OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Public Safety Committee Meeting Summary – January 27, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, January 27, 2026
BodyOakland, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 27, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:31:11
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Thank you.

0:30

Welcome to the Public Safety Committee meeting

0:33

of Tuesday, January 27th, 2026.

0:36

The time is now 1.30 p.m.

0:38

and this meeting may come to order.

0:40

Before taking roll, I will provide instructions

0:42

on how to submit speaker cards for items on this agenda.

0:45

If you're here with us in chamber

0:46

and would like to submit a speaker card,

0:48

please fill one out and turn one into myself

0:49

or a clerk representative no later than 10 minutes

0:52

after the start of this meeting

0:54

or before the item is read into record.

0:56

Registering to speak via Zoom is now due 24 hours prior

0:59

to the start of this meeting.

1:01

This meeting came to order at 1.30 p.m.

1:02

and speaker cards will no longer be accepted

1:04

10 minutes after this meeting has begun,

1:06

making that time 1.40 p.m.

1:08

We'll now proceed with taking roll.

1:11

Council members Brown.

1:15

Present.

1:16

Council member Fyfe is excused.

1:17

Council member Houston.

1:18

Present.

1:19

And Chair Wong.

1:22

Present.

1:23

Thank you.

1:23

We have three members present, one excused Fyfe.

1:26

Chair before we begin do you have any announcements at this time?

1:31

No I don't. Let's go ahead. Oh yes thank you. I will be just switching the order of the agenda that way the item number four is going to be addressed as the third item.

1:49

Thank you. Noting the changes made to the agenda we will hear item number four after item two.

1:56

starting off with item one there are no minutes to be approved that's this is a

2:00

special meeting item two determination of scheduled outstanding committee items

2:05

and we do have one speaker that signed up

2:09

let's hear from councilmember Brown first yes thank you so much chair I

2:19

I wanted to put on your radar also to the administration.

2:26

During our council budget process in 2025,

2:32

I know that the body had set aside some dollars

2:36

to help support with human trafficking.

2:39

I think it was $350,000 in the first year

2:43

and likewise in the second.

2:46

And I think what I'm hoping,

2:47

since we're going to be engaging on an item related to human trafficking today,

2:53

I am interested in an informational report from OPD on how those funds were utilized, I guess, in the first year.

3:04

Okay, yep, and I've been thinking similarly, so we'll get that scheduled.

3:10

Public speakers, we'll move to that.

3:12

Folks, we'll have two minutes.

3:14

Ms. Sada Olovala, we have you signed up for item two.

3:22

I'm recommending that you have a report on Oakland police officers' mutual aid with cities that are not sanctuary cities.

3:34

So the following cities are not documented sanctuary cities.

3:40

Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Danville, San Ramon, Alamo, Brentwood, Orenda, and Moraga.

3:53

So that means if you send your officers into those cities for mutual aid, their jurisdiction practices have to be followed, not Oakland.

4:04

So y'all need to have a discussion about that and how you want to proceed.

4:10

A report on the ambassador program.

4:15

The city, I'm sorry, the police department has just received $900,000 to return to the cadet program.

4:25

And you need to know how that's going to work.

4:28

based on OUSD has the George Floyd resolution,

4:32

which means there's no working with the Oakland Police Department.

4:36

And those candidates for the cadet program would come from a large percentage of them.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████71%
Community Engagement████████████19%
Procedural██3%
Mental Health Awareness██3%
Homelessness█2%
Racial Equity█1%
Public Engagement█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Public Safety Committee Meeting – January 27, 2026

The Public Safety Committee met on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Councilmembers Brown, Houston, and Chair Wong were present; Councilmember Fyfe was excused. The committee considered three agenda items: determining outstanding committee items, an ordinance targeting sex buyers and traffickers, and an annual report from the Community Policing Advisory Board. All items were approved or forwarded to the full City Council.

Consent Calendar

  • None. This was a special meeting with no minutes to approve.

Determination of Scheduled Outstanding Committee Items

  • Councilmember Brown requested an informational report from OPD on how the $350,000 allocated in the 2025 budget for human trafficking (first year) was utilized.
  • Public speaker Sada Olovala urged reports on: Oakland police mutual aid with non‑sanctuary cities, the ambassador program, the FBI investigation into a gang linked to 24 murders, and cartel activity.
  • Councilmember Houston requested an informational report on demographics (age, race, gender, sexual orientation) of individuals who engage in sex‑purchasing crimes for the period 2023–2024. Chair Wong noted this would be combined with other requests.
  • The pending list was accepted on a 3‑0 vote (Fyfe excused).

Public Comments & Testimony (Item 4 – Ordinance)

  • Nineteen speakers signed up. Key statements:
    • Grace Houston (age 16): Shared her personal brush with trafficking and asked how transportation will be addressed.
    • Brianna Price (survivor): Described being beaten and raped by buyers as a minor; emphasized that without demand, trafficking would not exist. Supported the ordinance.
    • Edwin Hagler (Community Brothers): Reported witnessing a pimp approach a city administrator to quote a price for a trafficking victim.
    • Lynn Chong (Little Saigon resident): Described daily street‑level exploitation, noise, and safety fears.
    • Emerald Merubio (marriage and family therapist, survivor): Noted that healing from trafficking trauma costs over $200,000 per survivor and can take a lifetime.
    • Janice Jacobs: Noted that 15 years ago the problem was already severe; called focusing on demand the only viable path given Oakland’s poverty and housing shortages.
    • Dr. Jennifer Tran (Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce): Stressed that the 94606 zip code has the highest crime rates (non‑homicide) and that the ordinance is critical before the Super Bowl.
    • Multiple speakers from SHADE Movement, Love Never Fails, and Divine Interventions supported the ordinance, citing the need to hold buyers and traffickers accountable and fund survivor services.

