Oakland blames 'perceived crime' for falling revenue, says it’s cutting police

[rangerrebew]

Oakland blames 'perceived crime' for falling revenue, says it’s cutting police
Story by Kenneth Schrupp • 17h


(The Center Square) - The City of Oakland is cutting $63 million in spending to keep the lights on, $45 million of which is coming from the public safety budget, in a city where violent crime rose 237%, and property crime rose 70% between 2022 and 2023.

“For those $63 million cuts, $45 million of those cuts are police and fire. We heard today that those are the most impacted departments,” said Oakland City Council Member Treva Reid to ABC 7.
 
Even though spending was 5.7% lower than allocated for, the city estimates it has a $79.84 million budget shortfall for the 2023-2024 fiscal year against its $863.8 million adopted adjusted budget, resulting in the need for cuts. Almost half of the shortfall is from the real estate transfer tax yielding half of the expected revenue. The Oakland Police Department, which spent $358.57 million, was 7.9% over budget due to overtime costs, while the city attorney’s office, which includes prosecutors, spent $20.56 million, or 12% under budget.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oakland-blames-perceived-crime-for-falling-revenue-says-it-s-cutting-police/ar-AA1sSvU4?ocid=anaheim-ntp-feeds&pc=HCTS&cvid=fd255cee4d724ed485458499a79a2618&ei=67

[Free Vulcan]

Same old woke dog and pony show.

[rangerrebew]

Perceived, huh. 50 years ago, when I was home ported next door in Alameda, I perceived it then to be a crime infested rat hole.

[PeteS in CA]

Restaurants such as Denny's and In-N-Out Burger do not shut down profitable stores because of "perceived" crime. They did it with stores near Oakland International Airport because of the very real danger to customers, employees, and their property. Denial of reality won't get businesses to re-open closed locations and build new locations.

Slashing the "public safety" (= police and fire departments) budgets is doubling down on stupid. Crime is up because thugs and thug-wannabes know the risk of getting caught decreased with the previous round of defunding the police (in addition to the moronic changes of Prop 47 and Alameda County's DA declining to prosecute the thugs and thug-wannabes). This new round of cuts will all but certainly make crime worse in Oakland.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County DA Pamela Price are both facing recall votes in a couple of weeks, and Proposition 36, which repeals Prop 47, looks to be heading for an overwhelming (70% range) victory. At best, though, those would only be the start of starting something recoveryesque that would take a at least decade or two. Businesses that have moved out of the SF Bay Area or shut down won't be coming back. Those that moved did so for the long term, and those that shut down are no more.