On Saturday, May 13th, Councilperson Dan Kalb held a Town Hall on the upcoming Oakland budget. Against a backdrop of unaffordable housing, spreading homelessness and social needs, citizens confronted yet another budget where the Oakland Police consume the largest part of the General Fund, allocated a massive budget and then augmented by overtime.
The Anti Police Terror Project and other groups came out in large numbers to oppose this basic contradiction, and demand an audit of the police budget and practices. Whether they made an impact remains to be seen, although past history and the current Mayor’s proclivities (police, more police, and even more police) provides little hope.
The two-year budget is to be considered at other town halls through the 25th of May, then will be debated at City Council and must ultimately be in place by the end of June.
Here are some tweets from the Saturday Town Hall.
.@DSAEastBay, #DefundOPD & Anti Police Terror Project planning to present our case to city council to audit OPD pic.twitter.com/MYozV6ee77
— A Gentle Reign (@jetta_rae) May 13, 2017
what does OPD actually do? #DefundOPD pic.twitter.com/b1c7ffFBL4
— grammar radical (@morganastra) May 13, 2017
#DefundOPD pic.twitter.com/oNehaj8tue
— Don’t forget Flint (@HaleyParty) May 13, 2017
Decorating the budget meeting #DefundOPD pic.twitter.com/YCQ4jk2KJR
— A Gentle Reign (@jetta_rae) May 13, 2017
#DefundOPD @DanKalb just called meeting to orderhttps://t.co/VLB8zRfNbC pic.twitter.com/iGW8l6ncwM
— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) May 13, 2017
According to Oakland’s own poll, only 10% of respondents think OPD should be the city’s first priority #DefundOPD
— grammar radical (@morganastra) May 13, 2017
this budget adds $250k for homeless services. that is the money the city spends on one single typical cop salary + overtime #DefundOPD
— grammar radical (@morganastra) May 13, 2017
#DefundOPD pic.twitter.com/DUGNTAGoT3
— A Gentle Reign (@jetta_rae) May 13, 2017
“We really need a deep audit of OPD.”
#DefundOPD @anne_weills pic.twitter.com/DEnhxXgIRk
— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) May 13, 2017
#DefundOPD Community member offers instead of cops, “if you would like to hire a bunch of social workers, we can help”
— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) May 13, 2017
Councilmember Dan Kalb refuses to commit to an audit. Community members are pissed as hell (same) #defundOPD
— allie (@OhioFeminist) May 13, 2017
50% of Oakland general funds are allocated to child trafficking rapist OPD. Officers make 2-4x salary in OT w no oversight #DefundOPD
— ASWANG (@jennny_jenn) May 13, 2017
#DefundOPD Community member offers instead of cops, “if you would like to hire a bunch of social workers, we can help”
— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) May 13, 2017
“people are waking up to the fact that more police funding doesn’t solve crime” #DefundOPD
— grammar radical (@morganastra) May 13, 2017
#DefundOPD Leigh Davenport pic.twitter.com/5f6DP1akk7
— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) May 13, 2017
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