Activism

OPD Detains Homeless Aid Volunteers, Violates Mask Policy

Published

5 years ago

May 21, 2020

Cassidy Taylor, a volunteer for the mutual aid and protest group, the United Front Against Displacement (UFAD), poses in front of a hand washing station before a protest against police activity on and near Wood Street in West Oakland, where a large community if unhoused Oakland residents live. Photo by Zack Haber.

Oakland Police Department (OPD) officers detained and handcuffed two volunteers last Saturday who were maintaining a freshwater supply for a large community of unhoused residents that live near Wood Street in West Oakland for possession of a stolen vehicle, but let them go after approximately five minutes when they determined the vehicle wasn’t stolen.

Cassidy Taylor, one of the volunteers OPD detained, says she feels at least one of the four officers present recognized her, and that their actions were in retaliation.

“He definitely recognized me. I feel like I was targeted. The police know that we’re trying to build links with the community and that we have a history of resisting attempts to evict homeless folks. I think they want to antagonize us because of that,” said Taylor.

A video of Taylor’s detainment shows one officer not wearing a mask while handcuffing her. In an email to The Oakland Post, OPD confirmed that officers not wearing a face covering while “engaged in essential government functions…where the public is present or likely to be” violates an Alameda County Health Official Order that, since April 17, the department has committed to upholding due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While OPD did not say whether or not the officer would face consequences for violating the order, they did say “The incident has been forwarded to our Internal Affairs Division.”

OPD has tested over 330 of its over 700 officers. In a press release published on May 19, OPD announced that “In the evening of May 18, the Oakland Police Department had their 4th reported case where a member tested positive for COVID-19.” A May 20 press release confirmed a 5th officer tested positive. Both officers are currently in quarantine.

Taylor is a member of the United Front Against Displacement (UFAD), a group that provides survival and life enrichment services for unhoused Wood Street residents while advocating and protesting for the city of Oakland to provide permanent housing for all its residents.

UFAD has constructed and maintained three water tanks and seven hand washing stations in the area. A separate volunteer organization, the Berkeley Free Clinic (BFC), has installed and maintained four handwashing stations and one water barrel near Wood Street.

Although the city of Oakland has arranged for a nonprofit, Lava Mae, to provide showers to unhoused residents in the area on Thursdays, daily use of water comes largely from UFAD’s and BFC’s resources, resources the city isn’t providing.

UFAD’s work means they’re at the site often. Dale Smith, who’s worked with UFAD for over a year and is on or near Wood Street at least three to four times a week says he sees police there every time he’s on-site, “a noticeable increase” from before shelter in place, when he says he’d only see them sometimes on Wood Street, as opposed to now, when he sees them just west of Wood Street, closer to where more people live.

“I see them driving kind of recklessly down [the site’s] dirt roads” said Smith.

Smith expressed concern about this way of driving because he says people live right next to the site’s dirt roads, and reckless driving puts residents in danger.

In a May 17 press release, OPD said “The Department has increased its presence in West Oakland as a result of challenges with crimes. Residents have continued to voice concerns about criminal activity in [the Wood Street] area including shootings, assaults, sale and use of narcotics. Within the last two months, eight stolen vehicles have been recovered from [the Wood Street] area.”

Jesse Parker, a long term unhoused resident of Wood Street and lifelong Oakland resident expressed concern about the increased police presence.

“[The increased police presence] doesn’t feel good at all. They’re taking the wrong people to jail. You got a couple [officers] wearing masks but the rest of them don’t,” said Parker.

OPD said they’ve arrested five people for possession of the stolen vehicle in the last two months. One of the five arrested told the Oakland Post they didn’t steal but only temporarily sought shelter inside the vehicle they were arrested for stealing. Since the vehicle wasn’t running they said they assumed it was abandoned.

On May 18, Taylor and over a dozen members of the UFAD as well as unhoused Wood Street residents, protested OPD’s increased presence at Wood Street.

“I think [police] were [at Wood Street] to intimidate us…because we’re not just building handwashing stations for our homeless, we’re building people power. We’re building a future for people where they can determine their own lives,” said Taylor at the protest outside of Oakland’s City Hall.

Zack Haber

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

18 hours ago

December 20, 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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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

3 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

Oakland Post

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

3 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org