News from The Oakland Police Department - City of Oakland

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Oakland Police 

Department 

"We Will Be There When You Need Us" 

Anthony W. Batts, Chief of Police 

Oakland Police Insider May 2010 

Community Involvement is an Important 

Aspect in Solving Crime in Oakland 

Assistant Chief 

Howard Jordan 

Community Policing is a term that has been used in law 

enforcement for many years. The term has a different 

meaning in every community; in Oakland the term has 

been used to organize the community to be more 

proactive in helping the Oakland Police Department solve 

crime and empower citizens. As many of you know 

gaining the community's trust has historically been a 

challenge for the Department. However, within the past 

year we have noticed an increase in community 

involvement to help us to solve crime in Oakland, and the 

Department (and community) has benefited from our 

citizen's willingness to get involved. 

A couple of months ago there had been a series of shootings (particularly in the West 

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v...V7e-WLpglg5oEJ9_WDzSOtIl6RLuPmAOSXvihQbTI%3D (1 of 15) [5/20/2010 9:18:11 AM]


Oakland area). Captain Toribio, who is the Commander for Area 1, used this as an 

opportunity to organize the affected community by enlisting the help of 8-10 Pastors 

from the area and asking them to become more involved in solving the problem. The 

Pastors accepted the challenge and immediately began working with the community by 

organizing block parties to bring the community together and take a stand against the 

violence. They also convinced several citizens to walk the streets as part of their efforts 

to bring awareness to their cause and revitalize certain parts of West Oakland. The 

Pastors even agreed to help some less fortunate members of that community find jobs. 

These efforts by the community along with several crime reduction strategies, have 

helped to reduce the number of shootings in West Oakland thus far. 

A more recent example of community involvement comes from the incident of 

involving Mr. Tiensheng Yu, who died from injuries sustained as a result of a brutal 

attack near the Fox Theatre on April 16th. After learning about this senseless act of 

aggression committed against two innocent citizens, the community became enraged 

and began to galvanize around this issue. There were several calls to the Chief's office 

from citizens who were fed up with the violence and wanted to do something about it. 

With the community's help, homicide investigators were able to identify the suspects 

after their pictures were posted in the news media. The level of support for the Yu 

family from all sections of the community has been nothing short of remarkable. Both 

suspects were eventually charged with the murder of Mr. Yu. 

There are hundreds of crimes that go unsolved each year in Oakland; however, the 

capture of the two men responsible for killing Mr. Yu is an example of how community 

involvement is vital to making our community safe and free from violent criminals. 

Simply stated, we (OPD) can not do it alone - we need you, the community, to help us 

in our mission to "provide the people of Oakland an environment where they can live, work, 

play, and thrive free from crime and the fear of crime." In exchange for your support, we will 

do our part to foster trust with residents, maintain open lines of communication, and 

continue to build community relationships. By working together, we can solve more 

crimes and make Oakland a safe place to live, work, and play. 

Sincerely, 

Howard A. Jordan 

Assistant Chief of Police 



We Do Care 

We would like to publicly express our sincere apologies for the incident involving the 

deer last week. We have all been affected by this tragic event, and understand the 

outpouring of concern by members of the community. This incident must be thoroughly 

investigated; however, we have already taken steps to ensure that nothing like this 

happens again. Talks have already begun with wildlife experts and we will be 

implementing animal sensitivity training in the future. 

We value all life and are dedicated to training and partnerships in the future that will 

help us to understand wildlife preservation. We are currently reviewing our wildlife 

policies and procedures to ensure that something like this does not happen again. 

Chief Batts understands the importance of all life and is working toward implementing 

strategies that will result in humane outcomes in future contacts with wildlife. 

