Resignation of Oakland's Police Chief Sean Whent (San Leandro, Alameda: 2014, renting)

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by livinfairfax

Isn't the bay area police department mostly white compared to NYPD? The citizens are of both cities are pretty diverse.

Of Oakland's 694 officers, 42% are white, 21% are Hispanic, 19% are black and 13% are Asian.

The city of 406,000 is about 26% white, 28% black, 25% Hispanic and 17% Asian.


Police redouble efforts to recruit diverse officers

Close to half the city budget goes to OPD...

Average total compensation for an OPD employee is $162,000. In 2012, 179 Oakland police officers took home over $200,000 in total compensation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Police_Department

[Perma Bear]

They should install saloon doors so the chiefs have an easier time leaving.

[livinfairfax]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

Brown people can't afford to buy homes in the Bay Area. It's like an economic pre-64 Selma Alabama.

This is probably true across all races though, not just brown people.

[livinfairfax]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Of Oakland's 694 officers, 42% are white, 21% are Hispanic, 19% are black and 13% are Asian.

The city of 406,000 is about 26% white, 28% black, 25% Hispanic and 17% Asian.


Police redouble efforts to recruit diverse officers

Close to half the city budget goes to OPD...

Average total compensation for an OPD employee is $162,000. In 2012, 179 Oakland police officers took home over $200,000 in total compensation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_Police_Department

Well, there you go. I think 3 quarters of police are white nationally. Don't you think the diversity that are being brought to the major city police departments are changing the way they do business, thus, higher turnover?

If you want stability, the PDs of alabama and mississippi is VERY stable. I don't think I would want that. We are only beginning to uncover the unsavory side PDs in this country.

[Ultrarunner]

Oakland population is roughly equal parts White, Black, Hispanic plus 17% Asian.

Two of my Police friends were OPD... they are Asian and speak the language... both were highly recruited to the point they left OPD.

Most Bay Area Departments have very strong ties to OPD... even as high as Chief of Police.

For years... Oakland ran the academy that nearby departments used for training.

Caring for family members has looking at relocation options and maybe this is the final straw?

For most of my life hailing from Oakland has been a topic of conversation... everyone has an opinion about Oakland... even when I traveled and worked overseas.

I would venture most of the 400,000 people that live here go about their daily lives taking care of their family and doing the right thing...

Oakland really is a collection of neighborhoods... anyone coming from the outside needs to understand this.

[2sleepy]

In case you haven't already read enough, here's another 'run down' on OPD's problems:

What in the Actual F*ck Is Going On with the Oakland Police Department?

[Ultrarunner]

Well it is official... OPD is on number 5 now... the announcement was made without any fanfare and after the State made inquiries as to who is actually running the department... go figure.

The city said not to worry as the new number 1 man is set to retire in 6 months???

Here's the problem the city is already finding...

There is almost zero interest from those outside the area to accept the position and there are numerous reasons.

Whoever comes in will need the third party blessing.

Whoever comes in will always have people looking over his or her shoulders and will not have free reign to implement as that person see's fit.

Whoever comes in will be subject to the constraint of the Union

Now for the interesting part...

No one approached has been excited about relocating to California, setting up a home, schools, family life etc... when there is zero job security.

Plus it is expensive to do these things and the rank and file officers can earn more than the Chief...

So tell me exactly would someone from afar even consider being Chief under these circumstances.

City Hall is once again naive as to how the real world works...

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Well it is official... OPD is on number 5 now... the announcement was made without any fanfare and after the State made inquiries as to who is actually running the department... go figure. The city said not to worry as the new number 1 man is set to retire in 6 months???
Here's the problem the city is already finding... There is almost zero interest from those outside the area to accept the position and there are numerous reasons. Whoever comes in will need the third party blessing.
Whoever comes in will always have people looking over his or her shoulders and will not have free reign to implement as that person see's fit. Whoever comes in will be subject to the constraint of the Union
Now for the interesting part... No one approached has been excited about relocating to California, setting up a home, schools, family life etc... when there is zero job security. Plus it is expensive to do these things and the rank and file officers can earn more than the Chief... So tell me exactly would someone from afar even consider being Chief under these circumstances. City Hall is once again naive as to how the real world works...

No qualified candidate from outside who is worth a crap is going to walk into that quagmire, Police Chief's are ambitious, they are always looking toward their next job they aren't going to willingly get drug into a cesspool that could ruin their future. Some cities in similar situations have recruited a retired chief from another agency, given them the power to clean house and once that happens they are usually in a good position to find an excellent candidate. Oh..and by the way, don't worry about the new chief's relocation expenses, those are almost always paid by the taxpayer

[Ultrarunner]

More taxpayer money to burn...

Out of all the ways for this to go down... appears once again no thought went into the decision process.

I will accept that I'm in the minority but this is exactly what I feared when I heard Whent was out.

Sometimes you need to work with what you have because it is the best at the moment.

Never would I have guessed the mayor to be so naive.

I read the entire link and comments...

Can someone explain why the girls mother or aunt... both in law enforcement did not force a report or appear before District Attorney O'Malley?

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Can someone explain why the girls mother or aunt... both in law enforcement did not force a report or appear before District Attorney O'Malley?

The only thing I know about her mother is that she is an OPD Dispatcher and that she admitted knowing that her daughter has been prostituting since she was 12. I never heard of an Aunt being in LE.

But what exactly is your point, are you claiming that if the mother didn't 'demand' an investigation then Whent should be off the hook? I don't care how much everyone liked Whent, I don't care how wonderful he was, too much $hit happened under his watch, he had to go.

(and FYI, citizens do not report crimes to or ask the District Attorney to investigate crimes, only law enforcement can do that)