Bay Area

DA Pamela Price Engages Community at Good Hope Baptist Church Gathering

East Oakland’s Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church bore witness to an impactful event as Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price met and prayed with more than 20 pastors and faith leaders who were participating in the 2023 Bay Cities Baptist Minister’s Union Citywide Revival.

Published

1 year ago

August 31, 2023

Oakland Post

Well-recognized in the faith community, Price seized the moment to dispel misconceptions surrounding her position. She forthrightly acknowledged the mistaken perception that she wields the authority of a mayor or police chief.

By Post Staff

This gathering at 5717 Foothill Blvd., a precursor to the annual revival, presented a distinctive platform for faith leaders to question Price on the current status of the community, her ongoing challenges, her role and responsibilities, and her steadfast dedication to justice reform.

However, she sought to explain that while her role as District Attorney is paramount in ensuring an equitable dispensation of justice, it still has limits.

Rev. Joe Smith, president of Bay Cities Baptist Ministers, told the Post that Mayor Sheng Thao is scheduled to meet their group Thursday, Aug. 25 to also answer questions about crime and her role and responsibilities in solving the city’s problems.

Smith, his fellow ministers and their congregations will be looking for solutions to the problems of the unhoused, job seekers, and school absenteeism.

“We want to work with our mayor, our district attorney, our schoolteachers, and everyone that has contact with our members and their families,” Smith said. “We want progress. We want affordable housing, and we want justice and jobs. We must also do our part to keep our youth in school and train them up in the ways that they should go so they won’t get in trouble.”

Against the backdrop of her personal journey — from the foster care system to her present status in the legal field — Price brought up the transformative influence of grace and education. She candidly revealed that her trajectory owes much to both divine grace and educational opportunities.

She presented data drawn from a UCLA article that revealed jarring racial disparities woven into the fabric of the criminal justice system. In Alameda County, a staggering 70.7% of those sentenced to Life Without Parole (LWOP) are Black.

This discrepancy is alarmingly disproportionate, given that the Black population constitutes merely 9.9% of the whole. Price pointed to Alameda County’s Special Directive, a blueprint for instituting equitable adjustments, that recognizes the severity and significance of this chasm.

In a candid conversation with the audience, Price emphasized that a compassionate prosecutorial approach does not entail a lapse in prosecution itself.

In her remarks, she aimed to rectify common misconceptions about the district attorney’s role, describing its essence in upholding fairness, abiding by the law, and guaranteeing an impartial platform for all.

She repeatedly told the audience that she would remain committed to reforming the system to bring about justice through fairness and equal treatment.

Price’s affinity for the church was evident as she spoke about her Christian values and the comfort she derives from the congregation. This sentiment was underscored by a private session during which pastors offered prayers and support for Price.

During the hot summer evening, the revival fervor in the church set the scene for joyful singing and clapping.

Preceding Price’s address, Laney College Rudy Besikof announced the extension of the “Spring is Free” initiative, offering free classes for an extended period. Price lauded this initiative, acknowledging its potential to guide young adults away from potential difficulties.

In conclusion, Price reiterated her resolve to realize justice for all. Sharing her personal narrative, she inspired the attendees to stand alongside her in pursuit of transformative change. She told the gathering at Good Hope Baptist Church that their prayers and community support would be indispensable in the county’s quest for justice.

Many in the audience were surprised to learn that Price had filed a response to a petition by outlining her accomplishments as D.A., which included:

charging over 7,610 cases,
expanding the victim-witness advocacy program
enhancing police collaboration
promoting diversity within investigative teams
prioritizing mental health support
addressing workplace well-being
training staff on the Racial Justice Act
securing budget approvals
expanding specialized court programs
establishing various community-focused commissions and bureaus.

Smith said his group would continue to seek solutions from the major departments chartered with responsibility to dispense justice such as the DA, the mayors of Alameda County, the Alameda County Sheriff, police chiefs, the Public Defender, the Probation Department and the Grand Jury.

“We want them all to find ways to work for solutions rather than point fingers at one another,” Smith said. “Everyone should accept responsibility for their part in the process, and that includes the churches too. We must stay alert, read, pray, register to vote, and hold all our officials accountable. And in the meantime, let Pamela Price do her job.”

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Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 25 – 31, 2024

Published

5 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Bay Area

Glydways Breaking Ground on 14-Acre Demonstration Facility at Hilltop Mall

Glydways has been testing its technology at CCTA’s GoMentum Station in Concord for several years. The company plans to install an ambitious 28-mile Autonomous Transit Network in East Contra Costa County. The new Richmond facility will be strategically positioned near that project, according to Glydways.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Image of planned Richmond facility courtesy of Glydways.

