Bay Area

Mayor Sheng Thao Speaks on Public Safety, Oakland-Vietnam Trade Opportunities

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, just back from a Vietnam trade mission, spoke at a press conference this week to discuss the results of her international meetings and also to address community concerns about crime in the city. She said she is “working day and night” to increase public safety: investing in violence prevention programs, seeking more funding to expand public safety resources, and collaborating with the governor to bring in the California Highway Patrol and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

Published

8 months ago

August 31, 2023

Oakland Post

As Mayor Sheng Thao speaks, members of her administration stand by: (l.-r.) Cheryl Ho (Port of Oakland); Ken Maxey (Chamber of Commerce); Bryan Brandice (Port of Oakland); Larry Gallegos (Economic Workforce Dev.); Mayor Sheng Thao, Sophia Navarro (Economic Workforce Dev); Michael Colbruno (Port Commissioner) and Jimmy Hoang (Mayor’s office).

By Ken Epstein

She said she is “working day and night” to increase public safety: investing in violence prevention programs, seeking more funding to expand public safety resources, and collaborating with the governor to bring in the California Highway Patrol and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.

As the mayor of Oakland, she said, “I was able to call the governor directly, and this is now why we have the resources of CHP here in the City of Oakland.

Pointing out that the city now has the highest number of officers in uniform in the past three years, she said there is still work to be done to put the officers where they are needed most.

Thao also discussed the recent successful trade delegation to Vietnam, which ended Aug. 8 and included the mayor, Alameda County officials and Port of Oakland board members, and was designed to promote Oakland as a trading partner with Vietnam.

“This trip was an investment in Oakland’s future, by cultivating critical relationships that will grow our city’s economy” Thao said in a statement.

The Oakland delegation met with representatives from private industry, Long An International Port, the mayors of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

In-depth discussions with Pham focused on climate change issues, including establishing “green corridors” for all Vietnam ports and the Port of Oakland.

Other productive meetings were held with several companies, including electric vehicle manufacturer, VinFast, where discussions focused on importing their vehicles through the Port of Oakland; and airline, VietJet, which launched discussions on a possible new international route to Oakland Airport. An MOU was signed with THACO Industries, a leading manufacturer in mechanical products and technology.

Elaborating on the city’s commitment to reduce crime and make Oakland residents safer, Mayor Thao said,
“To actually catch the perpetrators, that means we have to have the manpower for that. We are talking about how we free up our officers, whether it’s ‘civilianizing’ some positions, so we can get more officers doing investigative work.”

Despite inheriting a major deficit from the previous administration, the mayor said the city’s new budget did not cut funds for violence prevention and received $1.2 million from the state to fund technology upgrades.

Specifically, she said the city is expanding Ceasefire, the Oakland Police Department’s anti-violence program, installing more license plate readers throughout the city, and working with the sheriff’s office to set up check points for intoxicated drivers.

She added, “Arguably, I would say that crimes would be even higher than it is today if I were to have cut in my budget the programs for our after-school programming, for summer programming.”

Thao emphasized that the changes will not occur overnight, but the public can expect to see progress.

“Although this is a hard moment in time – this, too, shall pass,” she said. “Because we are now in the phase of implementing. But I promise you, you will start seeing some of those results moving forward, towards next year.”

Property crime in Oakland has increased 28%, according to an ABC7 report in July. Homicides, so far, in 2023 are down 13% compared to 2022, while burglaries are up 41%. Vehicle thefts have increased 50%.

While rising crime is an issue that is frequently connected to “law and order” partisan political campaigns and is often viewed as an intensely local concern, the data points to more complex national reasons and solutions, spurred by the pandemic and other intersecting crises.

According to a report from the Brooking Institution in April, “Cities and towns of all sizes saw their murder rates increase … rising over 35% in cities with populations over 250,000; 40% percent in cities with populations of 100,000 to 250,000; and around 25% in cities with populations under 25,000.

In an article about “recent trends in violent crime,” from the Brennan Center for Justice, which opposes mass incarceration, the dramatic growth in crime across the country started during the pandemic.

“Despite politicized claims that this rise was the result of criminal justice reform in liberal-leaning jurisdictions, murders rose roughly equally in cities run by Republicans and cities run by Democrats. So-called red states actually saw some of the highest murder rates of all.

“This data makes it difficult to pin recent trends on local policy shifts and reveals the central flaw in arguments that seek to politicize a problem as complex as crime. Instead, the evidence points to broad national causes driving rising crime.”

This news story included reporting from KGO7, SF Chronicle, KRON4 and the Oakland Post.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

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Bay Area

East Bay Regional Park District Issues Rattlesnake Advisory

The East Bay Regional Park District released an advisory today on rattlesnakes, which emerge from winter hibernation in early spring and become more active. Warm weather can bring more potential for rattlesnake encounters with humans and dogs, particularly along trails and roads.

Published

4 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the species found in East Bay Regional Parks. Courtesy photo.

The Richmond Standard

The East Bay Regional Park District released an advisory today on rattlesnakes, which emerge from winter hibernation in early spring and become more active.

Warm weather can bring more potential for rattlesnake encounters with humans and dogs, particularly along trails and roads.

Visitors are encouraged to avoid hiking alone in case of an emergency, to scan the ground ahead as they walk, jog or ride, stay on trails avoiding tall grass, and to look carefully around and under logs and rocks before sitting down. Keep your dog on your leash to be extra safe, park officials said.

If you encounter a rattlesnake, leave it alone – it is unlawful to capture or harm one. Move carefully and slowly away or around it and give it plenty of space, park officials said.

Those who are bitten by a rattlesnake are instructed to stay calm by lying down with the affected limb lower than the heart, then having someone call 911.

Getting medical attention is critical.

Those bitten should not use tourniquets, “sucking,” or snake bite kits. If you are by yourself, walk calmly to the nearest source of help to dial 911, do not run.

If bitten by any other type of snake, wash the wound with soap and water or an antiseptic and seek medical attention.

Not sure what bit you? Check the bite for two puncture marks (in rare cases one) associated with intense, burning pain, which is typical of a rattlesnake bite. Other snakebites can leave marks without associated burning pain.

The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is the species found in East Bay Regional Parks. Snakes are important to the natural environment, helping to control rodents and other reptile populations. But enjoy them from afar.

For more information, download the Park District’s Common Snakes brochure or watch our Gopher Snake or Rattlesnake video to learn how to tell the difference between rattlesnakes and gopher snakes. Additional information is available at ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters.