Andrew Park is running for City Council in District 2. In response to a candidate questionnaire, Park expresses support for several ballot measures and increasing the police force, while emphasizing community policing and development as long-term solutions to public safety. He agrees with recommendations to improve OPD from a past report but would defer to police command staff. Park believes Oakland faces a budget shortfall and advocates transparency, shared sacrifice, and collective bargaining to address it.

1. City Council Candidate Questionnaire
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Candidate: Andrew Park, District 2
District:
Note: Please limit your answers to 250 words except where the question
indicates a different word limit.
1. Please state your position on the following November ballot measures along with a brief
(No more than 30 word) statement supporting your position.
 Measure Z: Public Safety (Parcel tax for police, fire and violence prevention programs)
I support Measure Z though it is with some reservation. I know the grievances many
Oaklanders have with Measure Y as I share the same concerns and thoughts.
 Measure XX: Public Ethics (Restructuring of Public Ethics Commission and mandatory
funding for its staff)
I support the Public Ethics Measure. Trust if vital and this measure is a step in the right
direction. Watchdog agencies such as this need teeth.
 Measure XX: Redistricting (Redistricting commission for City Council boundaries )
I support the Redistricting Measure.
2. MOBN!’s public safety plan calls for increasing Oakland’s police force to 900 sworn
officers within four years. To reach this goal, MOBN! advocates that the city should: 1) not layoff
any Oakland police officers under any circumstances; 2) schedule, fund, and conduct sufficient
police academies each year to increase that number, not simply replace officers who retire or
otherwise leave the force; and 3) make increasing the size of the police department its number
one priority. Do you agree or disagree?
I agree but not with the 900 number. The number I think Oakland needs is that number
when we can have walking officers in business districts and regular traffic patrols. I fully
agree with not laying off any police officers. It doesn’t make good business sense since
it takes so much money to recruit, vet, on-board, train, and season an officer. I think
Oakland would do well with closer to 800 officers, with hundreds of civilian staff helping
with crime lab processing, dispatcher positions, etc. Police are the short term solution
to public safety. Community policing and community development are the long-term
solutions. For instance, in the Bella Vista/Highland community, we have helped to solve 3
of the 5 murders this year. We have stopped at least one retaliation shooting through
community involvement and policing. We have thus saved over hundreds of hours of
police man-hours in investigations, crime-lab processing, VOC outreach, and court
dates.

2. 3. OPD’s difficulty in achieving the authorized sworn staffing level appears to
be exacerbated by high attrition and low morale, as shown by the department’s internal polling
(http://tiny.cc/OPDPoliceSurvey) and it’s loss of officers only months after they complete their
training. How should the City solve OPD’s attrition and morale problems?
Hire more officers, especially persons with an affinity for urban metros, preferably from
Oakland. Police suicides are troubling. Police see the worst of the worst in Oakland, and
in this respect, their experience is similar to many hardened criminals. We need an open
conversation about police officers NOT being an occupying force, but rather deputized
citizens, human beings who have chosen to take on the difficult task of enforcing the
law. Humans needs re-charging, rest, counseling, care, restorative and reconnecting
activities. Our police officers need these activities more than anyone.
4. OPD has been under Federal Court supervision for close to twelve years. While
Oaklanders have repeatedly been told that the end is in sight, in late July, Judge Henderson
stated that Oakland’s disciplinary processes have violated Court orders, and that continuing the
same practices will "undermine any confidence in the sustainability of the reforms that have
been and continue to be achieved." Then, on August 14, the Judge criticized the City’s recent
inability to sustain through arbitration an officer termination in connection with response to the
Occupy Oakland protests. (Source: http://tiny.cc/ArbOrder.) The Court opined that Oakland
could not be in compliance with two NSA tasks if internal investigations were inadequate and
“discipline is not consistently imposed.” Many people believe the Monitor has repeatedly
imposed requirements on Oakland that far exceed the literal requirements of the NSA, and that
as a result of the Monitor’s shifting standards, Oakland may never be able to extricate itself from
Court supervision. As a City Council member, to what extent would you be prepared to oppose
continued and changing demands from the Monitor, and what is your plan to end the era of
Court supervision?
I think Chief Whent and Asst. Chief Figueroa have done more in one year than previous
command staff have done in the past 5. As an elected, I would support the experts in the
field and not hire more consultants unless they requested it. I would put my political and
community will behind them and lend them the support they need to get Oakland out of
receivership. I think Judge Henderson will listen to a unified Oakland. Losing arbitration
is troubling. If Police Chiefs and City Administrators cannot fire bad officers, then
Oakland will not get out of receivership anytime soon.
5. According to the Public Works Department, Oakland is on an 85-year repaving schedule,
meaning a street that is repaved today won’t be repaved again for 85 years. Further, according
to Public Works, maintaining the existing pavement condition on Oakland’s streets would
require an estimated $28 million annually, while the amount allocated annually has been less
than $6 million in recent years. Sixty percent of the City’s curb ramps are non-compliant or non-existent.
The total needed to rehabilitate Oakland streets is over $435 million. How do you plan
to reverse the ongoing deterioration of our streets and sidewalks? If you are elected, when will
Oaklanders see a difference?
It all starts with public safety. We prioritize hiring more community minded police
officers. Next is infrastructure. We put most of our one time revenues such as RETT into
roads, lights, sewer funds, etc.
6. The extent to which the City faces unfunded liabilities and what should be done about
them has been a contentious issue in recent years. As recently as last December, the City
Administrator projected that for the three fiscal years beginning July 1, 2015, Oakland faces all-funds
budget structural shortfalls totaling $795 million if it addresses its deferred capital
expenses and deferred liabilities, and $342 million if it does not (Source: December 12, 2013
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3. Update to Five-Year Financial Forecast, Attachment D, http://tiny.cc/5yrupdate.) Do you believe
Oakland faces a financial shortfall, and if so, how will you address it if elected in November?
