Activism

Oakland Police Department Now Offering Assistance to Victims of Crimes

Florence McCrary, a member of the Violence Prevention Coalition Family Support Advocates, representing mothers who lost children to violence in Oakland said, “As a mother who lost their child to gun violence in the city of Oakland, I have to say that working with Brigitte Cook through OPD’s victim services was so very helpful.

Published

3 years ago

February 4, 2022

Oakland Post

Florence McCrary (left) and Annette Miller, members of the Violence Prevention Coalition and mothers who have lost sons to gun violence in Oakland, advocated for the creation of a Victim Service Liaison within OPD. Photo by Brigitte Cook.

Caption: Florence McCrary (left) and Annette Miller, members of the Violence Prevention Coalition and mothers who have lost sons to gun violence in Oakland, advocated for the creation of a Victim Service Liaison within OPD. Photo by Brigitte Cook.

By Post Staff

As Oakland has seen an increase in the levels of violent crime, there have been greater numbers of traumatized victims and survivors.

To meet the needs of residents affected by violent crime, the Oakland Police Department has created a position to serve as a liaison between the department and the community to help them navigate an array of services.

This furthers OPD’s plan to have victim-centered and trauma-informed responses to crime incidents. “For years, many in our community didn’t know where to turn or who to ask for help,” said Oakland Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong. “I felt it important to create the position of a victim specialist to give those most vulnerable the care and compassion they need at a very traumatic time.”

The Victim Specialist position is funded through a three-year Department of Justice grant. Victim Specialist Brigitte Cook, said “As survivors or family members face some of the worst days of their lives, it is vital to have a compassionate bridge between them and the department to connect them to the resources that they are eligible for.” Cook also meets with local organizations to share information about services and create opportunities for problem-solving.

“She made herself available to me through some of the most difficult times, attended meetings and helped me to ask the hard but necessary questions,” McCray said. “This is a much needed service that parents who have experienced loss benefit from. It needs to be supported as it elevates the presence of OPD and shows compassion, which is so important.”

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Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

10 hours ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.