The Oakland Police Department would need to hire nearly 200 more officers to adequately protect the city, according to a new staffing report presented to city leaders Tuesday night.
The independent report showed authorized positions within the police department declined by 10.5% since fiscal year 2021, with sworn positions dropping by 11.3% during that period.
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WATCH HEREThe City Council agreed to accept the findings, but it's not yet clear what action it can or will take with a budget vote still pending.
The report stems from the city hiring an outside firm to examine Oakland police response times, clearance rates of criminal investigations and department staffing.
The police department has 678 sworn officers, and the report recommends hiring 199 more. City Council members addressed the challenges Oakland faces in trying get more people on board.
The report also found that Oakland's rates for violent and property crimes have increased since 2021. The city ranks first in violent and property crimes per sworn officers.
The budget proposal for the next two years calls for funding the current 678 police officers and six police academies. That would get OPD up to 700 officers, which if approved later this month would still be short of the 877 recommended.
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