Yes. We cannot continue to kick the can down the road. Transparency and reliable
budget documents (Open Oakland is a good start); then coming to a general
understanding of the budget (youtube videos, Urban strategies/independent think-tank
assessments); finally moving forward in shared sacrifice with the promise of NOT going
back on past agreements and that most future decisions will be made at the collective
bargaining table
7. Operation Ceasefire has been described as the centerpiece of Oakland’s violent crime
reduction effort. We understand that funding for its manager has been dependent on grant
funding and that there is an insufficient number of case managers to maximize Ceasefire’s
success. Do you support expanding Operation Ceasefire? Where specifically do you propose
allocating resources and staffing?
I would have to hear more from the Asst. Chief. Ceasefire has been effective not just
because of the carrot/stick approach but because of geographic realignment, and mainly
command staff’s bold decision to go “all-in” in East Oakland. Also, from my experience
co-chairing my Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council, community involvement and
engagement cannot be over-stated. Volunteerism and community engagement affects
the bottom line when crimes are solved and prevented and has huge, positive budgetary
impacts.
8. In 2012-2013, Oakland contracted with Strategic Policy Partners (Robert Wasserman et
al.) to present a comprehensive public safety plan. Strategic Policy Partners made a large
number of recommendations, some of which have been implemented and some of which have
not. (The reports are here: http://tiny.cc/SPPReport, http://tiny.cc/Bratton1,
http://tiny.cc/SPPBest) If the voters elect you in November, please state whether you will
support implementing the following recommendations (We are looking for a “yes” or “no”
answer, with explanatory narrative not exceeding 25 words for each recommendation):
 Call for Service Reduction strategy; Yes
 Expanded investigation capacity in each of the City’s 5 policing districts, so that each
district has an investigative sergeant, 3 investigators, and 3 to 5 police
officers. Yes. But with disclaimer that I would primarily support OPD command
staff as this is their expertise.
 Increased sworn police personnel to a ratio of 2 officers for every 1,000 in the population
(i.e., 800). Yes. But with disclaimer that I would primarily support OPD command
staff as this is their expertise.
 Expansion of the Ceasefire initiative. Yes. But with disclaimer that I would primarily
support OPD command staff as this is their expertise.
 Redesign of community policing, so that the entire Police Department, not just PSOs,
are focused on community relationship building. No. For now we need dedicated
community policing officers because the same boon-doggle that happened with
Measure Y can happen with all police officers being PSOs, when they can be
pulled off into CRTs, SWAT, and other special assignments.
 Measurement of the state of community / police relations. Yes
 Moving restorative justice practices into the community, to address neighborhood
disorder and minor crimes in a manner that brings community into the process and
prevents future crime and disorder occurrences. yes
 Appointing a Director of Community Improvement who will be responsible for
coordinating collaborative action by city agencies, community groups and state and
federal partners, to address both quality of life issues and crime. yes
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4.  Appointing a team of representatives from the community to work with the Director of
Community Improvement, the Police Department and other government agencies to
insure community coordination. yes
 Bringing Security Ambassadors into the crime reduction strategic plan and require
advanced training to those who patrol downtown areas, so they are active and have the
ability to intervene in minor situations that impact public security. yes
9. In early 2010, Oakland’s Finance and Management Committee received a presentation
from staff and visiting personnel from the City of Baltimore concerning CitiStat, a leadership
strategy a mayor can employ to mobilize city agencies to produce specific results. (More
information is at http://tiny.cc/q00ojx ). CitiStat involves use of a round-the-clock 311 reporting
system for any request for city services other than policing. It uses data in a manner similar to
ComStat. High level city management uses the 311-generated data and benchmarks and
regular meetings to hold departments accountable, judge successes and failure, reveal what
agencies are doing and not doing to achieve benchmarks and provide the best possible
services to residents. Explain your familiarity with CitiStat and whether you believe such a
program can and should be implemented in Oakland. If you do not believe it should be
implemented in the near future, explain why. If you think it should, explain what you will do to
support implementation.
Not familiar but intriguing. Will have to do more research. Will call pastor friends in
Baltimore.
10. Oakland has room to improve its policies in the areas of crime reduction, budget
processes, street maintenance, and economic maintenance. What cities can Oakland learn
from, and adopt or emulate policies from with respect to these subjects? What policies from
other cities would benefit Oakland?
Oakland can learn a lot from Richmond with its Office of Neighborhood Safety, and
Progressive Alliance. Regardless of politics, Richmond is unified and moving in a
positive direction.
11. Do you support the following policies and, briefly, why or why not?
A. Creation by Charter amendment of a Rainy day fund as recommended by MOBN! and the
Budget Advisory Committee (BAC)?
Yes. But not now. Oakland needs to make a run at public safety and go “All in.” Oakland
needs the flexibility to invest in dynamic programs that are making the city safer, such as
Cease-fire. I do agree that it is not fiscally prudent to spend one time revenues for
recurring expenditures, but Oakland is in a unique place where we can seize public
safety to the point where we not only are safe, but feel safe.
B. Annual polling of city residents on their satisfaction with city services? What would you do
with that information?
Yes. This is great data to have depending on cost.
C. Conducting a police resource deployment study to determine the number of officers actually
need by OPD and how they should be deployed?
Yes, depending on cost.
D. Will you support the preparation of a comprehensive public safety plan?
Yes. We need to have a playbook we are all working from together.
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