… Stopping violence requires not just police, but police who interact with the community,” said Mayor Quan, who yet again pushed for the intervention and prevention strategies the COPS program is geared towards. Quan and Chief Batts said that OPD will begin focusing its officers around four middle schools to ensure the security of Oakland youth and focus on crimes that take place nearby.
Batts was careful to portray the effort as one of protection and mentoring, rather than targeting youth.
“We’re not saying schools are the problem, we’re not saying kids are the problem, but that’s where we’re focusing,” said Batts.
Other officers may be used to combat prostitution and human trafficking, which have long been a problem in East Oakland. Chief Batts also touted the effectiveness of “focused patrols” that OPD has been conducting over the past two months, which he credits with reducing the city’s crime rate recently.
See the full article from “Crosscurrents from KALW News”
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