The Financial Crisis in Oakland: A Call for Action from the Anti Police-Terror Project
(Oakland, CA) —The Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) issues a critical assessment of Oakland's financial health following the completion of midcycle budget adjustments. The city's financial stability is in jeopardy, exacerbated by decreasing revenues since the COVID-19 crisis and an ever-increasing police budget.
“The city’s decision to sell its share of the Oakland Coliseum for $105 million, though temporarily preventing more severe cuts, only scratches the surface of our deep-rooted financial issues. This one-time cash injection doesn't solve the long-term budgetary concerns, especially with our unfunded pension liabilities over $2 billion,” said James Burch, Deputy Director of APTP.
Oakland is facing a $155 million general fund deficit. The Mayor and City Council chose to address this by cutting $55 million in general fund dollars, freezing many non-police positions, and maintaining the police staffing level at the Measure Z-mandated minimum. However, this approach fails to address the core problem of unsustainable police spending.
“Our city’s financial woes are a direct result of prioritizing the police budget over critical public services. The continual increase in police funding, without addressing the underlying economic issues, is a short-sighted solution that places our city's future in jeopardy,” said Cat Brooks, Executive Director and Co-Founder of APTP.
The sale of the Coliseum, while averting an immediate disaster, is not a sustainable financial strategy. Future budget cycles will not have such assets to offload, and Oakland must find a way to manage its expenditures more effectively.
Oakland must take a serious look at our excessive police spending and start making necessary changes. Ignoring this issue will continue to critically impact the services provided in the City of Oakland. Many other departments are already operating with unsustainably high vacancy rates. Following this freeze, even more positions will remain unfilled, resulting in further reduced services. Meanwhile, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) is receiving its sixth consecutive 3.5% raise, with two more years of 3% raises still to come. In 2024, we estimate that over 100 officers earned over $300,000 in pay.
The only way to financially save the city is to reallocate police funds. We've been advocating for this since 2016, and it’s truer now than ever. Despite a budget deficit, the city plans to spend $5 million on 77 new OPD vehicles, which is more than the entire budget for the Alameda County - Oakland Community Action Partnership (under Human Services) and exceeds all funding for major transportation projects.
APTP urges the city to reconsider its financial priorities and address the root causes of its budget deficit. Reducing police spending and reallocating resources to other essential services is necessary for Oakland's long-term financial health.
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Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-racial, intergenerational coalition that seeks to build a replicable and sustainable model to eradicate police terror in communities of color. We support families surviving police terror in their fight for justice, documenting police abuses and connecting impacted families and community members with resources, legal referrals, and opportunities for healing.