Grand Lake Neighborhood

August Update:
(August 28th, 2023)

Let’s be clear. Community safety is Oakland’s top priority. I witness the fear, anger and trauma in our community and want you to know that your City is working hard and working collaboratively across city departments, with other government partners, and with community and business organizations. We’re responding with short term urgency to make things better now and with long-term strategies to address root causes that will pay future dividends of safe communities. We know these challenges are much bigger than Oakland and that there’s no quick fix and no single solution. But we know we can do better and that we must.

Let me also be clear. There are some in Oakland and across our nation who use fear to drive wedges between us. This is a time for love, not hate. It’s a time for unity and working as One Oakland. I remain committed to creating an Oakland where:

• children can walk to school and play in our parks,
• neighbors gather in community and patronize our local businesses,
• seniors feel secure and respected, and
• we all experience love, joy and healing with the foundation of a thriving neighborhood, good jobs, affordable housing, quality education and accessible healthcare.

Oakland's challenges (like other major cities) require a collaborative approach — across the City and with our government partners, community organizations, business associations, and residents. We are expanding our comprehensive community safety solutions to:

1. Address the root causes of violence and poverty,
2. Prevent violence, retaliation and recidivism, and
3. Improve response times to crises and solve more crimes.

In June, I proposed and funded an OPD staffing study which will assess the appropriate management and allocation of resources to ensure effectiveness and equity. For two years, I’ve said that the appropriate measures for effective policing are response times, solve rates, and crime rates. I’m committed to supporting improvements in all three, as well as achieving constitutional policing by getting out of the decades-long Negotiated Settlement Agreement that mandates police reform.

Now, here is the work that Oakland is doing, and that I am leading in my role as a Councilmember and Council President passing policy and approving budgets which the City Administration, under the Mayor's leadership, then implements to deliver services to Oaklanders.

Root causes

Growing inequality and state disinvestment in the resources that support working families are the root causes of poverty, homelessness and violence that harm our communities. Through the Housing Bond I put on the ballot, Oakland is now investing over $200 million to create affordable housing. We’re also expanding job opportunities for youth and adults, like our training academy for 18 to 30 year olds. By offering dignity and hope for the future, we’re making a powerful intervention in the cycles that produce harm.

Violence prevention

We’re also preventing violence before it happens. By partnering with trusted violence interrupters, outreach workers, and community ambassadors, we prioritize neighborhoods most impacted by gun violence and human trafficking — and save real lives. Community outreach workers and violence interrupters play a vital role in connecting with at-risk individuals, providing support, and offering alternatives to violence. Through their presence and expertise, they help build trust and work towards reducing violence, preventing retaliation, and decreasing recidivism in our communities. Community building events, like Town Nights, also offer safe spaces to prevent violence and foster unity in a fun and family friendly environment.

Town Nights in San Antonio & Chinatown

We’re also improving community safety with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), by actively creating neighborhoods that discourage harmful and criminal activities. We’ve improved lighting, installed traffic calming speed bumps and traffic diverters, and invested in business facade improvements. And we’re rolling out even more of these projects in the coming months. Through CPTED, we aim to reduce traffic violence and disruptive events, like sideshows, and to discourage burglaries. In San Antonio, along E 15th Street, I worked with the community and city staff to install traffic diverters which have reduced human trafficking and dangerous driving in a residential neighborhood; and we will continue to address these issues across the neighborhood and our city.

Community meeting evaluating traffic diverters on E 15th Street

This Fall we will be activating our public spaces with even more events, partnering with our commercial corridors on safety strategies and services, conducting community safety awareness campaigns, and marketing the things we love about our town.

Community policing, crisis response, solving crimes

When you are in crisis, you deserve a swift response. When you have been the victim of a crime, you deserve justice. Oakland’s measures of success are shorter response times to 911 calls, higher clearance rates in solving crimes, and fewer crimes.

We’re not just talking, we’re doing it. We’ve prioritized hiring and retaining 911 dispatchers, MACRO crisis responders, firefighters and police officers. We are expanding MACRO (Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland in the Fire Department) to answer non-violent 911 calls, allowing OPD to focus on violent crime. We have also civilianized police functions including special events and certain traffic enforcement to focus police on serious and violent crime, and we will civilianize internal affairs investigations next. We are adding more foot patrol officers in business corridors to improve community policing, and adding civilian investigators to solve more crimes.

With Mayor Thao's leadership, we are partnering more closely with all our government leaders and agencies. Our county and state law enforcement partners are providing support in key areas of Oakland. We are working together to identify those small groups of people committing crimes in our region. We are also working together to expand our tools and technology to deter and solve crimes, and these items, such as automated license plate readers that identify vehicles involved in crimes, will come before the Privacy Advisory Commission and City Council this Fall.

