Crime

OP-ED: Too Important to Fail

Published

11 years ago

August 26, 2013

We must deem Oakland “too important to fail” and take immediate action to restore order in our City

This past weekend, 12 people were shot in Oakland. The reverberations from these horrifying acts are sending shockwaves through Oakland. In one daytime incident, four people were shot at 17^th & Telegraph. Even in a city where the murder count will likely reach unprecedented levels this year, this brash display of gun play and attendant violence stands out.

Tensions among our residents have reached a boiling point and the time has come to move beyond outrage to action. This action must both account for the need to immediately curb this current rash of shootings, and include an honest examination of the deeper, systemic reasons, these shootings are occurring.

Approximately 80% of shootings in Oakland involve a black or brown person shooting another black or brown person. The truth is, that race still matters in society. These “black on black” shootings have been occurring for some time, with no real moral outrage. This fact, underscores the ongoing truth of this narrative. The shooting at 17^th & Telegraph brings needed attention to this issue. That is, shootings are not just an East or West Oakland issue; if left unchecked, these shootings are an entire Oakland city issue.

The truth is that inner cities in America are failing people of color all over our country. Oakland is no different. Unemployment rates in East and West Oakland have sailed to over 30%. Our education system, particularly in these areas, is in a similarly poor condition. When you combine an uncertain job future, with an education system that is failing our residents of color, many exist in an environment of hopelessness.

We must realize, that unless we restore hope, these acts of violence, robberies and shootings will continue to pose problems for Oakland as whole. In this regard, an analogy to the federal stimulus package is appropriate. We must have declared, all of Oakland, but particularly, East and West Oakland, “too important to fail”. In so doing, we can begin the long term process of rebuilding these areas, and in so doing, Oakland as a whole. Without a strong urban core, our middle class will continue to disappear.

We should demand the same type of stimulus package, given by the Feds to the big banks, for Oakland and our urban core. This stimulus package must provide aid for businesses and job creation, and also focus on bringing up our schools, particularly, in East and West Oakland, to acceptable standards.

In the interim, we need actions that can immediately curb the gun violence in our City. Some of these items may be unpopular. However, given the state of our City, we should not remove anything from the discussion. We must be innovative and decisive in our actions, yet the protection of our resident’s civil liberties must remain our top priority.

Actions for consideration should include: requesting the Governor declare a state of emergency (and sending additional police); potential use of anti-loitering laws and gang injunctions; resources to engage in a far reaching gun buyback program; and creating a tighter alignment with the faith community.

I am ready to stand with my fellow residents of Oakland and demand these solutions. Will you stand with me?

Bryan R. Parker, Oakland Port Commissioner and 2014 for Candidate of Mayor of Oakland

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 13 – 19, 2024

Published

1 day ago

November 16, 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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial

Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the RadiusRecycling/SchnitzerSteel defendants in court for causing delays in prosecuting this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Criminal charges announced this week are related to the August 2023 scrap metal fire at Radius Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

Special to The Post

District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30 in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023.

The Alameda County criminal Grand Jury indicted radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers in June 2024.

The court clarified that the defendants will not receive more extensions on their arraignment and plea.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team appreciated the court for clarifying that future delays by Radius will not be tolerated.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.

PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.

“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, short-term exposures to a toxic smoke plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.

“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.

The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.

The media relations office of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.