Cuts End Community Policing

by Sheila D'Amico

Budget cuts of 80 Oakland police officers forcing the restructuring of services, effectively ended community policing. All the Problem Solving Officers (PSOs) formerly assigned to Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) Beats are either laid off or reassigned. As Lt. Fausto Melara, on night shift for Area 3, told a Beat 27X meeting, the PSOs are dissolved and all are back to patrol. Other officers are back to patrol, too, including officers of the Parole Apprehension Team (PAC). As a result, more officers are out in their cars, although not specifically assigned to an NCPC Beat.

Neighborhood Services Coordinator (NSC), Araina Richards told the group that, as of mid-July, five NSCs have been laid off. It is possible that the entire division, including all the NSCs, Neighborhood Watch (NW), and Police Service Technicians (PST) may be dissolved. For some councilmembers who have been wanting to cut NSCs to use the funds for sworn personnel such a move may be welcome. And Chief Batts himself has said "I don't like the model of community policing we have here." Many NCPC Beat members believe it is a backward step.

NCPCs have lost more than their PSOs. The Beats were receiving $700 annually from the city. Beat 27X Chair Preston Turner said this stipend was ended months ago. Now NCPC citizen-volunteers are working to keep their communities safe on their own dime and their own energies.

Note. Capt. Ersie Joyner commands Police Service Area (PSA) 3. It stretches from High St. to the San Leandro border. PSA 2 goes from High to (approximately) Lake Merritt, and is commanded by Capt. Paul Figueroa. Those are the two PSAs serving the Metro distribution area. PSA 1 goes from Lake Merritt to the Berkeley and Emeryville borders. It is commanded by Capt. Anthony Toribio. Although it's out of date because it still lists PSOs, for a map and more detailed descriptions of the three PSAs, go to oaklandpolice.com. Scroll to "Find Your Officer" at the bottom of page 1, and click on "patrol division at the bottom of page 1, and click on “patrol division.”