Why Are We Here

Introduction

Stressors and Homicide in Oakland

Measure Y Stressors Report – NEW! Posted on 2/6/12

Oakland’s local communities are affected by violence at vastly different levels.  Measure Y resources have been distributed with consideration given to a stressor analysis which has been updated periodically. This most recent 2011 Stressor Report update was compiled for Measure Y by Urban Strategies Council, utilizing 2010 Census data and Fiscal Year 2010-11 school and crime data, and includes the following:

• Crime Factors: Juvenile and young adult arrests, and incarceration and probation rates; as well as domestic violence, shootings & homicides, other violent crimes and burglaries.
• Economic Factors:  Eligibility for food stamps serves as a proxy for poverty that correlates highly (greater than 90%) with other social service indicators and also represents the needs of families with individuals from all age groups.
• Education Factors: The rate of chronically absence students and of students who have been suspended for violence.
• Beats were ranked based on z-scores which take into account the average level of stress in each indicator for each beat. Z-Scores represent an average of the number of standard deviations over (or under) the mean each beat placed for each indicator.

To access the most recent stressors report, please click on the following documents:
Measure Y Stressors List
Measure Y Stressors Map

There have been numerous studies and websites dedicated to tracking and reporting violence in Oakland. Links to some of these studies are listed below. Please be aware that it is best to check if these studies have been verified and/or updated before using them in any document.

Shooting and Homicide Maps of Oakland

Please see the OPD disclaimers regarding crime data.

• Shootings and Homicides in Oakland – January1, 2006- June 30, 2011
• Shootings and Homicides in Oakland – July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2011

Reports on Violence in Oakland

• Homicides and Shooting in Oakland
• Demographics of Shootings and Homicide Victims in 2008-10 – Prepared by James Baird, DHS Intern and University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy graduate student, completed an analysis of shooting and homicide data to inform the work of the Measure Y street outreach program strategy.
• Risk Factors for Youth in Gangs – the National Council on Crime and Delinquency completed a report examining the risk factors of youth in gangs in Oakland and West Contra Costa County in July of 2009.
• Not Just a Number – a website dedicated to personalizing and humanizing the homicides in Oakland in partnership with the Oakland Tribune.
• Urban Strategies – a non-profit organization that periodically issues reports related to crime and violence in Oakland.
• Alameda County Public Health Department – issued a report in 2006 related to violence and homicides in Oakland.
• Population and Data Profile: The Affects of Crime and Violence on Oakland Youth – a data profile of crime and violence related to Oakland youth created by the City of Oakland, Dept. of Human Services.

Youth Perspective

Department of Human Services Intern and McClymonds High School graduate, Ron Reed, developed the following presentations on the impact of homicides and violence on Oakland youth for a presentation to the City of Oakland’s Youth Commission in 2006. They were updated in late 2007.

• The Stories Behind the Homicide Numbers
• Report on Youth Violence in Oakland

Gang Prevention Task Force

The Oakland Gang Prevention Task Force (OGPTF) meets every other month and the meeting is facilitated by the City of Oakland, Department of Human Services. The Task Force developed a Gang Prevention Plan and works to coordinate efforts to reduce gang violence in Oakland. This plan was developed in 2008 and will be updated shortly.

For more information about the Oakland Gang Prevention Task Force, contact:
Josie Halpern-Finnertyat
phone: 510-238-2350
email: JHalpern-Finnerty@oaklandnet.com

Taskforce members (as of March 2011) include:
Co-Chairpersons:

• Reygan Harmon, Public Safety Director, Office of Mayor Jean Quan
• Andrea Youngdahl, Director, Department of Human Services

Members:

• Claudia Albano, Neighborhood Services Manager, Office of the City Administrator
• Jeff Baker, City Administrator’s Office
• Restituto Baraan, Alameda County Department of Probation
• Sara Bedford, Policy and Planning Manager, City of Oakland, Dept. of Human Services
• Alex Briscoe, Director, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency
• Claudia Burgos, Office of Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente
• Geoff Collins, Oakland citizen
• John Creighton, Office of the Alameda County District Attorney
• Richard DeCarlo, Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, Children’s Hospital Oakland
• Lt. Steven Fajardo, Oakland Unified School District Police Department
• Kevin Grant, Violence Prevention Coordinator, Department of Human Services
• Deputy Chief Jeff Israel, Oakland Police Department
• Audrey Jones-Taylor, City of Oakland, Parks and Recreation
• Assistant Chief of Police Howard Jordon, Oakland Police Department
• Melvin Landry, City of Oakland, Parks and Recreation
• Marsha Luster, Department of Social Services, Children’s Hospital Oakland
• Lt. Fred Mestas, Oakland Police Department
• Chief Peter Sarna, Oakland Unified School District Police Department
• Page Tomblin, Planner, City of Oakland, Department of Human Services
• Monica Vaughan, Oakland Unified School District, Director of Alternative Education
• Shirley Yee, Oakland Unified School District Gang Prevention Coordinator

The Task Force also works with the Interagency Gang Prevention Collaborative facilitated by the Oakland Unified School District’s Office of Alternative Education.
Contact: Shirley Yee
phone: 510-879-2140
email: Shirley.Yee@ousd.k12.ca.us

Help for At-Risk Youth and Young Adults

There are many referral sources for at-risk Oakland youth and young adults in need of services.  The best way to access services in Alameda County is to dial 211 on your phone or go to the Eden Information and Referral website. Below is a listing some other programs and referral networks for youth.

• Measure Y programs flyer – in Spanish and English- Feel free to copy and distribute
• The Oakland Unified School District’s Office of Alternative Education, a Measure Y grantee,  spearheaded efforts to build the Oakland Community Resource Directory (OCRD). It  is a directory of community resources in Oakland, CA and was launched recently on the OUSD website. The OCRD is intended to aid Oakland’s students, families, and support people in identifying, accessing, and sharing resources in Oakland and the Bay Area.
• Shining Stars directory for youth programs