OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland's police chief ordered 30 officers to be moved from desk duty to patrol cars, taking one more step in his mission to make the city safer.

Starting Saturday, the 30 officers will be deployed citywide in an effort to make the city safer, according Police Chief Anthony Batts.

Shortly before 8 p.m. Friday, police responded to a drive-by shooting that injured three people in east Oakland.

Chief Batts said there are too many violent incidents such as this one gripping Oakland, and it's unacceptable.

“We have young people who are dying in large numbers in some parts of the city,” said Chief Batts. “It's like a third world country. It's too much carnage that's going on in this city.”

And now he is vowing to do something about it.

"I'm pulling detectives off the desk and putting them on the street tomorrow," said Batts. "There will be 30 more officers in black and white police cars. Those who remain will have to work the street at least one day a week."

Lala Mann, 18, grew up in Oakland and says she has lost many friends to violence. She also said increased police presence on the streets will work only if police are looking to help young people and not just put them behind bars.

"If the police don't care, then they're not going to be able to do it in the right way," said Mann.

At Youth Uprising, a non-profit in east Oakland, members hosted "Freestyle Friday" on Friday night, one of the many programs the group says it provides for at-risk and disenfranchised youth.

The group plans to launch a new program next month where officers meet with young people and try to relieve tension and build trust.

"The police will realize not only are they police officers but that they're also adults that can be role models for these young people and that they have treat them accordingly and young people can realize that there are good police officers," said Youth Uprising Outreach And Events Manager Jacky Johnson.

Batts said he hoped to improve police response time to 911 calls, and will begin training 11 new dispatchers before the end of the month.

He said it takes too long for officers to respond to calls: an average of 15 minutes compared to the national average of less than 5 minutes.

But he acknowledges that some change costs money.

“I have to find grants,” said Batts. “I have to find funding. Public funding. I have to bring in friends to do training. The department is going in the right direction. And morale is turning around.”

The assistant police chief told us the 911 dispatchers were hired with money from the city's general fund. It takes 42 weeks to train them.