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OAKLAND – Thousands of protesters gathered outside Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s home Wednesday evening to demand the defunding of the city’s police department.
The call to divert money from the police department to other city services comes in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, which has spurred demonstrations across the globe and calls for reform. Two other men, Erik Salgado and Sean Monterrosa, were also killed by law enforcement in the Bay Area since the beginning of June.
Protesters marched roughly two miles from the Walgreens at Fruitvale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard to Schaaf’s residence, chanting slogans including “defund OPD.”
Videos posted to social media showed riot gear-clad officers blocking the entrance to westbound Interstate 580.
Outside Schaaf’s home, protesters shouted for the mayor to “come on out,” but she did not make an appearance.
In a statement, Schaaf said she would not defund the police department as the roughly 3,000 protesters demanded, citing the more than 100,000 emergency calls residents make each year.
Demonstrators arrived at @Oakland mayor Libby Schaff’d house as they take a moment of silence. #DefundPolice @EastBayTimes https://t.co/6acu59QluR pic.twitter.com/z3ef03Xwvy
— Ray Chavez (@rayinaction) June 11, 2020
“We know that Oakland police prevent crime and suffering, save lives, and bring resolution and justice to those who’ve been harmed,” the mayor said in part. “To ensure our police are trained and held accountable to the safest, most unbiased, culturally competent and progressive practices requires investment — not divestment.”
Schaaf said the city also has one of the lowest officer-per-crime staffing levels of any police department in the country. The police department, she added, comprises 19 to 20 percent of the city’s budget — just below comparative cities’ average — and is one-fifth of Alameda County’s total budget for public health and social services.
“It’s critical to look beyond the city’s budget to fully capture all public spending investments in Oakland,” she said.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has also rejected similar calls to cut funding. But San Francisco Mayor London Breed has said her city will prioritize the redirection of funds toward the city’s African American community and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced his city will redirect $250 million toward health care and jobs programs.
Although Schaaf declined to divert money from the police department, cuts of a kind are coming, she said. Revenue losses due to COVID-19 have forced the city to slash $122 million from its proposed budget, and the police department is set to take one of the biggest hits. At the same time, she said, the city is looking to increase funding for homeless services, affordable housing, park maintenance and illegal dumping.
Schaaf said she wants to move toward a society where police are not needed and agreed that “investments in education, health, housing security and economic wellbeing” are the best ways to make the city safer.
“We recognize a growing group of people — especially people of color — feel police presence and response compromise their sense of safety,” she said. “We honor this reality, particularly in the wake of horrific killings of Black and Brown people by police across our nation. We will continue working to eradicate racism, violence and abuse in policing.”
Check back for updates.
