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Pigs in a blank kit

I grew up in Oakland during the 1960's and early 1970's. Crime hasn't really changed much since that time and unfortunately neither has policing. Cops show up after crimes are committed in small numbers, often with cynical and malicious attitudes that exacerbate the climate of crime related despair.

The Black Panther Party for the Peoples Self Defense had an answer to some crime with points 1 and 7 of their platform which relates to the urgent need for community policing and neighborhood control of policing resources.

This has given me the idea to propose that off duty Oakland police officers be allowed to take their squad cars home at the end of their shift, a practice which is routine in many cities and which essentially heightens the police presence. By doing this we add a low cost way of elevating police visibility in areas which might need a higher police profile.

Therein also lays the rub. Most of the police who patrol Oakland's streets don't live here. Hence the detached disregard and callous treatment of victims of crime and the profiling of some segments of the community who are being blamed for crime increases. If off-duty Oakland cops took their cars home, I fear there would be very few cars left to patrol the city.

2007-09-24 18:43:19 GMT

Comments (1 total)

Author:candy_in_dg

I feel you on this. I grew up in the Bay area, Oakland/Alameda, and later Richmond the 4000 block of Wall Ave, and graduated from Kennedy High. In the summer of '66 a young man named Robert Washington was stabbed to death with sharpened screwdrivers in the front yard of his own home. As his parents wept and waited 6 HOURS no police showed up. Finally after 6 HOURS the coroners station wagon came and removed his lifeless body. He was 15 years old! The autopsy determined that had an ambulance arrived within 20 - 30min, his life could have been saved. And even with leads and positive identification the three young men who killed him were never brought to justice. I look at it as a means of genocide! If the police can keep away then maybe we can all kill each other off. Not much has changed in Richmond, except now there are now iron gates and metal detectors at the entry to the school. I pray for my hometown every day, and the youth within. Peace <>< candi <3

2007-09-25 14:47:19 GMT

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		Pigs in a blank kit I grew up in Oakland during the 1960's and early 1970's. Crime hasn't really changed much since that time and unfortunately neither has policing. Cops show up after crimes are committed in small numbers, often with cynical and malicious attitudes that exacerbate the climate of crime related despair. The Black Panther Party for the Peoples Self Defense had an answer to some crime with points 1 and 7 of their platform which relates to the urgent need for community policing and neighborhood control of policing resources. This has given me the idea to propose that off duty Oakland police officers be allowed to take their squad cars home at the end of their shift, a practice which is routine in many cities and which essentially heightens the police presence. By doing this we add a low cost way of elevating police visibility in areas which might need a higher police profile. Therein also lays the rub. Most of the police who patrol Oakland's streets don't live here. Hence the detached disregard and callous treatment of victims of crime and the profiling of some segments of the community who are being blamed for crime increases. If off-duty Oakland cops took their cars home, I fear there would be very few cars left to patrol the city. 2007-09-24 18:43:19 GMT Comments (1 total) Author:candy_in_dg I feel you on this. I grew up in the Bay area, Oakland/Alameda, and later Richmond the 4000 block of Wall Ave, and graduated from Kennedy High. In the summer of '66 a young man named Robert Washington was stabbed to death with sharpened screwdrivers in the front yard of his own home. As his parents wept and waited 6 HOURS no police showed up. Finally after 6 HOURS the coroners station wagon came and removed his lifeless body. He was 15 years old! The autopsy determined that had an ambulance arrived within 20 - 30min, his life could have been saved. And even with leads and positive identification the three young men who killed him were never brought to justice. I look at it as a means of genocide! If the police can keep away then maybe we can all kill each other off. Not much has changed in Richmond, except now there are now iron gates and metal detectors at the entry to the school. I pray for my hometown every day, and the youth within. Peace <>< candi <3 2007-09-25 14:47:19 GMT Site Home