Oakland's interim police chief has long-term plans

"Even though OPD is understaffed, Oakland has made some notable strides in public safety, such as the city's lowest homicide rate in five decades and a sustained decrease in violent and nonviolent crimes."

"As a deputy chief, I took over the crime strategy. I continued that when I became the assistant chief. It was difficult, but we had to deploy our resources in the areas that we saw were most affected by violent crime."

"We had to reinvest in the Ceasefire strategy, and that was huge because the city had moved away from Ceasefire, and it was a proven system that had worked."

"In fact, Oakland has now become the national model for Ceasefire. But they had dismantled Ceasefire, and that created significant issues. It became more reactive, not proactive."

OPD has struggled with police chief retention, with Floyd Mitchell resigning after 18 months. Mayor Barbara Lee appointed James Beere as interim chief, who has now expressed interest in the permanent position. Despite being understaffed, Oakland has seen a decrease in crime rates, including the lowest homicide rate in 50 years. Beere emphasized the importance of the Ceasefire strategy, which had been previously dismantled, and noted the need for proactive measures in crime prevention.

Read at The Oaklandside