Oakland City Council Lines Cops’ Pockets

On Tuesday, September 15, the Oakland City Council voted 7-1 to approve the new Oakland Police Officers’ Association (OPOA) union contract and the controversial reappointment of Ricardo Garcia-Acosta as police commission chair, despite significant public pushback against salary increases for police at a time of fiscal austerity throughout the city. 

Preceding the Oakland City Council vote, a coalition of organizations mobilized at Oscar Grant Plaza to demand accountability and transparency. East Bay DSA joined union members, police watchdog groups, and unhoused advocacy organizations to denounce the City’s approach to police violence, mass surveillance, and cooperation with ICE, as well as police commission appointments and the tentative salary agreement.

“[City council has] overseen a ballooning police budget, while neglecting and defunding the crucial city services that keep Oaklanders like us healthy, happy, and safe,” said Josh Estes, of the East Bay DSA Stop Cop Nation Committee.

Oakland Police Department (OPD) receives more funding than any other city department — 18.7% of the city’s budget currently goes to OPD — while police exceed their overtime budget by $31 million and other departments suffer from a 19% vacancy rate. A tentative agreement announced on September 3 between the City and the OPOA would move wages up by 14.9%. The contract contains a “me too” clause, stipulating that any wage increase beyond 14.9% awarded to a different union would also apply to the OPOA contract. 

“I’m sick of hearing the city administration preach about fiscal responsibility in that room, as an excuse not to pay civilian workers fairly; while year after year, doing absolutely nothing to rein in the police overtime spending which has been draining the city’s budget,” said Fowler.

Estes and Grace Aguirre of East Bay DSA’s Migrant Defense Committee also drew attention to the city’s approval of a $2M contract for widely unpopular Flock mass surveillance technology, and the lack of substantive enforcement measures in ICE noncooperation legislation, disregarding the safety and privacy of all Oaklanders. Conscious of Flock's invasiveness, residents throughout East Bay recently joined a National Week of Action against Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs).

Chase Fowler, a civil engineer at the Oakland Department of Transportation and member of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21, speaking on his own behalf, criticized Oakland City Council for its double standard on wage increases for city employees. 

“I’m sick of hearing the city administration preach about fiscal responsibility in that room, as an excuse not to pay civilian workers fairly; while year after year, doing absolutely nothing to rein in the police overtime spending which has been draining the city’s budget,” said Fowler. “Fill those jobs with civilian workers. Trust me that our pensions are much cheaper than the cops.”

He highlighted a recently released joint report by the IFTPE, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on overspending and lack of oversight in the Oakland Police Department. OPD has seen a 200% increase in overtime pay over the last 15 years, despite only 9% staffing increases over the same period. Fowler noted his own union has been in negotiations with the City since March. City negotiators bargain aggressively with all other unions, particularly over benefits. 

The OPOA declined to respond when approached for comment regarding the new contract and the state of overtime pay within the department.

Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the Poor Magazine, and Wood Street Common also decried OPD’s treatment of Oakland’s unhoused residents. Speakers condemned the recent OPD murder of Jose Castillo, and recent encampment sweeps. The EAP (Encampment Abatement Program) was approved in April, in a 5-1 vote by City Council, and directs Oakland Public Works to displace city residents, leaving them with nowhere to go. 

The City Council meeting heard public comments that largely sought accountability for OPD’s overtime abuses and waste. Despite overwhelming and unanimous public comments opposed to their approval, City Council voted 7-1 to reappoint Ricardo Garcia-Acosta as police commission chair, and for the OPOA salary increase. Council Member Carroll Fife was the sole dissenting vote. 

“What other institution in the world, outside of law enforcement, gets to violate people’s civil rights, recklessly endanger the public, proliferate over time, and still get more funding?” said Charite.

“We have a deficit of employees in almost every single department in the city of Oakland, and when my constituents call me, they’re calling me about ‘why aren’t my lights on, on Mandela Parkway?’” Fife said.

This vote clarified that Oakland City Council will continue to funnel budget increases to the Oakland Police Department despite widespread opposition to a wasteful, corrupt, and unaccountable police force. Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression representative Romaine Charite echoed many speakers in forcefully condemning the City Council’s adoption of the OPOA contract. 

“What other institution in the world, outside of law enforcement, gets to violate people’s civil rights, recklessly endanger the public, proliferate over time, and still get more funding?” said Charite.