Bump CityTHINGS seemed to be looking up for Oakland’s police department. Between January and the middle of March seven people were murdered in the notoriously violent northern Californian city—11 fewer than over the same period in 2015. Rapes, assaults and burglaries were down too. The department was closer to complying with the 51 reforms it was ordered by a court to implement in 2003, following a police misconduct settlement. The leader of the White House’s task-force on policing had even praised Oakland’s force, which was once a byword for abuse of power.
Then, in May, several Oakland police officers were accused of sleeping with a prostitute, who was possibly underage at the time. Separately, an investigation was launched into other Oakland officers for sending racist text messages. On June 9th, Sean Whent, Oakland’s police chief, resigned. In the nine days that followed, a replacement chief was appointed and sacked, and the replacement’s replacement, who became chief automatically, stepped down. For now, Oakland’s police department is being led by a civilian.
The turmoil has its roots in a...Continue reading
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