Oakland City Council members are moving forward with controversial plans to limit and restrict the equipment officers can carry to protect themselves.
It is a move widely criticized by public safety advocates and rank-and-file officers as short-sighted and misguided that will endanger lives.
In a recent public safety committee meeting, the chairperson of the panel blamed the "status quo" for the city's alarming increase in violent crimes and homicides, suggesting Oakland's reigning political establishment is somehow responsible for high crime rates as a way to stymie progressive ideas from becoming policy.
“No matter how much money we pour into this, no matter how many officers we have on the street, it’s continuing,” Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife, who represents parts of West Oakland, said May 26. “It also continues when there's a progressive movement suggesting we have something else.”
“When there's a mayor's race, crime goes down,” she added. “When progressive council members and community members call for a change in policing, not just in Oakland, but across the country, then you see an uptick in violence because the status quo will have things as they are. They are saying if you all are demanding something different, we're going to show you how much you need police. I'm sick of it, I'm over it. This is being throttled this crime. And I'm sorry I've got to leave this meeting right now. I am livid. I am angry.”
The council voted unanimously in May to back a sweeping series of proposals aimed at defunding the police department's budget.
On June 8, Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan will introduce a sweeping ban on the police department's acquisition of so-called "militaristic equipment" during a Public Safety Committee meeting.
"The acquisition of military and militaristic equipment and its deployment in Oakland can adversely impact the public's safety and welfare, including introducing significant risks to civil rights, civil liberties, and physical and psychological well-being, and incurring significant financial costs," according to the proposed legislation. "The public has a right to know about any funding, acquisition, or use of military or militaristic equipment by the City of Oakland, as well as a right to participate in any City decision to fund, acquire, or use such equipment.”
Oakland Police Officers have said criminals committing violent acts throughout the city are oftentimes better armed with high-powered semi-automatic rifles at their disposal.
Kaplan's proposed ban includes bans on tanks, humvees, bayonets, grenade launchers, tear gas, flashbang grenades, riot helmets and shields, water cannons, and aircraft carrying armament.
More specifically, the proposal would outlaw:
"(1) wheeled vehicles that are built or modified to provide ballistic protection to their occupants, such as mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles or armored personnel carriers. Police versions of standard consumer vehicles are specifically excluded from this section. (2) Wheeled vehicles that are built to operate both on-road and off-road, such as a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), commonly referred to as a Humvee, a two and one-half-ton truck, or a five-ton truck, or vehicles built or modified to use a breaching or entry apparatus as an attachment. Unarmored all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and motorized dirt bikes are specifically excluded from this section. (3) Tracked vehicles that are built or modified to provide ballistic protection to their occupants and utilize a tracked system instead of wheels for forward motion. (4) Weapon-bearing aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind, whether manned or unmanned.”
Other devices used in crowd control are specifically banned.
“(9) Projectile launch platforms, such as 40mm projectile launchers, "bean bag" or specialty impact munition ("SIM") weapons, and "riot guns" used to disperse chemical agents. (10) Any weapon designed for hand-to-hand combat, including any knife designed to be attached to the muzzle of a rifle, shotgun, or long gun for purposes of hand-to-hand combat, but excluding service-issued telescopic or fixed-length straight batons. (11) Explosives and pyrotechnics, such as "flashbang" grenades and explosive breaching tools, and chemical weapons such as "teargas" and "pepper balls" but excluding standard, service-issued handheld pepper spray. (12) Crowd-control equipment, such as riot batons, riot helmets, and riot shields, but excluding service-issued telescopic or fixed-length straight batons. (13) Active area denial weapons, such as the Taser Shockwave, microwave weapons, water cannons, and the Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD). Only LRAD use as an area denial tool shall trigger the reporting requirements of this Chapter. (14) Military surplus equipment. (15) Other equipment as determined by the City Council by amending this Chapter.”
Most of the tools described in the proposal are not in use by American police agencies. Oakland Police Officers have criticized the proposal, calling it unnecessary and further handicaps their ability to effectively respond to crimes in the community. Officers were concerned about not being able to deploy the department's bullet-resistant armored vehicle in situations where suspects may be armed.
San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, Alameda County, the University of California Berkeley, Contra Costa County, and many other municipalities have an armored law enforcement rescue vehicle.
Oakland is seeing a surge in violent crimes in 2021. Homicides, armed carjackings, robberies, and shootings have exploded to historic levels unseen in years.