that’s whacked

sadly moving up in the ranks

Monday, Nov 19. 2007  –  Category: Musings

oakland #4! oakland #4! oakland #4!

yeah, sad i know.

on the one hand i’m annoyed by the report, sure. but on the other hand, i’m annoyed by the people who are annoyed by the report.

In Oakland, Police Chief Wayne Tucker said people might be misled by the report. “The department is always interested in how we’re being rated,” he said, “but I think a rating can be very deceptive and ultimately give a false impression.” He said being ranked fourth on the list of dangerous cities could easily lead people to believe the whole city is under siege from crime.

I don’t think people reading the report will honestly believe the city is under siege, but let’s be honest - Oakland has an absurd amount of crime. Deceptive impressions go both ways. Tucker’s quote saying “crime is concentrated in “two reasonably small areas” in East and West Oakland.” is bullshit. There is crime all over Oakland, and while the Oakland PD has noticeably and admirably stepped up its efforts to combat it (and it has be on the decline, to be sure), I think having the press to put some more pressure and resources on the issue is a good thing.