OPD FY22 Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative

The City of Oakland has a proven track record of success when addressing violent gun crime in a concerted way.  With the launch of Ceasefire in 2012, the homicide rate fell over 50 percent from 2012-2018 (Appendix 4: Problem Analysis, public excerpt, Barao and Braga).  From the latest FBI UCR data available in 2019, the City of Oakland’s crime rate in California was third compared to all cities of populations greater than 100,000.  Unfortunately, like many jurisdictions across the country, violent gun crime rose significantly during the pandemic in the time period after the latest available FBI statistics and continues as a scourge.  For example, in 2021 compared to 2019, Assault with a Deadly Weapon experienced a 109% increase, Shooting at Inhabited Dwelling rose 119% and Shootings at unoccupied vehicles increased 125%.  The most disconcerting to our agency and community is that homicides rose 65% in the same time period.  In an environment where resources are scarce, the City of Oakland argues that a CGIC expansion grant awarded to the Oakland Police Department (OPD) will be successful due to its track record in launching inventive initiatives such as Ceasefire (cited in Thomas Abt’s book “Bleeding Out:  The devastating consequences of urban violence—and a bold new plan for peace in the streets.”), providing timely laboratory-generated investigative leads which outpaces other California laboratories (top number of acquisitions in the state) and OPD’s current participation in an active CGIC (letter of support from ATF’s Special Agent in Charge).  Success will be launched in the following ways and measured through the collection of year-to-year comparative statistics: (1) improvement of capacity to analyze firearm evidence by hiring a Forensic Technician, (2) upgrade forensic technology, work- and meeting-spaces, (3) engage with academics to assist with research and metric collection and social network analysis to gain further insight to Oakland’s crime rings and to assist with onboarding a Crime Analyst for CGIC, and (4) deepen and formalize our already well-established Ceasefire partnerships with the local Probation, Parole, other local law enforcement, Federal partners, as well as the Department of Violence Prevention, local community- and faith-based organizations that support victims of crime, OPD’s Criminal Investigation Division and ATF by hosting quarterly meetings.  OPD has prepared a Program Narrative in support of the current state of violent gun crime in Oakland, a plan for how to address it and optimism for success were the grant awarded.