Oakland police chief says new plan to combat crime focuses on violent offenders

OAKLAND, Calif. - In less than two weeks, a new plan is set to take shape within the Oakland Police Department that police chief LeRonne Armstrong hopes will curb crime in one section of the city.

"We know that East Oakland had seen a vast majority of our violent crime including shootings and homicides. It also represents the largest percentage of calls for service so we must balance our resources based on where we’re seeing crime occurring," Chief Armstrong told KTVU.

In a section of the city where more than half of 134 homicides took place in 2021, the chief is shifting 48 officers to the East Oakland subdivision’s current roster of 96 officers to assist with patrols.

"Group and gang violence has been the largest percentage of our violence and so we want to use our cease-fire strategy to be able to address that violence," he said.

Outside of East Oakland though, there is one particular crime that affects residents across the city; car break-ins.

The chief says it’s an area of focus and highlights the department’s ability to use bait-cars to catch unsuspecting thieves and tech that can alert officers to when a vehicle is burglarized and tell them who’s responsible.

He also said that those arrested for violent crimes are of particular focus.

"Because we know that they’re involved in violence, but also crimes related to auto burglaries," Armstrong said.

WATCH and extended version of the interview below:

We often judge the police based on their visibility on the streets in our neighborhood, but Armstrong says work has been underway that you can’t see. He points to the Violent Crime Operations Center, a division he created within the department as one of his first acts after becoming the city’s top cop.

"They have been responsible for making over sixty homicide arrests. They also have made two hundred arrests of violent crime suspects. They also were a part of our recovery of over twelve hundred firearms in 2021."

Another area of focus is attacks on members of the Asian community, particularly in Chinatown.

SEE ALSO: Crime, COVID concerns keep customers away from Oakland Chinatown

Incidents, he says, are taking place with far less frequency and it counts that drop among his successes.

"Chinatown is safer than it was. We are anticipating a Lunar New Year, one in which I think people will feel safe in Chinatown because we will have a presence there."

There are 687 police officers are the force, but the department is authorized for 731.

Currently, 35 recruits are undergoing training with the hope of joining the force.