Fed-up Oakland residents clashed with left-wing District Attorney Pamela Price and the Oakland Police Department on Thursday, calling for an end to the city’s crime crisis during a public meeting at Montclair Presbyterian Church.
The meeting was called to address the attempted carjacking that went viral in Skyline and rising crime rates across Oakland. Price, who was elected to office in 2018 with the help of a George Soros-backed PAC, was lambasted by frustrated citizens for what they perceive as a lack of justice for victims of crime.
“I just want to say that there must be consequences. It’s unreal that there are no consequences for these children,” one concerned citizen argued, as others in attendance echoed in agreement.
Residents questioned Price and Captain Clay Burch of the Oakland Police Department regarding their lack of prevention measures such as increased patrols in impacted areas. Burch had difficulty responding to these questions, stating, “My brothers in blue, I know your hands are tied but you’ve got to be doing some preventative stuff.”
Price responded by arguing that in some cases there is not enough evidence to convict those responsible for the crimes. When asked what happened to those people after their release, she said that she doesn’t know, prompting angry replies from the previously silent crowd.
To add to the city’s woes, the California Justice and Public Safety PAC, which was created to support left-wing district attorneys and funded by George Soros, supported Price in her 2018 campaign. Price ran on a platform of “pursuing comprehensive alternatives to incarceration” like social service interventions, and the citizens who attended the meeting did not appreciate her laissez-faire attitude.
“It is not racist or unkind to want to be safe from crime,” said Cynthia Adams, president of Oakland’s NAACP. She and local pastor Bishop Bob Jackson issued a letter to local elected officials calling for a state of emergency to address Oakland’s “public safety crisis.”
Residents left the meeting feeling frustrated at the lack of movement from either Price or the police department, with one local saying, “A lot of jabbering that didn’t have much value.”
Oakland city officials had better watch out: clearly, the citizens have had enough and will not stand for further inaction. It’s time to see some serious solutions for Oakland’s crime problem or risk alienating the citizens they have sworn to protect.
Frustrated Oaklanders confront Alameda County DA Pamela Price over surge in crime
At a heated community meeting Thursday, residents of Oakland’s Montclair neighborhood had a chance to confront the DA and the Oakland police department over rising crime. @AndreaKPIX reports: pic.twitter.com/m3o1TYAAuB
— Betty Yu (@bett_yu) July 28, 2023