-- The Men and Women of the Oakland Police Department 

Officer Saves the 

Life of a One-Year 

Old 

On a recent call for 

service, Officer Richard 

Coglio responded to the 

scene of an unresponsive 

1-year-old child. As he 

arrived to the house he 

saw the mother standing 

Ofc. Richard Coglio 

with a small child lying 

limp in her arms. The child was unresponsive and looked blue in 

color. Officer Coglio quickly grabbed the child from the mothers 

arms, conducted a finger sweep of the child's mouth, and began 

rescue breathing and back taps to clear the child's airway. As 

Officer Coglio continued to dis-lodge the object and perform 

In This Issue 

Officer Saves Baby's Life 

OPD Hires More Officers 

Cadets Turn Trainees 

Area 3 Truancy Enforcement 

From the Editor 

G.R.E.A.T. Program 

Thank You First Responders 

False Alarm Unit 

News and Tips From Area 2 

Positive Tickets 



CPR, the child displayed a few breaths and a faint heartbeat. 

Soon after the child began breathing, Oakland Fire Department 

arrived, and Officer Coglio turned the child over to their 

care. 

Because of Officer Coglio's training and quick thinking, he was 

was able to give life back to the child he observed moments 

before lying limp in its scared mothers arms. 

This is a stunning example of the great work being performed by 

OPD officers and employees each day. 

Thank you for a job well done. 

Oakland Hires More 

Officers 

On Monday, April 19, 

2010, the Oakland Police 

Department took another 

step toward its goal to 

maintain 803 officers. 22 

police officer trainees 

began the 

process of becoming 

Oakland police officers by attending a basic police academy. 

With the challenges of budgetary restraints, the Oakland Police 

Department has partnered with the Alameda County 

Sherriff's Department to provide its basic police training. The 

academy began on Monday, April 19th 

with orientations, and will run until the scheduled graduation 

date of early November of this year. 

Contributors 

Some photos provided by 

Michele Gribi 

Article Contributions by 

Kasi D'Aloisio 

Kirt Mullnix 

Mary Guttormson 

Bobby Hookfin 

Carlos Gonzalez 

Juanita Velasquez 

Ed Juarez 

Jason Scott 

Jeff Thomason 

Tom Hogenmiller 

Cee Belue 

Editor 

Cynthia Perkins 

Quick Links 

Oakland Police Department 

Recruiting Website 

City of Oakland 

Follow Us on Twitter 

Employee of the 

Month 

Of the 22 hired, 6 are females, 7 are Oakland residents, 8 are from 

the "Grow Your Own" cadet program, and 9 are bilingual. 

The Oakland Police Department is also in the process of hosting 

a lateral police academy which started 

on April 5th. The academy is 6 weeks long and has 5 officers 

currently attending. The members of the lateral academy came 

from the Los Angles Police Department, 

Rebecca Johnson 

Administrative Analyst 

Office of Inspector General 



Sacramento County Sherriff's Office, Oakland Police Ranger 

Program, and Fairfield Police Departments. 

Police Cadets Turned 

Police Officer 

Trainees! 

You know them when you see them. Those young men and 

women who wear the light blue uniform shirts and always 

address you as ma'am or sir. They have performed most every 

job in the Department from filing paper work, to washing cars, 

and moving boxes. That is exactly why they have such a good 

working knowledge of what it takes to become an Oakland 

Police Officer - they've seen and done it all! 

Well, eight of our Department's industrious, courteous, and 

hardworking cadets have been selected to become Police Officer 

Trainee's for the Oakland Police Department. For the next six 

months they will be attending the Alameda County Sheriff's 

Office Regional Training Center for their basic academy training. 

Rebecca was selected as 

employee of the month for 

her ability to analyze raw 

data, and her keen sense 

of intuition and 

organizational skill-set, 

which has proven to be 

extremely valuable when 

conducting Departmental 

audits for the Office of 

Inspector General. 

The Office of Inspector 

General provides Chief 

Batts with analysis of 

OPD policies & 

procedures; conducts 

audits and reviews; 

ensures compliance with 

the Negotiated Settlement 

Agreement; and is a 

central repository of 

historical documents. In 

addition, the Office of 

Inspector General houses 

the Policy & Publication 

Development Unit. This 

unit is responsible for the 

developing new policies, 

drafting internal bulletins, 

and revision of the 

Department's current 

publications. 

Congratulations to Jared Blue, Kody Cardana, Denisse 

Gutierrez, Latoya Irving, Julie Liu, Nicholas Man, Carlos 

Navarro, and Alexander Ying. 



