Broadway & 14th St
Oakland, CA 94612
USA
There is a good chance that the only reason this is even appearing on a committee meeting agenda is because the sum is more than $100,000 otherwise the citizens would not have known of this. One might wonder if this purchase came out of the recent Urban Shield vendor weapons display. The Oakland Police Dept will say the shotguns they already have are old and overused – which is a tired argument. Municipal police departments are not supposed to be firing weapons aside from on the firing range and these weapons – if maintained – will last for a very long time.
From the resolution … “WHEREAS, funds are available in the General Purpose Fund (1010), District Command Administration Organization (108010), Supplies Technical and Scientific Account (52913), Undetermined Project (0000000), Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS) …” COPS?! Is that what residents considered community-oriented policing? Or would they consider proper rubber-soled walking shoes to be community-oriented policing?
This is about priorities and stockpiling weapons for the upcoming repression. When combined with the OPD request of $279,000 for 8 “paddy wagons” to be heard later in the day, OPD will be consuming over $400,000. Funds that this supposed cash-strapped city could easily direct elsewhere.
Either appear in person or contact the four council members who warm the chairs on this committee to say NO to these purchases: DKalb [at] oaklandnet.com; AGuillen [at] oaklandnet.com; LMcelhaney [at] oaklandnet.com; ACampbell-Washington [at] oaklandnet.com