>>HE'S ONLY ALWAYS THE SUPPORT AND AND WITH THAT OAKLAND'S DO POLICE CHIEF OFFICIALLY SWORN IN. OAKLAND MAYOR SHENG THAO SHARED THIS VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF HER SWEARING-IN. FLOYD MITCHELL AS THE NEW TOP COP. HE STARTED HIS NEW JOB ON SATURDAY. THE MAYOR THAO IS GOING TO JOIN US NOW HERE LIVE ON KRON. 4 NEWS AT NOON. MAYOR THAO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. ALWAYS A PLEASURE. SO LET'S START WITH THIS NEW CHIEF. WHY DID YOU DO THE SWEARING IN CEREMONY IN PRIVATE? >>WELL, WE'RE PREPPING FOR A MORE PUBLIC CEREMONY. BUT OF COURSE, ONE OF THE CHIEF TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND GET TO WORK. AND SO STAY TUNED FOR THE PUBLIC'S LAND I WILL BE THERE FOR SURE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE OUT OF THE CHIEF FROM HIM IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS AS THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT. WELL, OF COURSE, THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP KIND GOING DOWN. RIGHT? WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT OAKLAND IS TURNING THE CORNER IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED ARE DEFINITELY PAYING OFF. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE DATA DRIVEN AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT AFTER YEARS OF RISING CRIME RATES, THAT OVERALL CRIME IS FINALLY GOING DOWN. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO PUSH HARD AND CONTINUE TO PUSH HARD TO ENSURE THAT THE STATE IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. OF COURSE, THERE'S STILL MUCH MORE TO BE DONE AT THE SAME HE NEEDS A TO MEET HIS NEW FAMILY IN. SO HE IS WORKING HARD TO MEET WITH RANK AND FILE EVERY DAY AND NOT JUST THAT, BUT OF LEARN HOW TO USE PHONES AND THE BASICS WE'RE GOING TO GET TO ALL THAT DATA ABOUT CRIME IN THE CITY IN JUST A FEW MINUTES HERE. BUT I WANT TO STICK WITH THE CHIEF HERE. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE? HOW DO YOU THINK THAT THE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNITY HAS RESPONDED TO HIM SO FAR? >>TAKING OVER. >>YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSE OF BIN NOTHING SHORT OF POSITIVE, YOU THE COMMUNITY WE FINALLY HAVE A POLICE CHIEF. YOU KNOW, SO THE COMMUNITY IS EXCITED. I DEPARTMENT MAKE FILES EXCITED, YOU KNOW, STABILITY IS GOING TO BE KEY. CHIEFLY MITCHELL IS THE GUY FOR THAT JOB. AND SO HE'S COMING TO COME IN AND REALLY BE ABLE TO THIS YOUNGER GENERATION OF OPD OFFICERS. >>HAS THE MAIN ANY CHANGES WITHIN DID THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS HE DONE ANY RESTRUCTURING ANY FIRINGS? >>WELL, OF COURSE, THERE'S NO FIRING THAT HAS HAPPENED OR ANY OF YOU KNOW, IS THE CHIEF. HE'S COME ON FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR WHAT NOW IT'S BEEN FINISHING THE FIRST WEEK. HE'S BEEN HERE A FEW WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT. BUT REGARDS TO SHIFTING OF POSITIONS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT WILL BE HIS PREROGATIVE. AND OF COURSE, THINGS CHANGE ALL THE TIME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, SHE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH CHANGE IT AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. BUT THAT IS HIS PREROGATIVE. IT DEPARTMENT. ALL RIGHT. SO LET'S GET ALL THE DATA YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. WE DO KNOW THAT. >>HOMICIDES IN THE TOWN ARE DOWN, BUT HOME ROBBERIES ARE UP 110% YEAR TO DATE. SO IF I OWN A HOME IN OAKLAND, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT SIGNIFICANT INCREASE? >>YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT IT'S LIKE IT'S IT SOUNDS SCARY WHEN YOU SAY 110% INCREASE. BUT MIND YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU COME FROM ALREADY A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF NUMBERS FOR YEAR TO DATE. AND SO ONE OR 2, WHICH IS FAR TOO MANY. I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. CAN REALLY TAKE IT UP TO SAY 110%. BUT WHAT I AM PROUD PROUD OF IS THAT FOR YEARS, RIGHT, EVEN BEFORE I CAME INTO OFFICE, WHAT HAVING WE'VE SEEN CRIMES ON THE RISE. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, OUR HOMICIDES ARE DOWN BY 21%. THAT MEANS WE'RE SAVING LIVES, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DOWN BY 8%. BURGLARIES DOWN BY 51%. AND AND YOU KNOW, AND THE YOU KNOW, TAKE IN CERTAIN STATES CERTAIN CATEGORIES. WE'RE HYPER FOCUS ON THOSE CATEGORIES. OF COURSE, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THIS WORK. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PASSING ON THAT GAS PEDAL TO ENSURE THAT OAKLANDERS ARE SAFE AND NOT JUST SAFE BUT THAT THEY FEEL SAFE. >>BUT WITH THE ROBBERIES GOING UP, EVEN WITH WHATEVER NUMBER WE WANT TO PUT OUT THERE WITH IT, WHAT CAN BE TO STOP IT FROM CONTINUING TO GO UP? >>ABSOLUTELY. SO WE'RE DATA DATA DRIVEN FOR A VERY DATA-DRIVEN AND GOING OFF OF THE DATA WE CAN THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING AFTER THE SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTING THESE CRIMES AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE GROUP OR GANG RELATED AND THIS THIS IMPLEMENTATION HAS TO DO WITH THEIR CEASE-FIRE STRATEGY, WHICH IS A COMBINATION WORKING WITH DIFFERENT ARMS IN GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PROBATION SHARES CHP. AND THEN HERE, OF OAKLAND POLICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION. AND SO ALL OF THESE, THAT THIS STRATEGY OF CEASE-FIRE, WHICH IS ONE STRATEGY CONVENING ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE DATA OF WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE ROBBERIES IN THE BE ABLE TO TACKLE IT BY BEING VERY STRATEGIC AND DATA-DRIVEN ON FIGURE OUT WHO IS ACTUALLY COMMITTING THIS COMMON IN GOING AFTER THAT. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. SOME MORE DATA NOW THE HOMELESS POPULATION COUNT CAME OUT. IT'S DONE EVERY 2 YEARS. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN OAKLAND OF 9% IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION. BUT THAT IS LESS THAN THE INCREASES OF 30% IN YEARS PAST. SO THERE IS SOME SUCCESS HERE THAT >>SHOULD BE CELEBRATED. WHAT HAS CHANGED? >>YOU KNOW, HOUSING INC, HOMELESSNESS IS VERY BASIC RATE. AND SO THE SLOWING RATE OF HOMELESSNESS AND OPEN DEMONSTRATES THAT OUR INVESTMENTS INTO SHELTER PREVENTION AND PRESERVATION AND SOME PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR MAKE AN IMPACT. OF COURSE, THE RESOURCES ARE NOT LIMITLESS. SO THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PASS MEASURES SUCH AS THE MEASURE THAT WAS JUST PASSED. PROP ONE THAT THE GOVERNOR PUT FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T LIVE ON THEIR OWN INDEPENDENTLY. AND SO THIS 9% INCREASE IS ACTUALLY A SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS SHOWS THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, CLOSING SOME OF THESE HOMELESSNESS ISSUES. OF COURSE, THERE'S STILL SO MUCH TO BE DONE. I WE CAN WALK OUT THE STREET STILL SEE ENCAMPMENTS. AND SO THAT'S OUR JOB IS NEVER DONE UNTIL EVERYONE IS BROUGHT INSIDE IN OUR STREETS ARE AND CLEAR OF ENCAMPMENTS. DOES THAT MEAN MORE PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTING THE HOUSING THAT'S BEING OFFERED TO THEM? MORE PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTING HOUSING AND NOT JUST THAT, BUT THAT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I ADVOCATE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR VOUCHER YS, WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR PLAYSPACE VOUCHER SO THAT IT'S EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO REDO BC THE SECTION 8 VOUCHERS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO AND FIND A LAND WHERE THAT WOULD TAKE IT, THAT IT'S ATTACHED TO HOUSING UNITS. THAT'S ONE AT ARENA. NOT JUST THAT LOOKING AT. HOW DO WE ACTUALLY UTILIZE MODULAR HOUSING AS PERMANENT HOUSING WORKING WITH FAITH-BASED INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS TO ACTUALLY BUILD OUT A LOT MORE CLICKER HERE IN THE CITY. SO ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN CONJUNCTION IS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. AND WE CAN'T JUST DO ONE THING, RIGHT? BUT WHAT WE DO NEED MORE INVESTMENTS IN IS THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW BE ABLE IT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO LIVE ON THEIR OWN INDIVIDUALLY. AND SO WE NEED THAT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. AND THAT'S WHAT PROP ONE IS HELPING TO ALL RIGHT. WE SAW YOU CELEBRATING THE ARRIVAL OF THE VALKYRIE IS THE GOLDEN STATE TEAM JUST ANNOUNCED THEIR NEW WNBA TEAM. >>WE KNOW THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN OAKLAND SO THEY'LL BE OUT AND ABOUT AROUND. THEY'RE PROVIDING SOME THOSE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY THERE. BUT WHAT IS OAKLAND DOING ABOUT GETTING ITS OWN WNBA EXPANSION TEAM? >>YOU I KNOW THAT THE THREES, THEY ARE A BAY AREA TEAM. SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT, YES, THEY WILL BE PLAYING AT THE CHASE CENTER, BUT WE'RE EXCITED FOR THEM TO BE HOME BASE HERE IN OAKLAND. THAT MEANS THAT ALL THE PRACTICE WILL BE HERE IN OAKLAND. YOU KNOW, THEIR FRONT OFFICE WILL BE HERE IN OAKLAND. AND SO WITH THAT BEING OF COURSE, OPEN BEEN LEFT TO HAVE THEIR OWN W NBA. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE CELEBRATING VALKYRIE ABOUT GREECE IN. I'M REALLY WELCOMING THEM BECAUSE IT'S THE W FOR ME. IT'S EXCITING MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUNG GIRLS ARE SEEING THAT THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL SPORT THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY IN YOU KNOW, GOING INTO AND BEING A PROFESSIONAL NBA PLAYER THEMSELVES AND NOT JUST THAT, BUT HAVING THAT KIND OF MENTORSHIP HERE IN THE TOWN. AND FINALLY. >>THE AIR BUDGET'S GOING TO COME OUT NEXT FRIDAY TO WANT TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT PREVIEW OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT. >>YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A HARD TIME NOT JUST FOR OUR CITY, BUT FOR MANY BIG CITIES IN OUR STATE. AS WE KNOW, WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH DEFICITS. LAST YEAR, WE HAD HISTORIC 360 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT TO CAUSE, WHICH IS THE WORST THE CITY EVER SEEN. AND THEN THIS YEAR WE HAVE 117 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE TO BALANCE OUT. AND SO MY ADMINISTRATION, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE PRIORITIZE ESSENTIAL SERVICES FIRST IN ORDER TO DELIVER A CLEAN AND SAFE CITY. AND I PROPOSE MIST-LIKE UL BUDGET ADJUSTMENT WILL BE RELEASED FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW ON FRIDAY. MAY 24TH. ALL RIGHT. WEEK FROM TOMORROW WILL BE LOOKING AT IT. MAYOR SHENG THAO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE. DURING KRON FOR HIS APPRECIATE