Little Saigon Community/Business meeting with OPD Capt. Yu & CP Bas

MACRO (crisis responders) ride-along with CP Bas & Staff

Community engagement is essential in our pursuit of a safer Oakland. Residents can voice their concerns, contribute ideas, and collaborate on solutions through active participation in Oakland's Neighborhood Councils (NCs). These councils serve as platforms for open dialogue and collective decision-making around neighborhood priorities with city staff and Council offices. (See our Neighborhood Updates below for more information on NCs.)

My team and I have been spending this summer recess connecting with neighbors and businesses to listen and problem solve, and we will continue to do so. (Read more below.) You can also engage in Oakland's citywide survey and town halls to help build our agenda and strengthen our partnership.

Additionally, community organizations such as Restore Oakland, CURYJ, and Asian Health Services play crucial roles in addressing trauma, promoting healing, and providing support to individuals and families affected by violence through offering free services and connecting victims to other services and resources.

Lastly, as your Councilmember and Council President, I am committed to building a safer and thriving Oakland, where every resident and business owner feels safe, secure, and supported. I continue to value and invite your collaboration and engagement to build an Oakland for all.

——— NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC UPDATE———

• My team joins the Grand Lake Neighbors meetings together with OPD and other partners, where we review crime stats with our Community Resource Officers and problem solve.
• We hosted a meeting of businesses with our merchant partners and OPD to listen to specific concerns. We're glad to share that one of our Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies is being implemented. Next time you park in the parking lot between Grand and Walker, you will notice a new security camera system in the center. We look forward to working with the Grand Ave. Business Association to continue making our neighborhood safer.
• I'm grateful to the Lakeshore Business Improvement District's (BID) team, Abebe Lemma & Carol Knight, for their partnership with myself & my District 2 staff, as well as their commitment to work with us on creative solutions & strategies to address issues impacting local businesses.

May Update —

• May 19, 2023
  
  Dear Neighbors,
  
  Thank you for coming together for our community safety meeting this past Wednesday evening. As your neighbor and councilmember, I share your goals and am committed to creating a safe and peaceful community. It is precisely because of that commitment that my team and I worked quickly in partnership with Grand Lake Neighbors, Lakeshore Baptist Church, and OPD to bring us together — to share information, to listen to your concerns, and to build the necessary relationships and understanding of our safety systems that will help in solving and preventing these crimes.
  
  Here is a summary of action steps from our meeting:
  
  
  • Patrols: OPD has expanded their patrols on the Lakeshore and Grand business corridors to also include traffic enforcement and walking units. They have additional patrols in the residential neighborhoods of Trestle Glen, Lakeshore, and Governors Place due to community complaints and increased crime incidents. OPD is also partnering with Piedmont PD for staggered patrols on Lakeshore, Trestle Glen, and surrounding areas. Undercover officers are conducting surveillance on the main routes and freeway access points feeding into the neighborhood. Community Policing Officers have been directed to conduct high visibility patrols and are coordinating the deployment of traffic enforcement units. My office has ongoing communication with OPD to share neighbors’ concerns and requests.
    
  • Investigations: On May 16th, OPD arrested five individuals (three adults and two juveniles) suspected of being connected to an armed robbery series of at least 10 armed robberies citywide. OPD continues to investigate the recent crimes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPD Criminal Investigations Division at (510) 238-3426 or (510) 238-3326.
    
  • OPD/Private Security Coordination: OPD has already exchanged information with Intervention Agency, the private patrol for Lakeshore Homes Association, to link their security patrols with OPD patrols.
    
  • Cameras: My office has connected OPD, Lakeshore Homes Association and some neighbors interested in cameras. Many business districts and some neighborhoods use Flock; https://www.flocksafety.com. Some communities use hi-definition cameras and ALPR (automatic License Plate Readers); https://www.een.com/lpr. Some communities combine both technologies. If the camera(s) are placed on public property or use public funds, they must comply with Oakland’s privacy policies. Some neighbors are coordinating this project. If they request placement on public property, my office can help and support this effort moving through the appropriate city administrative processes.
    
  • Traffic calming/speed bumps: My office is working with OakDOT to determine if speed bumps are allowable along Trestle Glen to help deter speeding and safety concerns. Once we determine where speed bumps are allowed based on the existing criteria, a group of neighbors are ready to help with the petition process.
    
    For those of you who missed the meeting, here is a news clip from ABC7.
    
