Oakland city leaders held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to address four new crime fighting measures that the city council approved very early that morning.

They include the controversial hiring of a former New York police commissioner to help devise a crime reduction plan.

"I think we have an opportunity to bring down crime in the city and to increase hope," said Mayor Jean Quan.

It was after midnight when the council voted 7-to-1 to approve a $250,000 contract to hire a team of outside consultants.

That team includes the controversial William Bratton.

The council also approved the hiring of 20 civilian staffers for the police department.

The mayor says that will put 20 officers back on the street.

In addition, Oakland will pay for the use of ten Alameda County Sheriff deputies to help patrol the city.

The council also approved another police academy.

KTVU News tracked down Bill Bratton today to learn about his plans for Oakland.

Ken Wayne found him in Detroit where he's advising that city's embattled police department and interviewed him for the first time since the vote.

Bratton has a reputation as a reformer -- the former top cop in New York and Los Angeles is the go-to-guy for police departments in crisis.

On Wednesday night he was in Detroit but he'll soon be in Oakland.

"Both of them have a significant concern about their high crime problem," said Bratton. "Both of them have been going through significant reductions in the size of their police force."

And both are under federal oversight for misconduct.

Bratton says his first job is to meet key players in Oakland, learn what's broken and try to fix it.

"A lot of our work will be focused within the department looking at how they're fighting crime, how they might improve how they fight crime," said Bratton.

On the subject of stop-and-frisk - criticized as racial profiling - he said police and citizens need to understand how it works.

"You don't treat the poor different than the rich, white different than the black." he said.

Bratton says he has a lot to learn about Oakland but hopes Oakland learns something as well.