Discussion Items

  • Item 4: Ordinance Amending Municipal Code on Sex Purchasing and Loitering

    • Chair Wong presented the proposal, which:
      • Repeals the offense of loitering for prostitution (to conform to state law).
      • Adds loitering for the purpose of purchasing commercial sex.
      • Establishes administrative fines: up to $4,000 (first offense) and $8,000 (subsequent) for buyers, tripled if involving a minor; $10,000 (first) and $20,000 (subsequent) for traffickers, also tripled for minors; property owners (hotels, massage parlors, smoke shops) fined up to $2,500 per day as a public nuisance.
      • Creates a restricted Survivor Support Fund funded 100% by fines, to be used for emergency housing, medical/mental health services, workforce development, legal support, street outreach, and undercover operations.
      • Includes an affirmative defense for victims acting under coercion.
    • Projected revenue: $250,000–$450,000 annually.
    • OPD testimony (Lt. Marcos Campos): AB 379 (loitering with intent to purchase) went into effect January 1, 2026. OPD has made 30 arrests under the new state law; 70% of suspects are from outside Oakland. Training for patrol officers includes a PowerPoint and ride‑alongs. However, few cases are being charged by the DA’s office (only 1 of 51 misdemeanor arrests in 2025 was charged). The ordinance would provide an alternative administrative path when criminal charges are not pursued.
    • Councilmember Brown asked about enforcement details, collaboration with the DA, and how fines interact with state penalties. Chair Wong clarified that if the DA declines to charge, the city fine is the only penalty; funds go to local services rather than a state pool.

  • Item 3: Annual Report from the Community Policing Advisory Board (CPAB)

    • Chair Colleen Brown presented the 2024‑2025 report. Key points:
      • Community policing was established by city resolution in 1995 and expanded in 2005, relying on Neighborhood Services Coordinators (NSCs), Community Resource Officers (CROs), and neighborhood councils.
      • In 2025 the Neighborhood Services Division was eliminated, NSCs laid off, and CROs reduced from 57 to effectively zero due to police understaffing.
      • CPAB requests: (1) a Police Service Technician II (PST‑2) to support neighborhood watch and councils (estimated $85,000), (2) reinstatement of $50,000 in neighborhood council funds, (3) assignment of CROs to every beat, and (4) support for an annual Safety Summit.
      • Challenges include board vacancies (6 open seats), lack of city staff, and weakened community engagement.
    • Deputy Chief Anthony Tedesco (OPD) explained that CROs were disbanded because patrol and criminal investigations must be prioritized given staffing shortages; more officers are needed to restore community policing.
    • Councilmember Brown emphasized the importance of neighborhood councils and urged continued advocacy as the mid‑cycle budget approaches.
    • Public comment: Donald Dahlke (Maxwell Park) supported the report, saying neighborhoods have been abandoned; Blair Beekman urged inclusivity; Rajni Mandahl argued CPAB has run its course and should be dissolved, noting that neighborhoods already operate independently.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 2 (Outstanding Committee Items)
    • Motion to accept the pending list as is passed 3‑0 (Fyfe excused).
  • Item 4 (Ordinance on Sex Purchasing / Survivor Fund)
    • Motion to forward the item to the February 3 City Council agenda (consent calendar) passed 3‑0.
  • Item 3 (CPAB Annual Report)
    • Motion to receive and file the informational report passed 3‑0.
  • Other: An informational report from OPD on human trafficking fund utilization and a report on sex‑purchasing demographics will be scheduled by the chair.

Open Forum

  • Speakers addressed: risks of encountering ICE enforcement, the need for public meeting clarity, concerns about the process for selecting the permanent police chief (no timeline, no job posting yet), and a call to slow down rushed council items.
  • Councilmember Houston closed the meeting in honor of Bridget Cook, chief of staff for District 3, who passed away after a battle with cancer.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Welcome to the Public Safety Committee meeting of Tuesday, January 27th, 2026. The time is now 1.30 p.m. and this meeting may come to order. Before taking roll, I will provide instructions on how to submit speaker cards for items on this agenda. If you're here with us in chamber and would like to submit a speaker card, please fill one out and turn one into myself or a clerk representative no later than 10 minutes after the start of this meeting or before the item is read into record. Registering to speak via Zoom is now due 24 hours prior to the start of this meeting. This meeting came to order at 1.30 p.m. and speaker cards will no longer be accepted 10 minutes after this meeting has begun, making that time 1.40 p.m. We'll now proceed with taking roll. Council members Brown. Present. Council member Fyfe is excused. Council member Houston. Present. And Chair Wong. Present. Thank you. We have three members present, one excused Fyfe. Chair before we begin do you have any announcements at this time? No I don't. Let's go ahead. Oh yes thank you. I will be just switching the order of the agenda that way the item number four is going to be addressed as the third item. Thank you. Noting the changes made to the agenda we will hear item number four after item two. starting off with item one there are no minutes to be approved that's this is a special meeting item two determination of scheduled outstanding committee items and we do have one speaker that signed up let's hear from councilmember Brown first yes thank you so much chair I I wanted to put on your radar also to the administration. During our council budget process in 2025, I know that the body had set aside some dollars to help support with human trafficking. I think it was $350,000 in the first year and likewise in the second. And I think what I'm hoping, since we're going to be engaging on an item related to human trafficking today, I am interested in an informational report from OPD on how those funds were utilized, I guess, in the first year. Okay, yep, and I've been thinking similarly, so we'll get that scheduled. Public speakers, we'll move to that. Folks, we'll have two minutes. Ms. Sada Olovala, we have you signed up for item two. I'm recommending that you have a report on Oakland police officers' mutual aid with cities that are not sanctuary cities.

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