Safer Neighborhoods

By Sean Sullivan

As violence becomes more widespread, the entire city is now on alert and demands action. Violence from shootings - whether at a corner on Market and 14th or in a piano studio on Trestle Glen - frighten us all. These are issues I plan to tackle, first and foremost.

It was NEVER acceptable that violence was seen as commonplace in West Oakland. As violence becomes more widespread, the entire city is now on alert and demands action. Violence from shootings - whether at a corner on Market and 14th or in a piano studio on Trestle Glen - frighten us all.

As a community we need to treat law breakers as criminals and demand fair, swift prosecution. As a community and city we must work with the state to ensure adequate rehabilitation that addresses the whole person during incarceration to ensure those returning to our streets have access to employment. To address these issues I fully support:

• Redistribution of police from administrative posts to community policing.

• Hiring cops to mandatory Measure Y supported levels.

• Institution of incentives to recruit & retain Cops. Packages could include workforce housing, to keep our officers in the neighborhoods in which they work, and hiring bonuses.

• Ensuring that police are culturally competent and able to appropriately address the diverse citizenry that makes up Oakland + including African Americans, Hispanics, the LBGT community, Asians and everyone else.

• Working with OPD to ensure that our federally funded Weed and Seed Initiatives partner with violence prevention efforts funded by the city.

• Implementation of community policing with new officers hired through Measure Y.

• Refocusing of Measure Y monies towards more direct street outreach to get youth off of the streets and into schools and employment.

• Creation a youth oriented, educationally supportive, community one-stops with existing non-profits and local churches to address issues of youth truancy, loitering and job creation.