Ever been frustrated by police's reluctance to respond to mundane crimes, such as auto break-ins? It appears there's a secret trick with which citizens can get police to show up -- and even dust for prints -- to such breaches of the law.
All you gotta do is get elected to the City Council.
Oakland police have been responsive indeed to crimes involving members of the Oakland City Council, according to The Bay Citizen. Take for example Oakland City Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who left his Buick unlocked in front of City Hall. An enterprising thief opened the door and removed a black briefcase containing $1,000 in cash, paychecks and 20 concert tickets for Rihanna and Sade shows.
Despite most Oakland citizens being asked to fill out police reports online when encountering crime, De La Fuente placed a call directly to Oakland assistant police chief Howard Jordan, who dispatched a sergeant directly to the scene, according to the news website.
Council member Desley Brooks received the same treatment when someone smashed the window of her vehicle while it was parked near Lake Merritt, according to the Web site. A police sergeant spent two hours on scene, searching for clues -- but Brooks denied receiving special treatment from cops due to her political status, according to the Bay Citizen.
The department has shed nearly 170 jobs in recent years. When more cops lost their jobs last summer, police Chief Anthony Batts said the department would no longer respond to burglaries and break-ins that were not in progress, the Bay Citizen reported.
Almost immediately, he said, reports of property crimes nearly doubled. But neither council member said their elected status had anything to do with cops' responses.
