Oakland’s police chief wants to change the city’s policy when it comes to high-speed pursuits.
Police pursuits have always been a topic of discussion in the city of Oakland.
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WATCH HERE“Even just the proposal, even just the talk of changing the policy, it will increase confidence,” said Stewart Chen with the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council.
Chen referred to a proposal by Oakland police Chief Floyd Mitchell to modify the city’s current police pursuit policy, specifically reversing a mandate, preventing officers on police chases from exceeding 50 mph without getting additional approval.
Chen believes the current policy puts Oakland businesses at risk.
“The criminals will now go, well should we rob someone in San Leandro or Oakland and Oakland has the more restrictive policy, we’re the target,” he said.
The Oakland Police Department put the mandate in place back in 2022 after hitting a 10-year high in officer pursuits at 130.
Mitchell is now asking the police commission to reverse course, saying the mandate has resulted in an uptick of officers not pursuing suspects committing crimes with the data showing more than 1,200 “non-response pursuits” in 2024.
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SIGN UP Oakland’s police union is in favor of the policy change. They released the following statement on Monday: “We must give our officers the tools they need to protect the community they proudly serve.”
But Cat Brooks with the Anti-Police Terror Project believes allowing Oakland police officers to travel at higher speeds during pursuits could lead to more bystanders getting hurt, referencing a March incident when a woman was hit by a car in Oakland that was being pursued by the California Highway Patrol.
“It’s another knee-jerk reaction, not going to make Oakland any safer,” Brooks said. “We’re going to give them less rules to follow, more injuries, more fatal.”
The Oakland police commission now has four months to review and decide if they want to approve the changes proposed by Oakland’s police chief.
