One unintended effect of Occupy Oakland? Demonstrators and police are discovering common ground.

On Monday, OPD officers - including some top brass - walked freely through the camp, observing the evening’s General Assembly. The officers maintained a respectful distance; most kept to the perimeter in groups of two or three. Yet throughout the evening, they could also be seen talking with Occupy supporters in normal conversation. Instead of grim, stern expressions, many officers were smiling. That’s a far cry from the heated confrontations, which characterized previous interactions with militarized riot squads in full tactical battle dress.

Indeed, it appears that Occupy Oakland may be achieving, albeit incrementally, what three mayoral administrations, a federally-mandated court ruling and numerous failed policies have thus far been unable to accomplish: a thaw in the often-icy relationship between police and community members.

This is all the more remarkable given the violence that marked initial encounters between cops and Occupy protestors, setting a tone for what became a disturbing pattern of conflict in the weeks which followed.

On Oct. 25, a melee broke out when the arrest of a protestor at Eighth and Washington streets angered a crowd numbering in the thousands who had marched from the main library at 14th and Madison. That crowd quickly surrounded a small group of police on both sides, yelling and screaming at officers to let the protestor go. When the police held their ground, protestors responded by throwing water battles, paint and vinegar at officers. The police then responded by attacking the crowd with batons and deploying CS canisters filled with a mixture of tear gas and pepper spray.

That incident precipitated several later instances of violent confrontation that evening, including the now-infamous wounding of Iraqi war veteran Scott Olsen. These attacks, which went viral after video footage of police deploying tear gas against a predominantly-peaceful crowd hit the Internet, set an adversarial tone, which further damaged OPD-community relations. Not a good look for a department that is currently in danger of being placed under federal receivership for failing to achieve reforms mandated by a federal judge and a court-appointed independent monitor in the wake of the Riders scandal in 2000.

While the issue of excessive use of force by OPD remains a relevant one - the ACLU recently filed a lawsuit after receiving numerous reports of brutality during Occupy protests - Sunday evening’s removal of the Occupy camp at Ogawa Plaza resulted in no force being used at all. Despite the presence of 500 officers in body armor and shielded helmets, there was no violence, no confrontations and a general mood of peacefulness. In contrast to typically-critical political commentary against the police, one banner even expressed support for OPD, advocating “more days off” and “humane orders.”

Whether that peace can be kept is anyone’s guess - the Occupy Oakland General Assembly has repeatedly refused to disavow violent tactics as a strategy - yet there are hopeful, even encouraging signs:

The Oakland Police Officers Association has not only upheld protestors' rights of peaceful assembly, but has referred to officers as among the “99%” in official statements on at least two occasions. On Tuesday, the SF Chronicle reported that Occupiers in the Snow Park camp were engaging in constructive dialogue with both police and city officials. And the beefing-up of police presence at Ogawa Plaza so far hasn’t changed the tone of the General Assembly.

OPD leadership continue to grapple with the accountability issue - reportedly a factor in the departure of former Chief Anthony Batts - and have yet to identify the officer responsible for hitting Olsen with a projectile. Meanwhile, Occupiers and the rank-and-file are proving they can peacefully co-exist in a positive context.

With police morale reportedly at a low ebb ever since Batts' arrival in 2009, this represents a small measure of progress, to be sure - a mere drop in the pond. But it could become a larger ripple which, if it continues, could be the beginning of a huge step forward for Oakland, as well as for police-community relations in other cities around the world.