9:30 a.m.Hashtag: #oakmtg >>> PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE – 6 p.m.TIMELINE FOR TAX MEASURE Oakland’s Measure Y, the parcel tax approved in 2004 to fund additional officers and other… Read More ›
Joe Tuman Does Not Want Oakland to Be the ‘Detroit of the West’
Joe Tuman announcing his candidacy for Oakland mayor last summer. PHOTO/Steven Tavares ELECTION 2014 | OAKLAND | MAYOR | Give Oakland mayoral candidate Joe Tuman credit for looking voters straight in the eye. His first campaign video, posted Thursday afternoon, features… Read More ›
The Skinny: Oakland City Council Preview, Jan. 21, 2014
Oakland City Council Preview1 Frank Ogawa PlazaTuesday, Jan. 21, 5:30 p.m.[FULL AGENDA HERE]Twitter hashtag: #oakmtg >>> REASON TO FILL OUT A SPEAKER’S CARDPUBLIC SAFETY RADIO INTEROPERABILITY Last July, some council members asked for a side-by-side analysis of Oakland’s current police… Read More ›
Joe Tuman’s Broken Window Fundraising Drive
Photo of Joe Tuman’s broken car window posted on Facebook Wednesday night. OAKLAND | MAYOR | Over the past several days Oakland has been awash in positive news. First, came the news that the Brooklyn Basin housing development just south… Read More ›
Magazine Provides Context To Quan’s Quotes On Race
OAKLAND | A National Journal article on Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has been given additional context after the magazine admitted the series of quotes “inaccurately reflected Mayor Quan’s sentiment, while also omitting crucial context.” The original article’s contents provided a brief firestorm… Read More ›
Tuman Running On Public Safety
OAKLAND//MAYOR 2014 | Next year’s mayoral race in Oakland is certain to be dominated by public safety, and candidate Joe Tuman vowed today to make that the central platform of his campaign. The university professor and local television political analyst,… Read More ›
Oakland Passes A Two-Year Budget Shaded Toward Public Safety
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL//BUDGET | A two-year budget including increased funding for public safety was passed by the Oakland City Council late Thursday. The “all-in” budget compromise backed by Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan, Dan Kalb and Lynette Gibson McElhaney was approved, 5-3,… Read More ›
Alameda County Closes $80 Million Deficit With Extra Leftover For Employees
ALAMEDA COUNTY//BUDGET | A proposal to close an $80 million budget shortfall in Alameda County includes cuts to the safety net and one-time only savings from previous budget years. County employee will also receive a cost-of-living increase for the first… Read More ›
Quan Makes Insensitive Remark To Occupy Oakland Protester Scott Olsen
Scott Olsen, right, addresses a community meeting on public safety, Mar. 6, with police consultant Bob Wasserman and Mayor Jean Quan, highlighted, looking on. PHOTO/David Colburn OAKLAND | Scott Olsen, the Occupy Oakland protester and Iraq War veteran, who suffered… Read More ›
Despite Long Hours, Over 200 Speakers In Opposition, Oakland Council Approves Police Consulting Contract
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL | After over nine hours of public testimony reaching into the early morning hours, the Oakland City Council approved a controversial consulting contract including noted law enforcement expert William Bratton. Despite over 200 speakers, nearly all in opposition… Read More ›
Reid-Schaaf Proposal To Add More Cops Easily Passes Oakland Council Committee
OAKLAND | A package of three proposals to quickly bulk up the number of police officers on the streets of Oakland breezed though the finance and management committee Tuesday afternoon and will come before the full council in coming weeks…. Read More ›
Corbett Named To Six State Senate Committees; Hancock Chairs Public Safety
STATE SENATE | California State Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg apparently has a lot of extra work for Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett after assigning her six committee posts. Fellow East Bay State Sen. Loni Hancock was named chair of… Read More ›
iPadGate: Mack-Rose Says Reed Uses City-Bought iPad; But It’s Not True
ELECTION ’12//SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL DIST 2 | San Leandro City Council candidate Morgan Mack-Rose accused her opponent Councilwoman Ursula Reed of misusing taxpayers’ dollars by pursuing a proposal earlier this year to purchase iPads for the council’s use. Mack-Rose also faulted… Read More ›