The Oakland Police Department’s 10-year-old vehicle pursuit policy will be reviewed for possible changes thanks to a decision by the City Council.
The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to forward a request for such a review to the Oakland Police Commission, which now has until Sept. 10 to send any recommended changes back to the council for final approval.
Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas abstained and councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan and Carol Fife were absent.
The decision to send the chase policy to the Police Commission for review was sponsored by councilmembers Kevin Jenkins and Treva Reid, both of whom represent areas of East Oakland.
“We have countless inquiries and calls, emails, discussions at community meetings around the concern with what is and the perception of our ability to respond to public safety threats and incidents and the ability of OPD to be responsive to the rising concerns with crime and violence and what is perceived from organized criminals around our ability to pursue individuals,” Reid said.
Currently, OPD’s policy allows officers to chase down people suspected of a violent crime, people who used a gun while committing a crime and people who are suspected of having a gun in their possession.
Also, in 2022, a change was implemented that forbade officers from chasing suspects on city streets in speeds over 50 mph without authorization from a supervisor.
OPD Capt. Jake Bassett said that while there may be other factors involved, after that policy was implemented there was a 35 percent reduction in police chases and a 50 percent reduction in suspect apprehensions.
“So those numbers are trending in a downward direction,” Bassett said.
“They don’t feel safe crossing the street because people are running, racing up and down. … We’re all sitting there watching, including the police officers.”
Councilman Noel Gallo
Councilman Noel Gallo, who also represents parts of East Oakland, appeared to be in favor of updating the chase policy and said his constituents often complain about dangerous drivers on the area’s two main thoroughfares, International Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue.
“They don’t feel safe crossing the street because people are running, racing up and down, especially on International, racing up and down International,” Gallo said. “We’re all sitting there watching, including the police officers.”
Councilmembers Bas and Dan Kalb expressed skepticism about changing the rules to allow greater opportunities for police chases.
Kalb said that after the original policy was created, crime trended down in the following five-year period, which he said seemed to indicate that it “was not a hindrance in reducing crime.”
Now that the Police Commission has been tasked with reviewing the policy, it can either recommend changes or not.
If it does suggest changes, the City Council can accept them, modify them or reject them altogether.
If the commission decides not to recommend any changes, the process would end there.
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