FOLKS, THIS IS AN APRIL FOOL JOKE!
A good, well-placed City Hall Source and friend has told this vlogger exclusively that William Bratton, who was just hired as the $250,000 consultant to the Oakland Police Department (OPD), will be named the next Chief Of Police for OPD by Oakland Mayor Jean Quan.
The move was made to counter internal complaints of confusion regarding who was in charge at OPD, and to streamline spending prior to the upcoming budget hearings.
But Bratton, who’s no stranger to controversy with his no-nonsense policies and his “stop and frisk” tactic that is seen by some as racially-biased in its implementation, comes to California’s most dangerous city with a lot of baggage, and it’s a certainty that Oakland’s community activist community will raise a loud voice against the decision.
Still, I’m told the City Hall aides who put this decision in motion for Mayor Quan are confident Bratton’s the right choice. The problem is, as Oakland Citycouncilman Dan Kalb (District One, North Oakland) told me at a City Hall event for The Chabot Observatory last week, Thursday, whatever budget direction Oakland takes is basically making the best of a bad situation.
My source said it doesn’t make sense to spend so much money on two police chiefs when one can do the job.
My favorite chief, in all candor, is Howard Jordan. He’s the best person to have as the Oakland Police “face” out their rather than Bratton. That’s no slap against the new chief, but you can’t look at the appointment without considering how it will be viewed racially in a mostly-minority city already drawing a new history that stems from the Riders case to the Oscar Grant incident.
And even though BART Police are at fault in the Oscar Grant matter, the bad image and community relations have spilled over to and harmed the efforts of the Oakland Police to maintain a good relationship with the community.
But this move also pushes current Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan out of his power position and is something I personally saw coming. Jordan has to feel blindsided by Mayor Quan.
I would.
Stay tuned and Lirpa Sloof.