California Governor Gavin Newsom is asking the city of Oakland to revise its decade old police pursuit policy that dramatically limits police chases.
Business owners at an Asian shopping center on International Boulevard said they are fed up with the crime.
“Mayor and chief of police, please do something. Oakland is getting out of hand,” said Oakland resident Jimmy.
Newsom is responding to those calls for help. Earlier this month, he sent in California Highway Patrol’s reinforcements into Oakland and now he’s calling on the city to allow its officers to chase more suspects.
Oakland’s current pursuit policy only allows police to chase suspects when they are known to have a gun or if they committed a violent forcible crime.
But Newsom said that CHP officers that have recently stepped in to help patrol Oakland noticed that criminals often flee without fear because they know Oakland police won’t chase them.
In a letter to city leaders, Newsom wrote it’s resulted in “extreme danger to the public in allowing criminals to act with impunity, and the reckless driving associated with sideshows and other criminal acts is a significant threat to public safety."
Policing expert Michael Leininger told NBC Bay Area that he agrees with Newsom.
“If the CHP comes forward and says it’s a problem and they don’t understand it, if the governor of California comes forward and says it’s a problem and we don’t understand why it’s so restrictive, it’s a problem make the change,” he said.
Mayor of Oakland says she too believes the policy needs to be reviewed
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“We must be in line with our policies with other jurisdictions so we can ensure our community is safe,” she said.
The Oakland Police Officers Association released the following statement on Friday:
“The Oakland Police Officers Association appreciates Governor Newsom's recognition of the challenging policies our members face, which are not aligned with industry standards and hinder our ability to effectively serve our community.”
But not everyone agrees. Cat Brooks, the co-founder of the Anti Police Terror Project, said more chases will mean more innocent lives lost.
“When you have these knee-jerk reactions and are giving them a license to do whatever it is they want to do in the moment. What we’re going to see is an uptick in police violence, that’s what we’re going to see,” Brooks said.
The police commission plans to hold a public hearing later this month before making its recommendation to the city council likely in September.
