Councilman Kalb Addresses Crime Problem

Following a recent spate of serious crimes in Rockridge and nearby – including two murders on different days last week near Children's Hospital and the shooting of Rockridge man in a mugging on Manila Avenue on April 20 – Patch sat down with Oakland Councilman Dan Kalb on Monday to talk about crime.

Kalb, who took office in January and whose District 1 includes Rockridge, was asked for his thoughts on his top priority for the city's efforts to combat crime.

As shown in the attached video, he acknowledged the severity of the problem and its presence in all neighborhoods, and he spoke of his efforts to respond in his work with community groups and the police department.

He said the City Council will be seeking ways in the upcoming budget allocations to devote more resources to police, including hiring more officers, and he said he is pushing very hard to have the city hire more trained civilian crime investigators, which he said can not only save the city money but also help free up police officers for other duties that require sworn personnel.

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