Why San Jose Should Have More Crime Than Oakland
[May 31, 2008]

            Our policy makers and our OPD senior staff have travelled all over this country to find miracle cures for the violent crimes that plague Oakland.  They could have saved precious money and time if they'd commuted just 20 minutes down the road to San Jose.  After all, San Jose is touted as the "Safest City" in the United States.

            First, San Jose in 2007 had a population of 973,672 (increasing), and suffered 3,759 violent crimes.  That's a ratio of 3.86 per thousand citizens.  Oakland today has 377,256 people (decreasing) and suffers now an annual rate of 8,306 violent crimes.  That's a ratio of 22.02 per thousand citizens.  In other words, San Jose has 2.6 times more people and Oakland has 5.7 times more crime per citizen.  Ouch.

            Does San Jose have more poverty, and thus more crime?  No.  Oakland has 14% of its population, or about 52,850 people, living below the poverty level.  San Jose has 10.3%, or about 95,000 people, in poverty.  That's almost double the number of people living under the poverty level in San Jose.  Is there more unemployment?  No, 67.2% of Oakland's population is employed, versus 67.5% for San Jose.  What this means is that, including all segments, Oakland has about 124,000 people (including seniors and children) not working.  San Jose has about 298,000 persons not working.  Are there more youngsters to commit crimes in Oakland?  No.  San Jose has 326,700 citizens between the ages of 10 and 34, that group where most of the crimes are usually committed.  That's 200,000 more prime crime-age youngsters compared with Oakland's 125,600.  Does San Jose have more money?  Yes, lots more.  But they also have many more people making less than adequate wages than in Oakland.  All in all, considering all the social criteria by which crime should flourish, San Jose should have lots more crime than Oakland because they have huge disadvantages in numbers of people making less money, people living below the poverty line, people in the crime-prone ages, and people not working at all.   

            O.K., I forgot education.  San Jose has 101,500 people over 25 who have not finished high school.  Oakland has about 60,000.  Satisfied?  No?  You think there are more non-English speaking residents in Oakland?  San Jose has 470,000 people who speak another language at home.  Oakland has 144,000.  Sorry, there's simply no demographic nuance considered to be a factor for enhanced crime propensity where San Jose shouldn't be suffering much more violent crime than Oakland.  Yet, San Jose is the safest, and Oakland is in line to become the Number One Most Violent City in America.  Please wake up and see this doesn't have to be...
 
            Does San Jose have more cops?  No.  Oakland has budgeted 803 cops, or 213 per 100,000 residents.  San Jose has 1,349 cops, or 139 per 100,000 residents.  Oakland citizens have 153% the number of cops as in San Jose.

            Does San Jose have more money for its police department?  No.  They are spending this fiscal year about $284 million.  That's a quick ratio of about $211,000 for each police officer.  Oakland is spending $193.7 million General Purpose Fund dollars plus $10.7 Special Revenue Funds (Measure Y) for a total of $204.4 million.  That's a quick ratio of about $255,000 per police officer.  In other words, dollar for dollar, Oakland should be getting the services of about 969 officers (plus all the cars, headquarters, high-tech, civilian employees, and what-not that San Jose is getting for the same money).  San Jose is getting a much better deal all the way around because quite obviously it is being much smarter with its money, what it buys, and how it uses those resources.  This is especially interesting since San Jose advertises officer pay beginning at $70,307 and topping at $107,853, compared with Oakland's $69,172 and $87,172.

            By the way, and it deserves special mention because Chief Tucker is always on a tear to civilianize OPD more.  San Jose has 40 civilian employees to Oakland's 96 per 100,000 residents.  That's 240% as much civilianization for Oakland.  As a ratio, San Jose has one civilian for every 3.69 cops.  OPD presently has a ratio of one civilian for every 2.10 cops.  In other words, civilians comprise 21.3% of San Jose's P.D. and they make up 32.3% of Oakland P.D. Oakland has already exceeded the point of diminishing returns with the existing civilian/sworn matrix, but there is much to be said for more innovative uses for civilians (see other essays).

            Does San Jose spend more money on City Services generally?  I dread going into this right now, but it should be looked at closely.  Suffice it to say that San Jose has 6,970 City employees; that's 716 employees for every 100,000 citizens.  Oakland has 4,331 employees, or 1,147 employees per 100,000 citizens.  In other words, Oakland has 60% more employees than does San Jose, for the population.

            The Oakland budget has 579 pages and I enjoy reading it.  However, it makes me cringe.  I cringe at the desperation that I hear and read on the part of Department Heads and Policy Makers that they are so strapped for funds.  I don't think so at all.  I recall in the last Mayoral campaign when Ron Dellums called me aside to say... "You read Oakland's Budget?"  Yes, not only did I read Oakland's, but I read Sacramento's and San Jose's.  I've made a lot of money reading lots of financial statements of businesses, comparing line items and critical ratios, and I can tell you it's all in the dollars.  Remember, "Follow the Money?"

            I also recall first-hand seeing OPD's money wasted so.  I brought Dan Bogan, Dellums' Chief of Staff, when I was slated to be the Public Safety Director, photos of about 7,000 square feet of office space expansion on the sixth floor of the Court House side of the Police Administration Building, that the County abandoned and Oakland owns.  All the money was spent on expensive renovations, electronics, and furniture, for Tucker's pet Special Operations (cloak and dagger stuff), and never completed or used.  I showed him another group of photos of 7,500 square feet of brand new but decade-old fully equipped office space languishing empty at Eastmont Mall Headquarters.  There's almost three times that much of empty and abandoned jail space in Eastmont and the PAB.  OPD used to operate in about 80,000 square feet total of floor space.  Now, with just 15% more employees they are operating out of about 180,000 square feet in seven headquarters.  That's a shame and a waste.  It's also a heavy anchor holding all OPD personnel deep in headquarters somewhere, instead of on the street.

            I also hear all the complaints about not enough police cars, and have reported the dispatch of three officers in a car.  Yet, take a drive anytime by the Sixth Street side of the PAB (or downstairs at Eastmont) and see all the cars just sitting there as Officers find themselves at "headquarters."  It costs about $25,000 to equip all the high tech in each car.  I would rip out half of it and get some low tech officers out of those cars and meeting people.

            The Chief spent a reported $178,000 on a gun buy-back program that found people from as far as Reno coming to turn in their junk.  I overheard a conversation where the Chief considered money for a surveillance fixed wing plane to fly over Oakland.  But nothing beats the record $28 million he spent on overtime, over a $12 million budget, and there's no accurate accounting of it.  Best figures show less than $7 million actually spent for more officers on the street responding to calls.  I do know what the rest was spent on, and it's not inspiring of any confidence.  The civilian accounting manager tried monthly to inform all command officers and some supervisors of the spending.  He got absolutely no interest.  He printed everyone's name that was getting the overtime, and he was rebuked for it.  The designated overtime line items are in confusion, but any specific audit looking at source documentation could be very enlightening [Hello Courtney Ruby].  Oh, and ask the Chief why he is now stripping and dismantling the Jail at the PAB.  It's a doozy.

ronoz