Oakland chief resigns as police takeover threatened (by fed govt)

[alp227]

Source: SF Chronicle

The city with the state's highest violent crime rate is again in search of a top cop after Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts announced his resignation Tuesday, saying a burdensome "bureaucracy" left him without enough power to fight crime and build community trust in his department.

Batts, a charismatic leader who sought to bring Oakland into step with a trend toward data-driven policing, was hired in October 2009 by then-Mayor Ron Dellums, seven months after four city police officers were gunned down. He said he took the job because of the tragedy and he quickly won over many residents.

But Batts never firmly planted himself in Oakland. He applied for the chief's job in San Jose last year, remaining in Oakland after an internal candidate was tapped for the job.

Batts announced his resignation a week after the City Council set aside three crime-fighting proposals he had supported and amid warnings from a judge that the federal courts could take over the Police Department. Moreover, Batts' views were often in conflict with those of Mayor Jean Quan, who was elected in November, and several council members.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/11/BAD41LG93T.DTL

[CountAllVotes]

1. Oaksterdam isn't doing so hot

and I bet this is part of the reason -- Oaksterdamn.

:kick:

[Exultant Democracy]

2. Your bet would be wrong according to the data.

Study Reveals Lower Crime Rate Near Pot Dispensaries
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/RAND-Study-Reveals-Lower-Crime-Rate-Around-Medical-Marijuana-Dispensaries.html

This study was done by Rand to boot so it isn't like it was funded by normal.

[CountAllVotes]

3. they are a pefect example

of why medical marijuana dispensaries are being closed. :(