OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Oakland residents will see more police on patrol starting Saturday as part of the police department’s summer safety plan to combat crime.
Oakland’s Summer Safety Plan aims to implement crime prevention techniques to address violent crime, two weeks after the city suffered a mass shooting during Juneteenth festivities.
The chaos of Juneteenth is something Oakland police are desperate to avoid. Fourteen people were shot during a large gathering near Lake Merritt. Assistant Police Chief James Patrick Beere says officers helped prevent the loss of life.
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“I will say this right now. A life was saved thanks to the police officers present who responded immediately,” he said.
OPD’s Summer Safety Plan kicks off Saturday, with more officers patrolling in cars and on foot.
Beere says officers with a Special Resource Section will work with the department’s Ceasefire Division, which reduced homicides and shootings between 2012 and 2019.
“There will be more police officers throughout the city, but there will also be more targeted enforcement. We will focus on the people who commit robberies, burglaries and violent crimes,” he said.
California Highway Patrol and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office are also part of the Summer Safety Plan and are conducting routine traffic stops and DUI enforcement operations.
“There are certain areas of the city where we have tragically lost lives due to reckless driving and speeding, and they will continue to enforce,” Beere said.
Police are also asking the public to do their part this summer, with the following four tips to reduce the risk:
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Be vigilant for suspicious persons, as some suspects target distracted drivers.
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Stay calm and don’t resist.
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Store items in your car or under your seat if possible.
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If you are being followed, drive to a safe place and call 911.
“The community is the most important part of this,” Beere said. “We’re not going to be able to do this alone, we’re not going to be able to make arrests for everything unless people come forward and give us information.”
According to Beere, OPD is still short staffed by 709 officers, but schedules are being adjusted to have enough staff for the Summer Safety Plan.
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