Dec 9, 2007
For the last seven years – whether crime was up or down – the Oakland police department has regularly busted its budget. Big time.
The main culprit is overtime pay, and it adds up pretty quickly. Starting pay for an Oakland cop is $69,000, and it increases with experience. But with overtime pay and various shift differentials, officers often earn more than double their base salaries, according to the city’s salary records.
Oct 17, 2007
Kima was sitting in a jail cell in Sacramento on prostitution charges when she thought of a caseworker she had met once in Oakland. So she called the number on an old business card and hoped for the best.
“I didn’t know what to do, and she had seemed nice,” Kima says.
Sep 25, 2007
The City Hall chamber is mostly empty. As the Oakland City Council members work through agenda items, some sit attentively, others stare into space with glazed eyes. Are they dealing with the people’s business? Or should we just be grateful the committee didn’t cancel the meeting.