The result is that we have a population that is afraid to leave home at night. We have students dreaming about becoming drug dealers instead of doctors. We have a struggling economy because businesses are afraid to locate here.
By the end of my first term, I want our children concentrating on college not crime. I want to see an influx of new businesses bringing good jobs to our communities. And I want to see our residents enjoying our beautiful city at all hours of the day.
If I am elected, in four years you’ll see a larger, more native Oakland Police Department. I will fight to grow OPD to 1100 officers, most of which will be from Oakland. Those officers will be working in an effective community policing model. Beat officers will be assigned to an area and take the time to get to know the families they protect. Our officers will have a better understanding of our communities and be more effective at preventing and solving crimes because of it.
A quality education is the best way to prevent our children from turning to crime. In four years, I will have fought to provide funding to boost student retention. Part of that increase in funding will have been used to supply our schools with more counselors and better after school programs that will be preparing our children for college and a career.
Our children aren’t the only ones who will be prepared for a career. Parolees will find better, more effective job development and training services and programs to aid them in their return to society. We will have improved these programs to make sure that parolees do not return to a life of crime. After all, one of the best crime deterrents is a job.
If I am elected to the City Council I will work for an Oakland that is safer and more secure, with a growing economy and a shrinking crime rate. I will work to enable Oakland to realize its full potential.
For more information on how I’ll make Oakland better go to my website at http://www.mario2012.com/issues.
Zennie Abraham