The Richmond Standard

Glydways, developer of microtransit systems using autonomous, small-scale vehicles, is breaking ground on a 14-acre Development and Demonstration Facility at the former Hilltop Mall property in Richmond, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) reported on social media.

Glydways, which released a statement announcing the project Monday, is using the site while the mall property undergoes a larger redevelopment.

“In the interim, Glydways will use a portion of the property to showcase its technology and conduct safety and reliability testing,” the company said.

The new Richmond development hub will include “over a mile of dedicated test track, enabling Glydways to refine its solutions in a controlled environment while simulating real-world conditions,” the company said.

Visitors to the facility will be able to experience on-demand travel, explore the control center and visit a showroom featuring virtual reality demonstrations of Glydways projects worldwide.

The hub will also house a 13,000-square-foot maintenance and storage facility to service the growing fleet of Glydcars.

“With this new facility [at the former Hilltop Mall property], we’re giving the public a glimpse of the future, where people can experience ultra-quiet, on-demand transit—just like hailing a rideshare, but with the reliability and affordability of public transit,” said Tim Haile, executive director of CCTA.

Janet Galvez, vice president and investment officer at Prologis, owner of the Hilltop Mall property, said her company is “thrilled” to provide space for Glydways and is continuing to work with the city on future redevelopment plans for the broader mall property.

Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl added that Glydways’ presence “will not only help test new transit solutions but also activate the former Mall site while preparation and finalization of the Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan is underway.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Last City Council Meeting of the Year Ends on Sour Note with Big Budget Cuts

In a five to one vote, with Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Janani Ramachandran excused, the council passed a plan aimed at balancing the $130 million deficit the city is facing. Noel Gallo voted against the plan, previously citing concerns over public safety cuts, while Nikki Fortunato-Bas, Treva Reid, Rebecca Kaplan, Kevin Jenkins, and Dan Kalb voted in agreement with the plan.

Published

2 days ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland City Council voted on a plan to balance the $130 million deficit at their last regular meeting of 2024. The plan reduces police spending by $25 million, temporarily closes two fire stations, and guts the cultural arts programs. iStock photo.

By Magaly Muñoz

In the last lengthy Tuesday meeting of the Oakland City Council for 2024, residents expressed strong opposition to the much needed budget cuts before a change in leadership was finalized with the certification of election results.

Oakland police and fire departments, the ambassador program, and city arts and culture will all see significant cuts over the course of two phases.

Phase 1 will eliminate two police academies, brown out two fire stations, eliminate the ambassador program, and reduce police overtime by nearly $25 million. These, with several other cuts across departments, aim to save the city $60 million. In addition, the council simultaneously approved to transfer restricted funds into its general purpose fund, amounting to over $40 million.

Phase 2 includes additional fire station brownouts and the elimination of 91 jobs, aiming to recover almost $16 million in order to balance the rest of the budget.

Several organizations and residents spoke out at the meeting in hopes of swaying the council to not make cuts to their programs.

East Oakland Senior Center volunteers and members, and homeless advocates, filled the plaza just outside of City Hall with rallies to show their disapproval of the new budget plan. Senior residents told the council to “remember that you’ll get old too” and that disturbing their resources will only bring problems for an already struggling community.

While city staff announced that there would not be complete cuts to senior center facilities, there would be significant reductions to staff and possibly inter-program services down the line.

Exiting council member and interim mayor Bas told the public that she is still hopeful that the one-time $125 million Coliseum sale deal will proceed in the near future so that the city would not have to continue with drastic cuts. The deal was intended to save the city for fiscal year 2024-25, but a hold up at the county level has paused any progress and therefore millions of dollars in funds Oakland desperately needs.

The Coliseum sale has been a contentious one. Residents and city leaders were originally against using the deal as a way to balance the budget, citing doubts about the sellers, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group’s (AASEG), ability to complete the deal. Council members Reid, Ramachandran, and Gallo have called several emergency meetings to understand where the first installments of the sale are, with little to no answers.

Bas added that as the new Alameda County Supervisor for D5, a position she starts in a few weeks, she will do everything in her power to push the Coliseum sale along.

The city is also considering a sales tax measure to put on the special election ballot on April 15, 2025, which will also serve as an election to fill the now vacant D2 and mayor positions. The tax increase would raise approximately $29 million annually for Oakland, allowing the city to gain much-needed revenue for the next two-year budget.

The council will discuss the possible sales tax measure on January 9.