Don:   It's really great that you believe in Oakland, and you want us to believe in Oakland, too!

But, Don, – you might be surprised to discover that we do believe in Oakland--- – an Oakland that does not relinquish oversight of its police to Internal Affairs, and an Oakland whose police department no longer requires the City to spend several million dollars for Independent Monitors who report to a Federal Judge about their progress, or lack thereof, in implementing mandated reforms.

What we don’'t believe in is a Mayor who would turn the police accountability clock back over 40 years because he is beholden to the Police Officers' Associations throughout the State who have pumped buckets full of cash into his campaign for Mayor. And we don't believe that after Federal oversight expires, that there should be no civilian oversight of the police, putting Oakland residents further behind BART riders in their ability to hold officers accountable for their actions.

I guess it will be up to us Oakland voters on November 2nd to decide what kind of Oakland we believe in and which Mayoral candidate will bring that vision to fruition.

Rashidah Grinage

PS PERATA READY TO TRASH CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF POLICE IN OAKLAND!

Don Perata'’s newest TV promo “I Believe in Oakland” fails to mention that Don does not believe that the community should oversee the Oakland Police Department.

He also does not believe that Oakland needs an Ethics Commission, which, come to think of it, shouldn't come as much of a surprise, should it?

He has gone on record as saying that the Citizens’ Police Review Board (CPRB) isn’t necessary because of the oversight of Federal Judge Thelton Henderson. Well, the Judge has just indicated that if the OPD doesn’t get its act together soon, after 8 years of inadequate efforts to reform itself, he may place the Department in receivership! And the real question is, “Who will oversee OPD once the independent (and costly) monitors’ tenure ends?”

Maybe he could figure out how to save the millions of dollars in police misconduct law suits paid by taxpayers every year which are several times more costly to the City than the annual CPRB budget. Note: Oakland Local does not endorse any candidates or community member's opinions.

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