Oakland Police Department

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and Police Chief Howard Jordan said today that an effort to crack down on crime in the 100 blocks where most of the city's violent crime occurs has begun to make a difference.

However, Quan and Jordan did not cite any statistics to back up their claims.

Speaking at a news conference at the Eastmont police substation in East Oakland, Quan said her 100-block initiative "has begun to make a difference."

Jordan said the new policy has had "a significant impact" but said he only has "anecdotal" information to support that claim.

Jordan said one example is that an effort to focus on a small group of suspects in a small area in West Oakland last summer had a "significant" effect.

Quan said Oakland experienced a lot of violent crime, including many homicides, early last year but such crimes decreased at the end of the year and are down so far this year.

But she admitted crime "goes up and down" and "crimes change and neighborhoods change."

Quan has focused on Oakland's worst 100 blocks for crime since she was sworn in as mayor last January and today announced the rollout of a 90-day effort to step up crime-fighting efforts, such as increased police patrols.

Quan said the effort also will concentrate on increasing student dropout rates in the crime-infested areas and strengthening relationships between police and church and community groups in those areas.

Other agencies, such as the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, the California Highway Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service and BART, will work with Oakland officials in the crime-fighting effort, Quan said.

Jordan said every department head in city government will work with police to make fighting crime in the 100 blocks a priority.

Quan said 92 percent of Oakland's shootings and homicides in the last five years have occurred in those areas.

She said those areas in East Oakland include the section of MacArthur Boulevard between 80th and 89th avenues, the Elmhurst District and the Havenscourt Boulevard area.

Quan said the areas of concern in West Oakland include the sections surrounding the Campbell Village and Acorn housing projects.