Residents raise concerns at East Oakland town hall

City leaders hear residents' concerns at East Oakland town hall

Oakland residents voiced concerns about crime, illegal dumping and neighborhood conditions during a community town hall hosted by Council President Kevin Jenkins in East Oakland.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Oakland residents on Wednesday voiced concerns about crime, illegal dumping and neighborhood conditions during a community town hall hosted by Council President Kevin Jenkins in East Oakland. 

The meeting, held at Mills College at Northeastern University, brought together city leaders, including Mayor Barbara Lee and Interim Police Chief James Beere, to hear directly from residents in District 6.

"Violent crime is trending downwards citywide, but we still have a lot of work to do. But it's moving and the trajectory is going in the right direction," Lee said.

Jenkins said the most common concerns in his district remain crime and illegal dumping, issues residents say impact daily life.

City leaders point to progress

Jenkins emphasized the need for more police staffing as a key part of addressing public safety concerns.

"We need recruitment and retention, our staffing levels are way too low for OPD, overtime is up and I know people are complaining about that as well, but we need to retain the officers that we do have," he said.

Beere said coordination across city departments has improved.

"For the first time in over a decade, we’re running operations with Oakland Public Works, Oakland Department of Transportation, the encampment management team, the Oakland Fire Department, code compliance, we’re really one team," he said.

He added that homicides are down 50% and robberies down nearly 30% in District 6, though aggravated assaults, including shootings, remain a challenge. 

Residents note changes but want continued action

Residents raised questions about sideshows, abandoned vehicles, and street conditions, pressing officials for solutions.

Some longtime residents said they have noticed improvements.

"I have noticed a measurable amount of change as far as gunfire, that would keep us up at night, that has ceased. I hope it never returns, that is encouraging," said Sandra Varner.

Officials encouraged residents to report crimes and reiterated that police are focused on protecting all members of the community.