On Thursday morning, the advocacy branch of the Christopher LaVell Jones Foundation #TheirLivesMatter met with the Oakland Police Department to discuss demands raised the families of murder victims.

The group’s demands include ensuring the privacy of eyewitnesses to murder cases and creating an oversight board that will have minimal access to the clients’ files to answer routine questions about the case.

Lt. Drennon Lindsey, OPD homicide commander who was present at the meeting, said the department is doing its best to assist families and solve cases despite having limited resources.

“I am glad we’ve had a chance to address some of the concerns in the community,” said Lindsey. “We have homicide officers on standby ready to assist families and have an officer assigned to each case.”

The group’s first meeting was held on Aug. 27, a joint meeting with representatives from Mayor Jean Quan’s office, District Attorney Nancy O’Malley’s office and the Oakland Police Department.

“We are now in the process of strategizing with each individual group to ensure they completely understand and comply with our demands – which publicly they have already agreed to adopt,” said Brenda Grisham of the Christopher LaVell Jones Foundation.

The foundation was created in 2010 after Grisham’s son was killed.

“We will be meeting with Mayor Quan next week to discuss OPD cooperating with families of murder victims and creating an oversight board where they can receive updated information,” said Grisham.

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