Oakland's Police Chief Talks Guns, Crime and Anonymous

By: Shoshana Walter

In his first press conference as the newly minted Oakland police chief, Howard Jordan acknowledged a recent spate of shootings in the city, and said he needed the community to help stop crime. 

Standing alongside a table strewn with illegal guns his officers had confiscated, Jordan blamed much of the violence on conflict between two rival groups in West Oakland and two additional groups from other parts of the city. But Jordan would not identify the groups or provide any information about the conflicts.

He said in a week, the city has seen 20 shootings, five of them homicides, and that there have been 14 homicides, two more than at this time last year. 

“Quite simply, that is unacceptable,” he said. “I want to make Oakland one of the safer large cities in California. The department cannot do it alone."

The chief described numerous efforts the department has made to prevent more violence, including deploying police to hot spots, partnering with the U.S. Marshals Service to track down fugitives and with federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to confiscate and trace illegal guns.

Jordan said the department's two new tools are Shotspotter, which detects the location of gunshots, and a gun tip hotline. People can call the number at 510-517-8793 to leave anonymous tips about illegal gun sales. Jordan said the department would soon release information about the department's most-wanted murder suspects.

Also in attendance at the news conference were Jordan's newly appointed command staff, City Administrator Deanna Santana, City Council member Pat Kernighan and a variety of religious and community leaders, including Bishop Bob Jackson of Acts Full Gospel Church.

After his presentation, Jordan answered questions about Occupy Oakland, saying the protest group has diverted resources from the rest of the city.

"I would like to have the ability to deploy my officers to better serve the citizens," he said. "This group has become more militant. We cannot allow them to march through the streets and tear up the buildings."

Jordan also said the department was investigating the actions of Anonymous, the Internet hacker group that recently released the personal contact information of Jordan and other city officials online.

"I understand it comes with the turf. I don't feel well about it," Jordan said, calling Anonymous a cyberterrorism group. "When I get off work I like to feel anonymous, that no one knows me. I don’t want someone waiting at my front door for me."

Jordan said the department was looking at companies to help the city protect personal information.

After the news conference, Kernighan said she had received two morning calls as a result of the posting, including one from a "nice person," who called to inform her her information had been posted online.

Kernighan said she wasn't fazed by the action.

"My phone number's been in the phone book for years," she said.