Oakland sees nearly 30% drop in homicides
Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell (center) and Deputy Chief Fred Shavies (L) speak at a news conference. Sept. 27, 2024
OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland police on Friday said they are investigating the city's 69th homicide this year, which they noted was tragic, but a nearly 30% drop from last year at the same time.
At a news conference, Deputy Chief Fred Shavies said the person was shot to death on Wilson Avenue just after 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.
Shavies didn't have many other details, including the name of the victim or the motive behind the shooting.
But he did note that there were 96 homicides in Oakland at the same time in 2023.
"So, this is a reduction," Shavies said. "But again, it's 69 too many this year."
Police Chief Floyd Mitchell added that the number of aggravated assaults is down 14%, as are rapes and sexual assaults. Robberies are down 24%.
Mitchell credited the work of the Ceasefire program, and the work of detectives and patrol officers.
He also said that community members have been willing to help and identify people involved in crime.
"It's a number of things," Mitchell said.
Ceasefire is a program that focuses on focusing efforts on reducing violence perpetrated by 0.3% of Oakland's population.
Operation Ceasefire, initially implemented in Oakland in 2011, became a national model in tackling gun violence, boasting a remarkable 42% reduction in homicides from 2012 to 2017.
The city abandoned the program during COVID, and Mayor Sheng Thao brought it back earlier this year.
Shavies emphasized that Ceasefire isn't just enforcement.
It's one-on-one communication between police, the Department of Violence Prevention and community organizations, such as Faith in Action East Bay, to tell people who might be involved in crime to "put the guns down."
These people are then offered services, such as counseling, housing, or other types of help.
"I think we're seeing a huge rate of return in this short time," Shavies said.