- Real Estate in Oakland, Berkeley and Piedmont, California - https://homesintheeastbayhills.com -

Oakland Police layoffs

Every once in a while an Oakland issue comes up that I just need to address.  Now I was born in Oakland and still live in Oakland’s Upper Rockridge district.  I am not overly sensitive to the gritty aspects of city living.  Using common sense is a must wherever you live but what irks me is paying roughly 1.3% a year in property taxes (in Upper Rockridge it may be more now due to fire prevention assessments) and now the budget issues of Oakland have forced the layoffs of 80 Oakland police officers.  Unless a new tax measure is passed in January, another 122 officers are going to go.  Combined that is roughly 20% of the police force.  There were comments released by the Oakland Police of the list of crimes — including grand theft, burglary, vehicle collision, identity theft and vandalism — that officers would not respond to in person.  What kind of message does this send?

I am a true advocate of the city of Oakland as a whole.  I make my living selling the finest homes in great neighborhoods like Upper Rockridge and Montclair.  I’m angered by the bad press and the aura of fear being created by the irresponsible acts the city management.  I understand that times are tough and money is in short supply.  Something has got to go.  Buy let me ask you, are you sure you want it to be the cops?