Oakland Public Safety Committee Meeting — July 14, 2026

The Oakland City Council Public Safety Committee met on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 6:02 PM in City Hall, chaired by Councilmember Charlene Wang. The committee considered nine agenda items, including surveillance technology annual reports, a helicopter maintenance contract, violence prevention data systems, and multiple intergovernmental agreements. Councilmember Carroll Fife arrived at 7:17 PM. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM. All action items were forwarded to the July 21, 2026 City Council meeting, mostly on consent.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Approval of Draft Minutes (June 23, 2026): Approved 3-0 (Fife excused).
• Item 2 – Determination of Schedule of Outstanding Committee Items: Approved 3-0 (Fife excused) after two public speakers (Jesse Rosemore and Blair Beekman) commented on pending items.
• Item 3 – Operational Area Agreement with Alameda County (through 2035): Approved 3-0 (Fife later present but vote taken before arrival? Minutes show 3-0; later items include Fife). Staff from Oakland Fire Department presented; there is no cost to the city. The agreement covers disaster coordination under SEMS. Three public speakers commented on concerns about Alameda County Sheriff's role. Forwarded to July 21 council on consent.
• Item 4 – Apricot 2026 Annual Report & Amended Use Policy (Department of Violence Prevention): Approved 4-0 (Fife present). Staff presented the cloud-based system used for tracking service delivery. One amendment: changing language on personally identifiable information (PII) for gender-based violence services from "not entered" to "not required", allowing opt-in. Three public speakers spoke; Jesse Rosemore contrasted DVP's report favorably with OPD's. Forwarded on consent.
• Item 5 – Contract with Bright Research Group for Training and Capacity Building ($513,000): Approved 4-0. Staff explained the RFQ process; Bright Research Group is a woman-of-color-owned Oakland firm. Three public speakers commented. Forwarded on consent.
• Item 6 – OPD FY2025 Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Grant ($324,324): Approved 4-0. Funds for training, technology, helicopter/marine maintenance. Councilmember Fife noted interest in alternative uses (rape kit processing, clearing waterways). Four public speakers commented. Forwarded on consent.
• Item 7 – OPD RSI Helicopter Maintenance Contract ($1.7M base, up to $3.4M with extension): Approved 4-0. Staff provided details on the 1990 and 1993 helicopters. Discussion included fixed-wing aircraft alternatives (cost $5M vs $6M for new helicopter, annual maintenance one-third). Councilmember Brown flagged a past wrongful death lawsuit against RSI. Four public speakers opposed. Forwarded on consent.
• Item 9 – MOU with CHP for Electronic Vehicle Accident Reports: Approved 4-0. No cost; will save labor hours by replacing physical mailing. Three public speakers commented. Forwarded on consent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 8 (Surveillance Technology Annual Reports): Sixteen public speakers registered; many spoke against Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs), Flock cameras, and surveillance expansion. Key positions: Jesse Rosemore urged rescheduling civilianization of sworn positions; Blair Beekman asked for more public discussion on tech choices; Daniel Hoffman suggested a 1/4-mile operating radius for drones; Cherry Bow criticized removal of ALPR at the last minute and alleged privacy violations; Aaron Fenias noted Flock's sharing of data with ICE; Angela Maddox raised concerns about data security and liability; Bria Woodland and others expressed distrust due to lack of accountability. Several speakers cited a 0.17% utilization rate for hot list alerts.
• Item 3: Three speakers – Jesse Rosemore criticized reliance on Alameda County Sheriff (citing Flock transparency issues); Asada Olabala raised concerns about evacuation procedures for school children; Blair Beekman urged use of state Office of Emergency Services.
• Item 4: Three speakers – Jesse Rosemore commended DVP's report quality but questioned service vs. referral numbers; Asada Olabala asked for trauma recovery metrics; Blair Beekman linked to International Boulevard work.
• Item 5: Three speakers – Jesse Rosemore praised DVP's competitive RFQ process vs. OPD's sole-source tendency; Asada Olabala criticized lack of male leadership in DVP; Blair Beekman hoped for ICE-prevention benefits.
• Item 6: Four speakers – Jesse Rosemore and Asada Olabala argued JAG funds should be used for prevention, drug treatment, etc., not police equipment; Blair Beekman thanked for office equipment use.
• Item 7: Four speakers – Jesse Rosemore noted OPD's report admits helicopters used for surveillance of protesters; Airis Don cited research showing public income programs reduce crime 51%; speaker called helicopter funding "fun to drive" waste.
• Item 9: Three speakers – Jesse Rosemore linked to overtime fraud; Asada Olabala questioned data stripping for privacy; Blair Beekman connected to Flock contract status.
• Open Forum: Eight speakers addressed street vendor enforcement, gun violence on 85th Avenue, flock opposition, and tsunami preparedness.

Discussion Items

• Item 8 – OPD Surveillance Technology 2025 Annual Reports (original agenda item, moved to third): The committee debated eight technologies. OPD Deputy Chief Dazikiros requested removal of ALPR (sub-item A) because policy changes were not included in the resolution; the item will be rescheduled after legislative recess. He noted 131 drone deployments in 2025, 738 Cellebrite extractions (95% success rate vs. competitors 3% and 62%), 86 pen register installations, and migration from CrimeTracer to Peregrine. Councilmember Brown asked about drone training and battery life; Councilmember Houston highlighted life-saving uses (school shooting threat). Councilmember Wang confirmed ShotSpotter is not part of this report set. After public comment, Councilmember Houston moved to approve as amended (striking ALPR section and Attachment E). Motion carried 3-0 (Fife absent). Forwarded to July 21 council on consent.
• Item 3 – Operational Area Agreement: Staff clarified this is for emergency planning/response, not mutual aid for police/fire. Quarterly meetings, monthly check-ins, and about a dozen training opportunities annually. Councilmember Wang asked about siren system; staff confirmed monthly tests and only two sirens in maintenance. Approved.
• Item 7 – Helicopter Maintenance: Detailed discussion on replacing aging helicopters with a fixed-wing aircraft (cost $5M vs $6M, annual maintenance one-third). Staff acknowledged fixed-wing would pay for itself in 15 years. Councilmember Fife urged prioritization; Councilmember Houston asked about life-saving rescues; Councilmember Brown raised RSI's past lawsuit. Approved 4-0.

Key Outcomes

• Item 8 (Surveillance Tech): ALPR annual report removed from resolution; remaining technologies accepted and continued use approved. Forwarded to July 21 council on consent.
• All other action items (1-7, 9): Approved by committee (3-0 or 4-0) and forwarded to the July 21, 2026 City Council meeting, mostly on the consent calendar.
• Next Steps: OPD will present the ALPR annual report with amended policy after the legislative recess (fall 2026). The committee directed staff to schedule Councilmember Fife's civilianization item (longest on pending list) for discussion.
• Open Forum: Street vendor enforcement concerns were raised; no formal action taken.