New Oakland police officers sworn in

Oakland’s 18 new police officers were officially sworn in Friday to protect and serve as the city works to increase its police force and curb crime.

“We are changing the way progressive policing looks like,” said Auckland Mayor Sheng Tao.

The diverse class of cadets includes two women and several bilingual officers. The increase in diversity is a point of pride for many of Oakland’s new hires.

New officers arrive as law enforcement across the country comes under scrutiny following the murder of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police.

“The purpose of why I wanted to do it was so that young women could see someone like me doing it. I feel that treating people with the utmost respect is one of the things. I grew up and treated everyone the same,” said Oakland police alumnus Sandria Bolden.

“The academy teaches us to stay oriented, be professional for the city of Auckland, and live holy. My goal is to help and educate others,” said Oakland Police alumnus Eiob Worku.

The recruits also face a city trying to curb the violence.

Oakland has already registered nine murders this year. The latest is a teenager who was gunned down Friday morning in east Oakland.

“Because we bring the strength back up to the authorized strength, we will be able to reintroduce some of the units that we had to dismantle before,” said OPD Deputy Chief Clifford Wong.

Now there are 714 officers in Auckland, that is, only 12 officers before full staffing.

The Oakland Police Officers Association explained that while every officer helps, this is less than what the city had 20 years ago and may not be enough to meet the city’s demands.

“Last year, here in Auckland, for the first time, there were one million emergency calls. We will probably need about 1,200 police officers just to handle the workload,” Sgt. Barry Donelan of the Oakland Police Officers Association.