Truancy Enforcement In Area 3 

Area 3 truancy enforcement Officers Daniel 

Bruce and Billy Matthews recently responded 

to a call of a man with a gun in the vicinity of 

Fremont High School. While checking the area, 

they observed a person matching the 

description provided by an anonymous caller. 

When they attempted to investigate and detain 

the person, he ran into a residence. 

The officers clearly articulated that they believed him to be 

armed with a gun as his behaviors indicated such (holding an 

apparently heavy object from falling out of the area of his 

waistband). The officers made contact with the occupant of the 

house who turned out to be the suspects grandfather. The 

suspect had an extensive juvenile record which includes robbery, 

and is currently on probation with a search clause. 

The juvenile's grandfather provided officers with the cell phone 

number of the juvenile. Officers did an outstanding job by 

talking the juvenile out of the house without incident. The 

grandfather convinced his grandson to tell the officers where he 

hid the firearm, a .357 handgun, which was recovered from the 

house. The juvenile was arrested for possession of a firearm. Nice 

work! 

Note From the Editor 

The positive feedback and 

support received on the first 

edition of the Oakland Police 

Insider (April 2010) was 

overwhelming! I want to thank each of you for taking the time 

to share your comments, but most importantly - taking the time 

to read and learn about all the wonderful things happening at 

OPD; I am confident you will find future editions just as 

informative. 



As with all community programs and projects coordinated by 

the Oakland Police Department, the Insider is produced and 

published with the intent to keep you informed, and build 

trusting relationships with our internal and external partners; 

good communication is key to maintaining relationships. 

Finally, I want to express my appreciation to each member of the 

Press Liaison Team - for it is your diligence, commitment, and 

hard work that make publication of the "Insider" possible. 

Congratulations on the success of your first edition! 

Sincerely, 

Cynthia P. Perkins, Editor 

G.R.E.A.T. Officers 

Make a Difference! 

Gang Resistance 

Education and Training, or 

the G.R.E.A.T. Program is 

a gang and violence 

prevention initiative 

which provides a school 

based, officer-instructed 

program that includes 

classroom instruction and various learning activities. This 

program is provided by the Oakland Police Department's Youth 

and Family Services Division. The G.R.E.A.T. curriculum is 

designed for fourth to sixth grade students. The G.R.E.A.T. 

Program helps youth avoid gang membership, prevent violence 

and criminal activity and develop a positive relationship with 

law enforcement. Officers that teach the curriculum are specially 

trained and have a wide range of experience in criminal behavior 

and the recognition of gang members. Officers also serve as role 

models to students. The Oakland Police Department currently 

has 14 G.R.E.A.T. officers and would like to double that over the 

next year. 



G.R.E.A.T. classes are currently taught at Piedmont Ave. School 

and Parker Elementary School. We would like to offer the G.R.E. 

A.T. Program to every sixth and eighth grade student in 

Oakland. 

For more information about the G.R.E.A.T. Program contact 

Officer Ja'Son Scott at jlscott@oaklandnet.comor call the Oakland 

Police Activities League at 510-615-5758. 

"Thank You" to First 

Responders 

On Sunday, April 18th 

the Beautiful Claremont 

Hotel and Resort hosted 

a "First Responders 

Thank You" Italian Buffet 

and swim party for the 

Oakland Police and 

Oakland Fire 

Departments. OFD had a 

great turn out of about 20 representatives in uniform to share in 

the Italian flavors of lunch, which included salmon, chicken 

breast with polenta, tortellini with spinach, Caesar salad, focaccia 

bread and an assortment of deserts. 

The weather was sunny and hot which made for a fun filled day 

in the pools for the children as well as the adults. I was pleased 

to see Deputy Chief Jeff Israel 

with his son, Sgt. Blair 

Alexanderwith his wife, son, and 

daughter as well as his mother inlaw; 

Sgt. Shawn Knight with his 

wife and two sons, Officer Lupe 

Chacon with her husband, son, 

and bun in the oven along with 

Police Records Specialist 

Cynthia Castellanos, Dispatcher Regina Gillard with her 

husband and daughter; and Officer John Low with his wife and 

three daughters. 



