Alameda County Grand Jury
• 2020-2021
Racial Inequities in Police Responses to Victims’ Needs Executive Summary Over the past 30 to 40 years, assessments of
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 12 findings
21-10
Page 1
The Oakland Police Department failed to fill the victims of crime liaison officer in accordance with Cal. Gov. Code § 13962(c) and 2 CCR § 649.36 and by OPD’s own general orders, in a timely fashion, causing lost opportunity for the victims of violent crime to obtain needed support. The Oakland Police Department was aware of the directive and in April 2021 complied with the requirement.
No recommendations for this finding
F21-10
The Oakland Police Department failed to fill the victims of crime liaison officer in accordance with Cal. Gov. Code § 13962(c) and 2 CCR § 649.36 and by OPD’s own general orders, in a timely fashion, causing lost opportunity for the victims of violent crime to obtain needed support. The Oakland Police Department was aware of the directive and in April 2021 complied with the requirement.
No recommendations for this finding
21-11
Page 1
Failing to have a victims of crime liaison officer for years, the Oakland Police Department missed out on relevant and available training mandated by Cal. Gov. Code sec. [13962(d).]
No recommendations for this finding
F21-11
Failing to have a victims of crime liaison officer for years, the Oakland Police Department missed out on relevant and available training mandated by Cal. Gov. Code sec. [13962(d).]
No recommendations for this finding
21-12
Page 1
Racial disparities exist in the number of applications for crime victim compensation that are denied for lack of cooperation with law enforcement, lack of cooperation with the claims group, and involvement in events leading to crimes. Black applicants receive a disproportionate number of denials for these reasons compared to applicants in other racial/ethnic categories.
No recommendations for this finding
F21-12
Racial disparities exist in the number of applications for crime victim compensation that are denied for lack of cooperation with law enforcement, lack of cooperation with the claims group, and involvement in events leading to crimes. Black applicants receive a disproportionate number of denials for these reasons compared to applicants in other racial/ethnic categories.
No recommendations for this finding
21-13
Page 1
The claims group relies on information from law enforcement as the basis of their determinations that an applicant or victim has failed to cooperate or was involved in events leading to crimes.
No recommendations for this finding
F21-13
The claims group relies on information from law enforcement as the basis of their determinations that an applicant or victim has failed to cooperate or was involved in events leading to crimes. 50
No recommendations for this finding
21-14
Page 1
Determinations about cooperativeness and involvement include subjective judgments on the part of police and other law enforcement personnel that could lead to a denial of victim compensation funds, and consequently are relatively more likely to be influenced by overt or implicit bias, among other factors.
No recommendations for this finding
F21-14
Determinations about cooperativeness and involvement include subjective judgments on the part of police and other law enforcement personnel that could lead to a denial of victim compensation funds, and consequently are relatively more likely to be influenced by overt or implicit bias, among other factors.
No recommendations for this finding
21-15
Page 1
The Oakland Police Department’s website is maintained in an opaque fashion with no provision for globally searching for any particular policy or procedure.
No recommendations for this finding
F21-15
The Oakland Police Department’s website is maintained in an opaque fashion with no provision for globally searching for any particular policy or procedure.
No recommendations for this finding
Conclusions 2
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CL1 Page 11The legitimacy of any system of justice relies on broad public support. The “quality” or “effectiveness” of the justice system is traditionally understood in terms of crimes and punishments. The focus is on apprehending perpetrators and holding them accountable for the consequences of their wrongful acts. These are legitimate concerns of course, but the 49
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CL2 Page 12traditional perspective tends to overlook the victims of crimes—understood not only as persons injured or damaged by criminal conduct, but also as key participants in the establishment and maintenance of justice in our communities. As with the justice system generally, assessments of police policy and conduct—including assessments of overt or systemic racial bias and inequity in law enforcement—must remember the victims. Further research is needed into the reasons for the disparate rates of cooperativeness and involvement denials for victim compensation. Greater emphasis by OPD and city officials on the programs mentioned in this report may lead not only to improved compliance with state mandates and progressive policing practices, but may also improve traditional measures of law enforcement performance, such as arrest and closure rates. Attention to these issues as part of a broader effort to address racial equity in law enforcement would likely improve community support for the police and would be an important step in improving fairness and equality in the criminal justice system.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Oakland
City