Report Questions Legitimacy of Mayor Jean Quan's New Policing Plan

By Laura Rena Murray Wed., Jun. 13 2012 at 5:09 PM

Categories: Crime

Yes, we're expecting Mayor Quan to work some magic

A report released this week casts a long shadow of doubt on Mayor Jean Quan's new crime initiative, which promised to target specific areas in Oakland. When she announced the new law enforcement strategy, Quan claimed that 90 percent of all homicides and shootings happened within 100 blocks in the city.

The Urban Strategies Council released a report that claims the mayor is wrong. After analyzing the last five years' worth of crime reports, the group concluded that the amount of crime was closer to 17 percent.

Although residents have been calling for the city to release the data that resulted in Quan's commitment to the 100 blocks crime plan, that information continues to be withheld. Doing so, according to the Mayor's Office, would jeopardize the Oakland Police Department's crackdown on crime in certain areas.

Opponents of the mayor's 100-block plan demand greater transparency and accountability when it comes to the allocation of the Oakland's resources to maintain public safety. According to the Urban Strategies Council report, violent crime and murders happen over a much larger area of the city than outlined by Quan.

It turns out that 90 percent of Oakland's fatal shootings occur within over 1,000 city blocks, approximately a sixth of the city blocks.

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