Ignacio De La Fuente

June 25, 1999

Contact:

Oakland City Councilmember Jane Brunner
(510) 238-7001

Oakland City Councilmember Larry Reid
(510) 238-7007

Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Board President Noel Gallo
(510) 879-8665

Oakland, CA – Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente and Oakland Unified School District Board President Noel Gallo today announced a joint safety plan for Oakland schools. De La Fuente and Gallo presented their joint plan on the front steps of Oakland’s City Hall flanked by Councilmember Brunner, Assistant City Manager and incoming OUSD Acting Superintendent George Musgrove, Oakland Police Interim Chief, OUSD Police Chief Ron Herron, Student Services Coordinator Stevan Alvarado and other OUSD Board Members. These City and School District officials detailed plans for an expanded School Police Force, Oakland Police Department training for all school security personnel and $663,000 in financial support from the City of Oakland.

"The City and School District must combine our resources if we’re going to increase safety for Oakland school children," said De La Fuente. "Oakland is not only going to bolster school safety by providing $663,000 in funding, but we are going to provide Oakland Police Department training for OUSD Police Officers and other campus security staff." Added Brunner, "Children need a safe environment to learn and grow, the City must help the Schools create such an environment."

Highlights of the joint school safety plan include the following:

• The OUSD will maintain its own Police Force that will be adequately staffed to cover school property and supervise campus security staff.
• The City will give the OUSD $663,000 for school safety activities.
• The OUSD will return six Oakland Police Officers back to the City for regular patrol duties.
• The Oakland Police Department will provide training to OUSD Police Officers and Campus Security staff.
• The OUSD will upgrade campus security training, pay, uniforms and equipment.
• The City and OUSD will pursue jointly federal grants from programs such as COPS, Universal Hiring and the Anti-Gang Initiative.
• The OUSD Police Chief will work with the Oakland Police Chief on safety standards, training and mutual aid.

"The higher levels of coordination between the OUSD and City of Oakland Police Chiefs will benefit children and schools. Student safety is too important for us not to combine our efforts to maximize the resources applied to creating a safe learning environment. Our commitment to protecting Oakland’s children can’t end once they cross onto school grounds," said Interim Chief. "The plan will also allow us to increase the City’s Police Force with six additional officers who are familiar with Oakland school children and their safety needs," he added.

Last month, the City and OUSD appeared to be at an impasse over City support for school safety. But Councilmembers De La Fuente, Brunner and Reid worked with School Board President Gallo to craft a proposal for greater City support. Assistant City Manager Musgrove, who becomes OUSD Acting Superintendent on July 2, 1999, played a key role in insuring greater coordination and sharing of resources between the OUSD Police and Oakland Police Forces. "I look forward to continuing to insure that the City and School District work more closely together and share their respective resources to support our schools and our children," said Musgrove.

School Board President Gallo added, "I am very appreciative of the City’s support for our student safety goals. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a long era of mutual support."

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