City Government

“Rebecca Kaplan Will Advocate for All the People,” Say Community Leaders

Published

11 years ago

October 24, 2014

Education leaders and local small business owners announced their support this week for Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan as their choice for Mayor of Oakland in the Nov. 4 election.

Kaplan, the frontrunner in Oakland’s mayoral election according to recent polls, has been dedicated herself to creating more jobs for Oaklanders, putting more Oakland residents on the police force and sponsoring city initiatives to strengthen the public school system.

< p>Community leaders, speaking at a press conference Wednesday, said they see Kaplan as an ideal candidate because she has a proven record working for housing rights, supporting local businesses and putting Oakland first.

“She has the courage and backbone to do it,” said Geoffrey Pete, owner of Geoffrey’s Inner Circle nightclub in Oakand. “Finally we can have a mayor who will advocate for all the people in Rebecca Kaplan.”

Dorothy King, owner of Everett & Jones BBQ restaurant in Jack London Square, said the city needs a mayor who will work to retain older businesses such as and attract new ones.

“I know she will not only work for small businesses, but she will work for people as far as retaining employment. She will provide help to retain housing and welcome new people to Oakland,” said King, whose business has been in Oakland for over 40 years.

Kaplan’s commitment to averting the displacement of Oakland residents resonated with educator and housing activist Lynette Neidhardt, a 30-year resident who almost lost her home during the recent foreclosure crisis.

“I want to vote for someone who was a previous housing rights attorney and knows the terrible ordeal this has put so many Oaklanders through,” said Neidhardt. “On the City Council, she’s fought to crack down on unjust foreclosures. And as mayor, she’ll expand affordable housing and fight displacement.”

Henry Hitz, executive director of Oakland Parents Together, added, “People are tired of being displaced; so many families are being pushed out of Oakland, and the school system is losing students all the time.”

Supporting Measure BB in her campaign, Kaplan also fought to include free bus passes for youth.

Chair of the Holy Names University Education Department Dr. Kimberly Mayfield-Lynch said Kaplan is the leader this community needs.

“What Rebecca knows about the parents of Oakland public schools is that they need to be gainfully employed,” she said, adding that Kaplan “is the only candidate willing to call for racial disparity studies so that she can directly address the underrepresentation of African Americans working in city-funded jobs.”

“Oakland doesn’t want to be San Francisco light,” said education and urban studies professor Dr. Kitty Kelly Epstein.

“We’re happy with who we are, our diversity and our accomplishments. We want to build on that. And that’s what I think Rebecca stands for.

Kaplan thanked the speakers for their support. “Do not underestimate the power of people speaking up about what it is that we need and what it is that we can do,” she said.

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

3 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Activism

Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

4 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.