Why Recalling The Mayor Won’t Fix Crime In Oakland

Sheng Thao Credit: shengforoakland.com

The recall effort against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is progressing, with the group behind it, Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao (OUST), claiming they’ve collected over 30,000 signatures. This exceeds the 25,000 needed by July to qualify for the November ballot. Brenda Harbin-Forte, OUST President and retired Alameda County judge, emphasized the group’s determination, citing issues like the firing of Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, rising crime, and missed funding opportunities as key reasons for the recall.

OUST aims to gather at least 10,000 more signatures to ensure enough valid ones are submitted, referencing past experiences where a significant number of signatures were invalidated.

I’m indifferent to Sheng Thao. To be entirely honest with you, I don’t really care if she’s the mayor or not, but I don’t like bullshit and blaming her or the current DA for Alameda County, Pamela Price, for Oakland’s high crime rate is complete fucking bullshit.

Since the beginning of the Pandemic, Oakland’s crime rate has risen, but it hasn’t risen to unprecedented levels. Oakland has been among the top 10 most dangerous cities in the United States consistently since the 1960s.

Oakland’s problems aren’t unique. The crime rate is due to the intense level of poverty that can be found in Oakland. Every city in America that experiences high rates of poverty and income inequality deals with similar issues. Oakland, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans are all major cities that are thousands of miles apart, but have similar problems. You don’t need to be a genius to understand this.

Since the 1960s, Oakland has had 9 mayors and countless police chiefs, despite all the political and personnel changes, Oakland’s crime rate remained high. These changes don’t address the root cause of the problem, and that problem is poverty.

Without proper programs that address the material conditions in Oakland’s roughest neighborhoods, the Mayor doesn’t matter. Neither does the district attorney. If people have nothing to lose, they’re going to behave like they have nothing to lose.

Never in the history of a shooting has the shooter said “I would shoot you, but due to Mayor Whoeverthefuck’s tough on crime policies, I’ve decided against murder. I’m going to Tweet rude things about you instead.”

It’s ridiculous.

Oakland has an awful history of racism, redlining, and civic neglect that no one person can fix. Blaming the Mayor for an increase in crime without addressing poverty is the equivalent of a dog chasing its own tail. Oakland can be saved, but it’s going to take decades (not years, decades) of investments in education, healthcare, and outreach programs that provide economic opportunities for the most vulnerable among us.

That’s the only way to fix it. The Mayor can’t fix it, the cops can’t fix it. Even if the cops could fix it, they don’t want to. They need the crime to fear monger in order to trick people into giving them more money.

I almost want them to recall Sheng Thao, not because I have anything against her, but because if they’re successful, I know nothing will change and then maybe they’ll listen to reason.

But I doubt it.

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