Oakland Citizens Should Know
[January 31, 2009]

            “That had to be a landmark event in the life of all who attended. Friends among friends...great stories reminding us of great times. Once OPD always OPD...darn right.”

            “The OPD940 reminded me of how much I love the Department and the men and women who have (and who still do) make it a very special place.”

            “…an event that is the highlight of my life.”

            “Great, fantastic, unbelievable just don't cut it.  Tears come to my eyes when I think about the people I saw, after all these years, and actually got to talk with.  Tears come to my eyes when I think about people I saw but never got a chance to talk with.  Tears come to my eyes and a prayer comes to my heart for all the people we knew but have passed on before us.” 

             “Webster's synonyms for the word "Appreciation" are: CHERISH, ESTEEM, PRIZE, RESPECT, SAVOR, TREASURE, VALUE. Damn, if that don't say it all about the Reno 940 Reunion.”

            [“Member Comments,” OPD940.com]

            Oakland is a source of immense pride.  Last April, the second OPD940 was held at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Casino Resort at Reno/Sparks Nevada. 

            The radio code 940 is routinely used when officers are called to meet one another on-duty.  A normal 940 is requested when an officer merely wants to meet someone temporarily for a non-essential purpose.  A “940A” is sometimes used to indicate an officer needs routine assistance, as in perhaps wanting a backup nearby.  A “940B” is the rare but drastic plea for immediate assistance during an incident that finds an officer in dire danger.  Thus, the name of the event was appropriate to find over 600 Oakland retired and active cops descend on the event from 28 states.

            In early 2005, I had posted a notice on the YahooGroup used by cops to indicate I was flying to Florida, should anyone in the area wish to 940.  A retired OPD officer, currently a practicing attorney, responded.  Although we had never met, we were long time friends because of our commonality of being OPD cops.  He asked, knowing I had a cabin at Lake Tahoe, if I could arrange a get-together for a few cops that year.  He said that during the previous year, six former OPD cops enjoyed an extended weekend in Las Vegas.

            We chose a weekend in June.  I posted another message on the YahooGroup and had a dozen positive responses.  We approached the Lake Tahoe resorts, but apparently we were too small of a group to engender much enthusiasm.  In Reno, we discovered that June was the most booked time period and nothing was available on such short notice.  The last casino we visited seemed somehow special, as it is a family run business with a human face.  Even though fully booked, we were toured through the facility with pleasant hand-holding.  As we walked through a beautiful fifth floor reception hall, with snowcapped mountains visible through wall-size windows on one side and a lake-sized swimming pool with cascading waterfalls on the other, our host’s cell-phone rang.  She turned and said that coincidentally it was a party that was lease-bound for the June period we wanted, and they wanted to cancel.  “We’ll take it!”  I would personally cover the minimum just to lock it up.

            We established a dedicated website and proceeded to draw a plan.  Soon we had a list of 50 names of attendees, then 75, 100, 125, and when it hit 150, we went back to do some real planning.  It seemed that the maximum occupancy was 200.  When we hit 225 with less than a month to go, we knew we were in trouble, good trouble.  To get to the point, we soon had over 400 attendees who wanted to share in the OPD940 festivities.  The giant electronic billboard outside announced the Oakland Police Department OPD940.  The Nugget hotel was taken over, as cops, “Oakland” cops, old and young, many having never met, embracing memories and affections of OPD, were found hugging as close family members.

            The venue was ideal because the drive up Highway 80 is a casual afternoon drive and the Reno Airport is nationally accommodating.  It was a three-day unofficial convention of OPD, as in “Oakland” police officers, who had their hearts swollen with pride and camaraderie affection.  The large reception hall was surrounded with poster board displays bearing almost a thousand photographs of Oakland’s finest, exhibiting incidents and portraits of how they had worked over the past hundred years.  Each attendee received special OPD lanyards and identification badges that seemed to take over the resort.  On Saturday night we shared a giant sit-down dinner with speakers receiving rapt attention and stand-up ovations.  Sunday morning hosted a going away breakfast with healthy fruit and nourishing foods, plus the requisite donuts.  All agreed, this event must be repeated.

            Again, last April we held the second OPD940 and hosted over 600 who drove and flew to share the event.  Kozicki rode his motorcycle and Israel and Figueroa drove a new police car, in response to our request for display vehicles.  It would be OPD’s largest PR event, albeit unsanctioned or approved.  Somehow we got the vehicles up to the third floor and into the largest convention room available.  This time we were really prepared.  Thirty volunteers set it all up.  We had dozens of large tables with memorabilia that would have made a museum proud.  There were over fifty walk-around display stations with more than 3,000 photo enlargements of OPD’s days of glory.  We virtually owned the hotel for four days.  The entire new tower was reserved just for our people.  John Ascuaga told us we generated more heart and energy than he had ever seen of any group.

            The largest convention Hall in the hotel was set up with round tables for the finest dinner, as they said, they had ever prepared on such a scale.  There was a huge stage with the largest rock concert video screens available and booming speakers on each side so everyone could see and hear everything.  Audio-video crews were hired and briefed.  When the sheet draped podium was unveiled, it revealed the “line-up” podium with the OPD emblem that had served generations of Oakland street cops.  The entire assembly stood to applaud and cheer in instant recognition of such a routine symbol. 

            It is glaringly evident that our Oakland police officers got together, not because they were cops, but because they were Oakland cops. Special coins, coffee mugs, and binders were emblazoned with “Once OPD, Always OPD.”  An on-site embroidery room was kept busy 20 hours a day stitching the logo and other OPD personables on garments for never ending lines.  Our cops are only human, but please know that being an Oakland cop is what makes us all feel so special.
ronoz

ps. The time will be ripe in another year or so to hold such an event in Oakland, the source of all this pride.  I estimate official attendance at over 1,500, with a celebration that will warm all who love Oakland.   The entire nation can take envious example from such an event. Oakland citizens can feel good.

pps.  Anyone wishing to see photographs of your police department may browse the photo albums of opd940.com for another few weeks.