Well of course I was there to enjoy the day with my family and 

see everyone share in the 

camaraderie of being a City of 

Oakland first responder! OPD and 

OFD would like to give a BIG 

Thank You to The Claremont 

Hotel for making this day possible. 

-- Michele Gribi, Police Evidence 

Technician 

Felicia Silva, Antone Hicks, and 

Shamika Johnson 

False Alarm 

Reduction Unit 

The False Alarm 

Reduction Unit (FARU) 

was originally 

established in 2004. The 

purpose of the unit is to 

reduce officer response 

to false alarm calls. In 

the past, budget and 

staffing challenges have 

limited the Department's 

ability to fully 

implement the program. As a result, officers continually waste 

valuable time responding to false alarm calls. 

Last year, under the direction of Director, Gilbert Garcia, the City 

Council approved a full operating budget for the unit, which is 

currently supervised by the Fiscal Services Division Manager, 

Felicia Silva and staffed by False Alarm Reduction Unit 

Coordinator, Antoné Hicks and Account Clerk II, Shamika 

Johnson. 

The False Alarm Reduction program was fully and successfully 

implemented on March 1, 2010. Included in the revised program 

is requirement that Oakland residents and businesses pay cost 

recovery service fees for officer response to false alarms. The fees 

are $84 for false general burglar alarms and $156 for false 



robbery or panic alarms. 

The purpose of the fee requirement is to offset a portion of the 

expense that the Department incurs as a result of false alarm 

response. Fees also assist in encouraging residents and 

businesses to properly use and maintain their alarm systems, 

thus reducing false alarms. Staff is also planning to conduct site 

visits to locations with excessive false alarms to recommend 

alarm system improvements. 

The Department should experience a reduction in false alarm 

calls in the near future! 

For more information on the alarm program, contact FARU at 

510-238-3525. 

News and Tips from Area 2 

Staff in Area 2 have been proactively working on strategies to 

lower the amount of robberies. These strategies have included 

giving citizens robbery prevention tips and maintaining a high 

visibility during the times and in the areas where robberies have 

occurred. The OPD Mobile Command Post was brought to the 

Fruitvale District on Friday, April 16th and to the Laurel District 

on Wednesday, April 14th. Robbery prevention fliers were made 

available in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. The command 

post was operated by Problem Solving Officers (PSO) and 

Neighborhood Service Coordinators (NSC). Problem solving 

officers walked the areas in order to get the information out to 

citizens and merchants. 

Safety Tips---Avoid Being A Robbery Victim! 

● 

Always conceal what you have to steal, such as money or a 

cell phone. Cell phones are just like cash-when thieves see 

a cell phone they want it. To be safe, treat your cell phone 

like your cash: don't let anyone know you have it. 

● 

Call the OPD non-emergency number, 777-3333, to report 

suspicious persons. The police want to hear from you, and 



you could prevent a crime! Provide as much information as 

possible, including the time you noticed the person, the 

clothing worn, the shoes worn, and the manner in which 

the person walked. 

BART stations 

1. Be especially cautious around BART stations. Thieves tend 

to look for victims there. 

2. Try not to walk alone at night near stations. Try to walk 

with people from the BART station to your car. Be aware of 

who is around you, and if someone looks suspicious, get 

away from him. 

3. Avoid making cell phone calls while on BART or the bus. If 

you must make a call, go sit near the driver and stay there. 

On the Street 

1. Be aware of who is around you. If someone looks 

suspicious or makes you feel uneasy, avoid that person. Go 

inside a store or business if necessary. 

1. If you must make a call while you are walking, go to a safe, 

public place, like a store. Make your call, then conceal your 

phone the way you would conceal your cash before going 

back to the street. 

In Your Car 

1. When leaving your car, lock it and close the windows. Take 

your key. Don't leave items inside the car, even if you think 

they look like trash-they'll still look attractive to a thief. 

2. When you get in the car, close and lock the doors 

immediately. Keep the doors locked and the windows 



rolled up. 

3. Avoid making cell phone calls while driving. If you must 

make a call, pull over and keep an eye on who is near your 

car. 

At Home 

1. When you are exiting or unloading your car, when 

walking from your car to your home, or when spending 

time in your front yard, follow these precautions: 

· Be cautious of anyone on the street who makes you feel uneasy. 

