It seems that Superintendent Tony Smith and Oakland Police Chief Tony Batts have put their heads together and decided that it would be a good use of $6 million to re-hire 24 of the 80 OPD officers who were laid off last year and insert them into four Oakland middle schools. Too bad nobody else knew about it!

Did someone forget that the Oakland Unified School District already has its own police force, headed by Captain Pete Sarna? Did someone forget to talk to OUSD officials who work directly with students and their families who knew absolutely nothing about this plan? Did someone forget to agendize a discussion of this idea at the Public Safety Committee so that our ELECTED representatives and the public could weigh in on whether or not this was the best use of DOJ funding?

Did anyone consult our Mayor-Elect Jean Quan about the advisability of such a program, and, if so, what is her position? She’s not made any mention of this program in any of her remarks after having won the election. Is this a new, brilliant, innovative idea being delivered to Oakland? Hardly.

From LAUSD’s website:

The Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet Program began in the fall of 1996 and is currently in operation on seven campuses within the LAUSD. The program is designed, not only to educate students about law enforcement and related careers, but, also, to encourage students to commit to a rigid course of study, physical training and compulsory community service. The result..respectful, law-abiding productive members of society. An LAPD Officer is assigned a full-time position to lead, counsel and mentor the students through their Police Academy experience at each campus.

Just like the introduction of gang injunctions imported from Southern California, now we have another import: police magnet middle schools, currently installed in Los Angeles, where Chief Batts served prior to being appointed Long Beach Chief.

In each case, there has been no Oakland City Council vote taken and little or no consultation with stakeholders – teachers, students, parents, or Council members. There was no public notice of any kind prior to Chief Batts’ departure for Washington D.C. to collect the $6 million needed to install this program for one year.

Is that really the best use of $6 million? In June 2009, Council approved in principle the notion of civilianizing the complaint process which would cost considerably less and allow current OPD sworn officers to do police work instead of paperwork. All that’s needed to implement this program is only $1.2 million per year and the shift will pay for itself within three years of implementation. But, I guess if it’s not a Southern California import, it’s not going to be a priority for Chief Batts – even if it makes sense, saves taxpayer money, is sustainable, and has the support of the City Council and the Mayor-Elect.

Oakland is not Los Angeles, and Oakland is not Long Beach. We need to seek funding  for programs that have had been vetted by the community and our elected officials. We don't need  re-do's from Chief Batts’ career in Southern California.

Chief Batts has framed this excessively costly program as ‘community policing’ – quite a stretch considering that the community has yet to hear about it, weigh in on it, or lend its approval! Sounds much more like an end-run around Oakland's General Fund limitations, getting DOJ to 'buy back' some of our laid off officers for a year,doesn't it?