From the Globe Political Desk

Last week mayoral candidate Ron Dellums said the pervasiveness of crime and violence in Oakland compels him to challenge the city not to wait until June to tackle the issue of police officer deployment.
    He said the compromise reached with the Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA) two weeks ago does not go far enough.
   “This past weekend we saw the 32nd homicide thus far this year take place in one of our neighborhoods,” said Dellums. “People are dying and the city government is languishing over what to do about an intolerable agreement with the OPOA.”
    Dellums said the agreement impedes the police chief in his ability to manage the most effective allocation of resources through the strategic deployment of officers. Even though there is now an increase in the number of backup officers, the result is still too few officers out patrolling during the times when they are most needed, particularly on weekends, said Dellums.
   “I know of no other city in the country that has such an extreme ‘memorandum of understanding’ with its POA. And if it does, said city should also get back to the table and renegotiate,” he said.
    Dellums also noted that it has now been almost two years since residents of Oakland voted through Measure Y to hire 63 more officers and to implement several crime prevention programs and services. Yet today, the Oakland Police Department is understaffed by about one hundred officers.
   “There is a great deal more in terms of what must ultimately be done to reverse the trend in the city’s crime rate,” he said. “In the final analysis, it’s time to get real. Time to take back our streets and neighborhoods. It is a sad state of affairs when the safety of our citizens is not the strongest bargaining chip in the chambers of city hall.”