City Government

Quan, Santana Accused of Thwarting Reform of Intake of Complaints Against OPD Officers.

Published

12 years ago

August 30, 2013

Many supporters of increased police accountability to the community consider that it is a small step forward to take intake of complaints against police away from the police department and put it in the hands of neutral civilians.

But though the reform was passed two years ago, it has still not been implemented and is the center of ongoing disputes.

Some of those backing increased police accountability now are accusing City Administrator Deanna Santana and Mayor Jean Quan of thwarting the City Council’s decision to remove intake of complaints against officer from the Internal Affairs Division of the Oakland Police Department.

The agreement was for Santana to hire eight intake technicians by the middle of October. As approved by the City Council and asked for by community groups, these new intake workers are to be trained and placed at the offices of the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB), not within Internal Affairs.

The intent of the council decision was to “consolidate” the intake function, which up to now has taken place both in Internal Affairs and the CPRB.

However, the job announcement released by Santana’s office says the positions will be located “within the Internal Affairs Division of the Oakland Police Department.” And operate “under general supervision in the Oakland Police Department (OPD).”

However, the council had allocated funding for the workers “in the City Administrator’s budget, to be utilized to expand the CPRB – not to hire intake personnel in Internal Affairs,” said Rashidah Grinage, executive director of PUEBLO, which has long worked with other community groups to increase police accountability.

“She changed that allocation from her budget to the police budget. She has no authority to do that – plain and simple,” said Grinage, who accused Santana of usurping the council’s powers that are determined by the City Charter.

“At what point do we say the City Council is irrelevant and the city administration will do whatever it wants?”

Santana and Mayor Quan, who is Santana’s boss, have to share responsibility for the decision on intake workers, Grinage said. “This is a question of undermining democracy in Oakland. We learned that this administration feels impunity to ignore public policy legislated by elected representatives.”

The council’s unanimous decision two years ago to move the intake function to the CPRB came after members of the public said they have had little confidence in going to the police department to file a complaint about the police.

There were also persistent complaints that Internal Affairs intake workers actively discouraged and sometimes intimidated those who tried to file complaints.

Santana sent an email Tuesday to Grinage in response to her concerns. She said the intake workers would be placed temporarily in Internal Affairs for the purpose of training.

“The Intake Technicians will first learn the process and methods of the current staff in the Intake Unit of Internal Affairs. The city must ensure that the new staff is properly trained and sufficiently performing the tasks of intake before those positions can be transferred to the CPRB,” Santana said in the email.

Santana also said her “action was consistent with input and comments made by the compliance director who expressed concern and/or questions about the transfer to CPRB.”

In response, Grinage said that if Santana believes the policy adopted by the council needed to be modified, she needs to present that as a proposal to the council, not unilaterally change policies at her own discretion.

Santana is violating the City Charter, said Grinage, because the charter says her job is “to execute and enforce all laws and ordinances and policies of the Council and to administer the affairs of the City,” not make policy.

In addition, Grinage said, “I am challenging Santana to produce a document from Tom Frazier (the compliance director) stating he directed her to essentially wipe out what the City council had ordered. I asked her to produce such a document by Sept. 4.”

Libby Schaaf, Council member from District 4, sees merit in Santana’s decision to train the new workers within Internal Affairs but underscores her commitment to moving complaint intake to CPRB.

“We are all very anxious to get these positions in place. This is something the council asked for more than two years ago. We’ve been frustrated that it has taken this long,” she said.

“We want this transition to go as quickly as possible,” she said. We will be vigilant to make sure that is what happens. I think the community has every right to be frustrated and a little skeptical because this has been delayed for so long.”

Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan reiterated her support for council’s original decision on complaint intake.

“It is essential that the reforms that I voted for and that the people have asked for be enacted, and I look forward to ensuring that it happens. We need to continue the important work of rebuilding trust and this is a critical step in that direction,” she said.

Local civil rights attorney Dan Siegel says the council and Quan shares responsibility if it does not stand up to Santana.

“Thecity y administrator is attempting to undermine the wishes of the people of Oakland to have police review civilianized. But we should not let the mayor or council off the hook. They’re complicit if they allow Santana to ride roughshod over the community’s wishes.”

At press time, Mayor Quan had not responded to questions submitted by the Post.

The hiring of the new intake technicians is scheduled to be discussed at the city’s finance committee meeting Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

4 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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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

1 week 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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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

1 week 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.