Oakland leaders call for end to 23-year federal police oversight

OAKLAND, Calif. - A broad coalition of Oakland community leaders on Wednesday called for an end to more than two decades of federal oversight of the city's police department, arguing the city can handle matters on its own.

"Oakland has done the work to earn back local control of its police department," said Ali Albasiery, who owns markets in the city.

Bishop Bob Jackson of Acts Full Gospel Church stressed that ending federal monitoring would not mean ending oversight.

"Oversight isn't ending. I want to make that clear," Jackson said. "Oversight is not ending. It's coming home."

Carl Chan of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce echoed that sentiment.

"Ending federal oversight the right way lets Oakland focus fully on public safety, while keeping constitutional policing as a standard," Chan said.

Judge to consider future of oversight

Dig deeper:

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge William Orrick will consider the future of the federal oversight that has governed the Oakland Police Department for more than two decades.

The oversight stems from the Riders scandal, in which a group of Oakland police officers was accused of beating residents, planting evidence, and other misconduct. A 2003 civil settlement led to sweeping court-mandated reforms and federal monitoring of the department.

Former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor said ending federal oversight would shift responsibility for maintaining those reforms to the city.

"Ending federal oversight is not the end of accountability. It is the beginning of Oakland owning it," Taylor said.

Taylor pointed to the police department's Internal Affairs Division, the city's Office of the Inspector General and the Oakland Police Commission as institutions that can help oversee the department and provide information to the public.

"Do this on a regular schedule, in plain language, and make sure that is digestible by Oakland residents," Taylor said.

Concerns about potential backsliding

What they're saying:

Not everyone agrees that federal monitoring should end.

Police accountability activist Millie Cleveland said Oakland's local oversight bodies must be fully staffed and funded before they can effectively take on greater responsibility.

"My fear is that we will likely see backsliding on the part of the police department," Cleveland said. "Ideally, we would like the monitor to stay in place."

Federal monitor Robert Warshaw recently found that the department had fallen slightly below a required benchmark for completing its most serious internal affairs investigations on time. Recent reporting says the department completed 83% of those investigations within the required timeframe, below the 85% benchmark.

"We are not in any way excusing any type of regression," Taylor said.

Oakland civil rights attorney Jim Chanin, who represents plaintiffs in the civil case that led to the federal oversight, said he does not want a future role in monitoring the department.

However, Chanin has asked the judge to continue overseeing Oakland police for another year as the city transitions away from federal monitoring. The city has opposed that proposal.

"I'm hoping the court will think of some creative way to move this on a trial basis and then dismiss the case," Chanin said.

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on X @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan

Oakland Police DepartmentCrime and Public Safety