· If you view such a person and are in the front yard, quickly go 

inside and lock the doors. If you are in a car, stay in the car with 

locked doors and windows. Either use a cell phone to call 

someone to escort you inside, or drive away and come back later. 

2. Never, ever open your door to anyone you don not know. 

The ATM 

1. Use ATMs in well lighted, populated areas; store and bank 

machines during the day is the best option. Scan the area 

before using the machine. If you see a person loitering in 

the area for no apparent reason, go to another location. 

2. If you see something strange during your transaction, push 

cancel, take your card, and leave the area. 

3. After the transaction, be alert. You'll have cash in hand 

making you a possible target.Scan the area. Leave 

immediately if you suspect danger; promptly enter the 

nearest store of building. 



Positive Tickets and 

Jamba Juice 

Almost one year ago, 

Captain Edward Tracy 

formerly of the Support 

Operations Division and 

the Oakland Police 

Activities League, 

initiated the Positive 

Tickets program in 

conjunction with Jamba Juice in the City of Oakland. This 

program is part of the Department's youth strategy and a vehicle 

to develop positive relationships with young people. 

These tickets are distributed to traffic enforcement officers 

assigned to the Support Operations Division. Youngsters who 

are observed obeying traffic control devices, crossing streets 

within the cross walk and other pedestrian guidelines are 

contacted by the officers and awarded a positive ticket that can 

be exchanged at a participating Jamba Juice for a free 16 ounce 

cup of a cold refreshing reward. 

The Oakland Police Department is currently looking for 

additional private businesses to partner with in continuing the 

positive ticket program. If there are businesses that would like to 

assist with the "Positive Tickets" program, please contact Officer 

Mildred Oliver at 510-615-5758. 

Budgetary Decisions Could Seriously Impact Public 

Safety 

The FY 2010-11 projected general fund deficit is $42.6 

million. On April 29, 2010 the City Council approved 

balancing measures of approximately $10 million, 

meaning there is approximately $30 million that needs 

to be cut from next year's budget. The City Council has 

authorized the City Administrator to take the following 

measures to close the gap: 



· Sell the Kaiser Convention Center for $10 million 

· Place a parcel tax on the ballot to collect an 

additional $20 million for public safety 

If those measures fail, the City Council is proposing to 

close the $30 million deficit by laying off police 

officers. If the City cuts police officers, it could not 

collect Measure Y funds, which currently pays for 63 

police officers plus $4 million dollars in overtime for 

the Fire Department. Council is proposing to lay off 27 

officers in order to make up for the $4 million loss. The 

City Council would need to lay off 87 officers a result of 

losing Measure Y funding plus up to another 180 

officers in order to close the $30 million deficit. The loss 

of 287 officers would be catastrophic to the 

organization and its mission - to provide the 

Community of Oakland an environment where they 

can live, work, play, and thrive free from crime and fear 

of crime. 

EVENTS / OPPORTUNITIES / PROGRAMS 

"Chrome & Cops 4 Kids" 

Benefit Car & Motocycle Show 

Sunday, May 23, 2010 

151 Hegenberger Road, Oakland CA 

10:00am - 5:00pm 

Free Admission 

Oakland Police Explorers 

The Oakland Police Explorers Program is a worksite-based 

program for young men and women who have completed the eighth 



grade and are 14 years of age, or are 15 years of age but have not 

yet reached their 21st birthday. 

Oakland Police Explorer program offers experiential learning in the field of 

law enforcement with lots of fun-filled, hands-on activities that promote the 

growth and development of adolescent youth. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT 510-777-8622 

Oakland Police Foundation 

The Oakland Police Foundation is formally established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit 

public benefit corporation. The foundation's purpose is to support the 

Oakland Police Department through financial resources in its efforts to 

achieve law enforcement excellence, gain citizen understanding and 

support, and personnel development and well-being to respond to the 

diverse needs of our people and communities. We look forward to the 

continued expansion of this exciting, new venture, as well as the 

opportunities it will afford us in our goal to become a safer city to live, work 

and visit. 

For more information or to make a donation Contact 

Jim Stanton at 510-238-6102 

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