"We need everybody to get to this. We need every city leadership to get to this."
"This is the lowest number I've seen in my 26-year career being a police officer here in Oakland."
"As a community, we need to look at why there is so much crime. We need to look at it from the victims' perspective as well."
"We have to have good quality policing. Nobody supports the idea that the police should victimize the communities."
Oakland Police Department staffing has fallen to 511 officers and is declining by about six officers per month, risking further reductions despite upcoming academy classes. The Oakland Police Officers' Association, led by Sgt. Huy Nguyen, and community partners including the Oakland NAACP and some city councilmembers are collaborating on a recruitment drive to restore staffing. NAACP member Brenda Harbin-Forte emphasizes recruiting high-quality candidates, addressing crime that disproportionately affects African American residents, and ensuring policing respects social justice and victims' perspectives. The staffing shortfall has prompted operational changes such as reassigning traffic enforcement to patrols and raises concerns about public safety.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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