City Government

Re-elect Desley Brooks

Published

11 years ago

October 17, 2014

We recommend the re-election Desley Brooks for the City Council District 6 seat.

She has lived in District 6 for more than 20 years and cares deeply about the quality of life for all the residents.

We encourage residents of that district to vote for her because, on balance, she is the strongest and most productive candidate.

Councilmember Brooks has provided leadership on public safety issues. She successfully got the Oakland Police Department’s Shot Spotter program reactivated and then secured funding for the program’s expansion throughout the flatlands of Oakland.

She won widespread support from residents after she initiated a partnership of OPD and the Oakland Housing Authority Police Department on Shot Spotter — the first such partnership in the country.

She led the council to approve the LED Lighting program, which has improved the quality of 30,000 streetlights across the city.

When the stand-alone police radio system was failing, she made sure OPD moved to the Regional EBRCSA system.

Brooks bumps up against City Hall, usually out of frustration with the bone-chilling red tape and bureaucratic delays, and she often wins and delivers for her constituents.

She is the only council member to successfully apply for and bring 6 Kaboom grants to her District building play structures, skateboard parks, football fields and a pocket park.

When she learned that children were going hungry in her district, she started a monthly food distribution program and hosts concerts and events to build her community.

We believe her fighting spirit is a good thing and has served her district well.

As a hands-on advocate, she has fought for adequate recreational and play spaces for the youth and supported the local businesses.

Her policy initiatives have benefitted the entire city.

She has championed the establishment of the Oakland Community Land Trust that provides permanently affordable housing; she helped to establish the Oakland Individual Development Account (IDA) program, which is a matching savings program for housing, educational and transportation goals of low-income residents.

She also authored the Vacant Property Ordinance and the Non-owner Registry Ordinance.

She wrote the city’s Prompt Payment Ordinance and secured funding for the city’s one-stop contracting software. She advocated for the establishment of the city’s Debarment Program, designed to exclude businesses from consideration for city contracts for a range of offenses and conduct.

When it comes to making sure that the city’s economic development programs benefit minorities and women-owned businesses, her advocacy for Hire Oakland policies has been imitated by her colleagues.

She authored the groundbreaking Oakland Army Base $10 Million Remediation program, which specifically provides Oakland contractors the ability to serve as the Prime Contractor on those remediation contracts.

She should also be reelected because of her work with:

The Seminary Point Development project which will bring a Walgreens and more retail to the city in 2015;

The $4-million Foothill Boulevard streetscape project to bring new sidewalks, streetlights, a plaza, new parking, trees and street furniture to the Foothill corridor;

The $25-million utilities undergrounding project on Macarthur Boulevard; and

The $5-million upgrades to Rainbow Recreation Center on International Boulevard.

Her record of accomplishments proves that she is the hardest working and most energetic councilmember, especially when she led most of the city’s efforts in responding to the foreclosure crisis.

She wrote the legislation that held banks accountable and helped to reduce blight, and generated more than $3 million in fees. She authored the plan that set up the fund for counseling and legal assistance for families threatened with foreclosure.

Councilmember Brooks sponsored the bulky dumpster amnesty program, which allowed participants to dispose of their bulky items for free with no questions asked.

She is endorsed by Senator Loni Hancock, Assemblyman Rob Bonta, A.C. Transit Director Elsa Ortiz, County Supervisor Keith Carson, former Council Members Jane Brunner and Ignacio de la Fuente, Rev. Dr. Harold R. Mayberry of First AME Church and more than 30 other clergy leaders.

She is the only candidate endorsed by city employee unions SEIU 1021, Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21 and International Association of Fire Fighters Local 55.

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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

6 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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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

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.