City Government

Council Members: OPD Must Recruit Local Residents, Women and People of Color

Published

8 years ago

July 15, 2016

A proposal advocating changes to the Oakland Police Department’s recruiting practices passed unanimously this week at a packed Public Safety Committee meeting.

“We have for many years received concerns about underrepresentation of people of Oakland, underrepresentation of people of color and particularly African Americans, and underrepresentation of LGBT people and women,” said Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, who sponsored the resolution.

“While still being able to fully respect all the difficult work our officers do every day, I think we can recognize that all these under-representations negatively impact our ability to strengthen the bonds of trust and mutual respect with the community,” she said, speaking at Tuesday’s meeting.

Rather than requesting policy adoption, Kaplan explained that the resolution was meant to propose a list of changes in how new police officers are picked and to research and report back on the feasibility of the changes.

The resolution listed 10 proposals for review, including prohibiting the use of marijuana as a grounds for rejecting an application, expanding outreach and strategies to mitigate underrepresentation of women, LGBT people and people of color in the department, and seeking a goal of at least 50 percent new hires to be from or have some connection with Oakland.

“There’s a huge difference between a local officer, meaning from here, and the other officers. They get a different response,” said public speaker Ron Muhammad.

Kaplan told council members that several people “were told they were rejected for past marijuana use” and that two OPD applicants were told they were rejected for having debt, which was addressed in the recommendation as well.

“We take people without a college education, but we don’t take people with a college education and student loan debt?” said Kaplan. “That is a significant problem if that is going on.”

Citing a recent letter from the Oakland Black Officers Association that raised concerns about Black officers being misrepresented in statements made by Mayor Libby Schaaf, Kaplan emphasized new practices must also look at how the department treats people once they are hired.

“As we are trying to recruit a police force that is reflective of Oakland, we don’t want to make the very folks we are having problems recruiting feel like they are being mistreated in a way that might scare applicants away,” she said.

The resolution will return to the Public Safety Committee at their next meeting on Sept. 13 with recommendations from Kaplan and the department as to how to implement the changes.

“Adding these areas to look at won’t fully address all of the issues we have with respect to the treatment and training,” said Councilmember Desley Brooks.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 27 – December 3, 2024, 2024

Published

4 days ago

November 30, 2024

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California Black Media

California Department of Aging Offers Free Resources for Family Caregivers in November

In honor of National Family Caregivers Month this November, the California Department of Aging (CDA) is spotlighting a range of free resources to support caregivers of older adults and individuals with disabilities. Through its extensive network of Caregiver Resource Centers (CRCs) and Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), the state provides essential tools to help caregivers manage their responsibilities while prioritizing their own health and well-being.

Published

1 week ago

November 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

“Caregiving is a great act of love, and this month — and every day — we uplift California’s caregivers as the under-recognized backbone of our families and communities,” said Susan DeMarois, director of the CDA. DeMarois emphasized the need for caregivers to access available support to better balance their roles without compromising their own health.

California is home to more than 4.5 million unpaid family caregivers, who contribute an estimated $81 billion annually in economic value through their care. Most caregivers are women who balance work, family, and caregiving responsibilities, often at the cost of their physical and emotional health. Given California’s aging population, the demand for caregiver support is rapidly growing, underscoring the importance of these free resources.

Thousands of caregivers accessed these services in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, benefiting from tools like professional care management and respite support. The Aging in California Resource Guide, available in six languages, offers additional information on caregiver support.

Caregivers can learn more about available resources by visiting the CDA website at aging.ca.gov and connecting with local CRCs or AAAs to discover personalized services to support them in their caregiving journey.

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California Black Media

Elections 2024: Sec. of State Weber Explains Results, Ballot Counting Process

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber hosted a webinar on Nov. 14 to update Californians on the ballot counting process for the 2024 General Election. California is home to the largest voting base in the nation with 22.5 million registered voters. According to the Secretary of State Office (SOS), about 70% of the state’s voters participated in the November Election. So far, 15.2 million votes have been counted, processed and verified. There are still roughly 0.8 million votes to go through the process.

Published

1 week ago

November 25, 2024

Oakland Post

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. File Photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber hosted a webinar on Nov. 14 to update Californians on the ballot counting process for the 2024 General Election.

California is home to the largest voting base in the nation with 22.5 million registered voters. According to the Secretary of State Office (SOS), about 70% of the state’s voters participated in the November Election. So far, 15.2 million votes have been counted, processed and verified. There are still roughly 0.8 million votes to go through the process.

Because California allows voters more time and opportunities to vote than most states, it typically takes longer to finalize the results.

Historically, it has taken the state the longest to finalize election results. Almost half of the uncalled house races this year come from California. As of Nov 14, the closest race is in the 45^thCongressional District House race between Michelle Steel and Derek Tran. The two candidates are only separated by 58 votes with 93% of all votes counted.

“California basically makes sure that every vote counts,” said Weber. “We will receive our first actual count from all of the 58 counties on Dec. 6. After that, we have at least one week, which is until Dec. 13, when we will actually certify the state results. Then that becomes the official results for the election.”

If a recount is triggered in the 45^th district, official results may take longer than the expected deadline.

The part of the ballot counting process that tends to prolong the official results involves verifying signatures and making sure individuals who obtained provisional ballots the day of the election are all eligible to vote, Weber said.

The SOS goes as far as finding individuals who neglected to sign their ballots so they can complete the process.

“The reason we do this is we respect every vote that comes in. California’s election process is designed with a core commitment to recognizing and basically accurately counting each and every eligible vote that comes into our office,” added Weber. “This approach involves a series of rigorous checks and safeguards, including Signature verification machine audits and manual accounts.”

While technology has helped expedite the counting process in some areas, as the voter base continues to grow in the state, additional manual support is needed. For example, vote my mail ballots have to be opened and counted by hand. By Oct. 18, 1.5 million vote-by-mail ballots were already submitted.

Voting over the internet is prohibited by California Law. This eliminates all possibilities of cyber tampering or electronic voter fraud.

The SOS office also does a hand count of one percent of all ballots before Dec. 13. This is done to verify the fact there is a correlation between the hand counts and what the machines are counting.

“Some people ask the question: ‘Why do we have to be so accurate?’

We do our best to make sure that every Californian who is registered legally registered to vote will have their vote counted,” Weber emphasized.