Newsom calls on Oakland authorities to tighten ‘extreme’ policy to limit police chases

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday called on Oakland authorities to change an “extreme” policy that generally allows police to pursue suspected criminals only in cases of “violent violent crimes.”

The governor sent a letter to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the Oakland City Council and the Oakland Police Commission urging them to reconsider the Oakland Police Department’s (OPD) policy that limits officers’ ability to pursue suspects.

“Although some jurisdictions in California allow vehicle chases only for certain offenses (e.g., felonies), Oakland is an outlier because it places extraordinary restrictions on OPD’s ability to police criminal activity and generally allows chases only for ‘violent crimes of violence,’ as defined in OPD policy, and crimes involving firearms,” ​​Newsom wrote.

The letter said that unlike most other jurisdictions in the state, local police in Oakland are prohibited from pursuing individuals suspected of various crimes and misdemeanors – including violent crimes – as well as other offenses that endanger public safety, such as reckless driving, carnival activities and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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“I recognize the sensitivity surrounding chases, which can be dangerous to police officers, suspects and innocent bystanders,” the governor wrote. “The California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training recognizes this and addresses it in its standards-setting guidelines. But allowing criminals to operate with impunity also poses an extreme danger to the public, and the reckless driving associated with sideshows and other criminal acts is a significant threat to public safety – as the public regularly sees in viral videos and news coverage.”

Previously, Newsom had recently called on police to reinforce the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Oakland to conduct increased operations against organized crime, carnival crime, car thefts and other criminal activities.

Newsom said the move quickly led to several arrests of suspects believed to have committed the crimes. Two days after the governor’s announcement, the CHP conducted an enhanced operation against carnival venues using ground and air forces. Multiple chases as part of the operation resulted in five felony arrests, eight drunken driving cases, the recovery of eight stolen vehicles and the confiscation of two weapons.

“However, over the course of the CHP’s operations, based on their professional experience and expertise in law enforcement, they have observed certain dynamics that contribute to the public safety challenges in Oakland,” Newsom wrote in the letter. “In particular, the CHP has brought to my attention that they have observed criminals often get away with it because it is well known that the Oakland Police Department’s (OPD) pursuit policy only allows vehicular pursuits under very limited circumstances.”

Newsom said the CHP has observed suspects attempting to evade arrest by using the same routes, meaning the suspects knew where the OPD would end their pursuit. But, the governor said, the suspects were unable to evade the six chases initiated by the CHP, despite having a range of resources at its disposal, including air support.

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“Any policy regarding pursuits must clearly weigh the associated risks and benefits,” Newsom’s letter states. “Given the challenges facing public safety in Oakland and the extent to which OPD’s pursuit policy is an outlier among California law enforcement agencies, I support the City Council’s recent decision to order a review of this policy.”

“I urge you to reconsider whether OPD should be allowed to pursue suspects in more cases to improve public safety in your city and to establish a process to evaluate whether OPD is fully using its powers, including those granted under existing pursuit policies, to protect public safety and enforce the law,” he continued.

Newsom concluded his letter by saying he is committed to improving public safety in Oakland and across California. He said there have been some recent improvements in public safety, but officials “owe it to our communities to continue to seek solutions.”