Oakland police chief, mayor face frustrated residents
Oakland Police Chief and Mayor face frustrated residents in town hall meeting
Neighbors in the Oakland Hills held a town hall meeting to get answers and action from the Oakland police chief and mayor. Residents say crimes ranging from vandalism to violence in their neighborhood are raising safety concerns.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell and Mayor Sheng Thao faced frustrated residents at a Wednesday evening town hall meeting.
Organizers said this meeting was triggered by the Skyline High shooting on graduation night in May that injured two people.
The event was hosted by residents who want change and improvement in their neighborhood.
They said crimes in their neighborhood range from vandalism to violence.
So they organized this community gathering to get answers from city leaders.
About 100 people attended the outdoor event, where Mitchell and Thao were invited to speak and answer questions.
Neighbors said crime in the area is causing fear and frustration.
"This has been a very quiet neighborhood for the last many years. So this is a call for action," homeowner Moon Pham said.
Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell and Mayor Sheng Thao attend town hall meeting. July 31, 2024
She said that her cars were among many in the area that have been vandalized.
On many people's minds is whether Oakland will change its police pursuit policy.
After Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent letter urging Oakland to "reconsider whether OPD should be permitted to pursue suspects in more circumstances to improve public safety."
"We have a very restrictive pursuit, but we don't have a no-chase policy," Mitchell said. "We have to be aligned with other law enforcement agencies in our region to make sure we are in true alignment with these agencies. Those who commit crimes so they don't think they can come into our city or go to any other city to commit crimes."
The chase policy is currently under review by the police commission, which has the power to make changes.
The mayor said the city plans to use new high-tech cameras and drones to identify and arrest criminals.
"We can have our officers get in place so that they can safely apprehend these suspects. The same thing around the chase policy. We can use the same mechanism," Thao said.
People at the meeting credit city leaders, including their council member Kevin Jenkins for helping to get new sideshow barriers installed in their area.
"For every single neighborhood, your voice needs to be heard," said Pham. "If they're not working for you, you can vote them out. That's your choice."
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU