Hundreds of protesters who took to the streets to protest Tuesday's pre-dawn raid of the downtown Occupy Oakland encampment were met with tear gas and flash bangs from police.

The prevailing notion is that public safety depends on how many police officers you have relative to the population and, the more officers, the more safe.

I've lived in Oakland for a minute now, but I'd never really explored Alameda. So on Memorial Day morning, I set off on my bike to go see the beach there.

I ended up witnessing a slow motion suicide -- and wrestling some fierce inner demons, and playing a bit role in an unfolding national media story.

Here's what happened, and why it matters to Oakland ...

Every second and fourth Tuesday, the city's public agencies participate in a bi-weekly marathon of discussion in the first floor of City Hall. The schedule:

Public Works Committee - 10:30 a.m.