  Thanks again to the Grand Lake Neighbors, Lakeshore Baptist Church, OPD and our residents and businesses. My team and I look forward to advancing our work together toward more safety for all Oaklanders. We will continue to partner with the Lakeshore Business District and Grand Avenue Business Association. We remain committed to an effective and holistic approach to community safety where OPD responds and solves crimes in a timely manner, where our MACRO program answers non-violent 911 calls, where our violence prevention programs provide support and healing, and where our communities have their basic needs for jobs, housing and healthcare met.
  
  To connect with my office, please email me or Debra Israel DIsrael1@oaklandca.gov. To connect with neighbors working on cameras and speed bumps, please email Kristen Sagafi kristen@sheredling.com.
  
  It will take all of us working together to create a safer community. I am grateful for your engagement and commitment toward this goal.
  
  
• With the multiple instances of violence in the past week, our office is dedicated to pointing residents towards resources that can support them in addressing issues, and raising the overall safety of the community. Please utilize the resources below to report specific issues to appropriate City departments:
  • OAK311: Send requests to the city for routine maintenance and urgent infrastructure issues, i.e. potholes, abandoned vehicles, illegal dumping. If the requests is not addressed, follow up with our staff via email and share the Service Request Number in your confirmation so we can ask 311 staff to address the issue.
    • www.oaklandca.gov/services/oak311
    • Call 311 or (510) 615-5566.
  • Homelessness: Report encampments, cleaning needs, and other issues related to our unhoused community.
    • Email homelessness@oaklandca.gov – you will be asked to provide information, including location, types of vehicles if any, description of conditions, photos.
  • MACRO (Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland): MACRO teams in the Fire Department respond to calls about homelessness, some behavioral or mental health calls, noise complaints, and people appearing drunk (and nonviolent) in public. MACRO units do not respond inside anyone's home, a domestic violence call, or anything that appears dangerous or violent.
    • Call 911 to get a MACRO unit to respond, and in an effort to aid the dispatcher, the caller can stress that the situation appears to be non-violent and that a MACRO unit is desired, OR EMAIL MACRO@oaklandca.gov, Subject: "Request for Service @ Address/Location + Call/Incident Type," Body: Description of Incident, any relevant history and if possible, a picture.
  • Public Safety: Join a Neighborhood Council meeting in your area to connect with neighbors, city staff, and OPD Community Resource Officers designated to serve your area. Build connections and find solutions together.
    • Emergency 911: Call 510-777-3211 if calling from a cell phone
      
    • OPD Non-Emergency: 510-777-3333
      
    • Oakland Fire Dept Non-Emergency: 510-444-3322
      
    • Drug Tip Line: 510-238-3784
      
    • Human Trafficking Anonymous Tip Line: 510-238-2373
  • Traffic Safety Request Program: Check out OakDOT’s processes on submitting requests for improvements such as speed bumps, traffic signs, etc.
    
    
  • Paving: See the city’s 2022-27 5-Year Paving Plan and the results of the 2019-22 3-Year Paving Plan. You can find streets that have been paved, upcoming paving and timing.
    
    
  • Housing Resources: Get in touch with the City’s Rent Adjustment Program to access resources for tenants and property owners, including for housing counselors, navigating evictions, appeals, fees, etc. Connect with the City’s Housing Resource Center, a one-stop shop for information on City-funded housing services including listings for emergency shelters, transitional and affordable housing, foreclosure prevention: (510) 238-6182, housingassistance@oaklandnet.com.
    
    
  • Sideshows: Report to sideshowtips@oaklandca.gov with as much specific info as possible, including location, day, time, how many cars, license plates, number of spectators, any firearm activity, and social media posts. Learn more about top sideshow hotspots and OPD / OakDOT’s pilot prevention program.

April Update —

• New Lake Merritt Parking Meters: In mid-March, the City began operating new parking meters as part of the Lake Merritt Parking Management Plan. The goals of the Plan are to increase equitable access to Lake Merritt and promote a safe, equitable and enjoyable experience at the Lake. The meters will encourage turnover to allow more access for visitors, and the revenue will help support more parks programming and improvements, such as an improved vendor marketplace and the existing Parks Stewards. This is a one year pilot, with a six month review. Meters will be enforced Monday through Saturday, 8AM to 8PM and Sundays Noon to 8PM. Warnings will be issued for non-payment violations through April 30, one warning per vehicle. Read more here.
• Splash Pad Park Earth Day Clean up, April 23rd, 9am - 12pm, Call for Volunteers! Join Friends of Splash Pad Park for an Earth Day event in celebration of the upcoming 20th Anniversary of the park. Come ready to clean, weed, and beautify our park. A light lunch will be served. Advance registration is required via an email to info@splashpad.org.