Measure Y Frequently Asked Questions
What does Measure Y pay for?
The measure will add 63 sworn police officers for community policing, crime reduction, and targeted focus on truancy and school safety; domestic violence and child abuse, bringing the total strength of the department to 802 sworn officers.
It will provide after-school and in-school programs and outreach for at-risk youth; offender and parolee employment training and incentives; and counselors for victims of domestic violence and child abuse.
It will restore two fire engine companies, add paramedic services and organize firefighters serving as youth mentors
Who decided on these priorities?
The City Council developed the measure during a series of special meetings and workshops exploring ways to curb violence and provide alternatives for those most at-risk of committing or suffering from violent acts. The reports and information presented to the Council are available here.
How many police officers will be added?
The measure adds 63 police officers to the 739 now budgeted. It specifies that some of new officers will be deployed to community policing beats, while others will join Crime Reduction Teams, or be assigned to duty related to truancy, school safety, domestic violence, and child abuse.
What will community policing officers do?
Community Policing is both an organizational strategy and philosophy that promotes police and community partnerships to improve safety and reduce crime. Measure Y will add 43 community policing officers to the 14 already serving. This will provide each community policing beat within the City with a dedicated community policing officer. These officers will engage in proactive problem solving in collaboration with community-based organizations to address high priority crime problems, reduce the fear of crime, and work to improve the overall quality of life in our neighborhoods.
What is a crime reduction team?
The Department’s six Crime Reductions Teams are each assigned to a geographic Police Service Area (PSA) in Oakland. They are primarily responsible for combating street-level narcotics problems and associated violence. These teams work closely with PSA Commanders and problem solving officers to address neighborhood priorities. Funding from Measure Y will bring each of the Crime Reduction Teams to full staffing with 8 officers each.
What other safety problems will new police officers tackle?
Measure Y will add three officers to the CLASS Unit (Campus Life and Safety Section). These officers will focus almost exclusively on truancy abatement, which continues to be a large problem in our City. Additionally, three officers will be assigned to our Special Victims Unit to increase the Department’s ability to address child prostitution, child abuse, and domestic violence.
Why do we need more police officers?
Funding from Measure Y will add 63 more officers, enabling the Department to add 43 officers to our existing 14 Community Problem Solving Officers. Without Measure Y funding, the Department is unable to dedicate a Community Policing Officer to work with neighbors in each of the city’s 57 community-policing beats. In addition, Measure Y will provide more officers to work in programs that help reduce violence, such as truancy abatement, child prostitution abatement, domestic violence and child abuse intervention. And fully staffing the crime reduction teams will help target areas where drug dealing and violence have plagued neighborhoods.
What does Measure Y do to "prevent" violence?
40% of the funding (after deducting $4 million for fire services) will be dedicated to programs and services to break cycles of violence. New or expanded programs will focus on serving at-risk youth, victims of domestic violence or child abuse, and ex-offenders in need of job skills and placements.
How will these programs help young people?
Preventing violence among young people is critical to reducing violence in both the long and short term. Research shows that youth exposed to violence are more likely to commit violent acts or be victims of violent acts in the future. This measure will provide funding to prevent at-risk youth from being involved in activities or behavior that will lead to violence. Youth outreach workers will link at-risk youth with existing services and counseling. In-school and after-school programs will provide at-risk youth with positive activities, especially during the hours when most juvenile crime occurs (between 2-6pm). Domestic violence and child abuse counselors will assist families and children in ending violence in the home.
What difference will there be for victims of domestic violence and child abuse?
Counselors working out of the Police Department offer victims of domestic violence – primarily women and children – support and assistance after the police have been asked to intervene. This assistance may include mental health, legal assistance, housing, childcare, medical services, etc. Additional services to address child abuse prevention and reduction are critical, as child abuse often overlaps with family violence issues. Research shows that children exposed to violence at an early age are statistically much more likely to grow up to commit violence. Early interventions can be highly effective in breaking this cycle.
What will be done for parolees and ex-offenders?
Ex-offenders who remain unemployed are likely to re-offend. Presently, state institutions do not prepare individuals leaving prison with job skills, and employers are frequently reluctant to hire ex-offenders. Funds from the measure would be used to provide targeted job training and placement support for ex-offenders returning to Oakland. It would also provide incentives for employers to hire ex-offenders.
How do we know these programs work?
All programs proposed in the ballot measure – after school programs, job training, domestic violence counseling – are presently being implemented on a smaller scale in Oakland. Each of these programs is modeled after best practices and has evaluations that demonstrate their effectiveness. Furthermore, the measure ensures that all programs, including the deployment of officers, will be required to be evaluated.
Who will run these programs?
Depending on the type of service, the City may operate the program or the City may contract with community-based agencies to provide the program services.
How much will property owners pay?
The parcel tax amounts to $88 for each single family residential property. Multi-family properties will pay $60.12 per unit. Commercial properties pay the tax according to a formula based on square footage and frontage. Each Single Family Equivalent (SFE) will pay $45.07. (80’ frontage = 1 SFE and 6400 square feet = 1 SFE)
Who will pay the parking tax surcharge?
Anyone who parks in a commercial parking lot or garage in Oakland will pay an additional 8.5% tax. The parking tax surcharge will take effect immediately. On a $5 parking charge, the tax surcharge would be 43 cents.
When did the tax take effect?
The parcel tax took effect with the property tax bills beginning in November 2005. The parking tax surcharge can take effect immediately on passage. These revenues will be used to restore fire companies, recruit and train police officers, and develop the new violence prevention and outreach services.
How long will the taxes last?
The taxes will sunset in ten years, in 2014.
Can the City raise the taxes?
The City Council can raise the parcel tax by the amount of the actual increase in the consumer price index, but no more than 5% in any one year, in order to keep up with personnel costs over the ten years. This is the same formula that has been adopted in other ballot measures. The City cannot raise the parking surcharge without voter approval.
How do we know the money will be spent on these programs?
Measure Y has several safeguards. It sets up a special separate fund so that revenues and expenses can be tracked, It sets up a citizens oversight committee. It requires annual evaluations of the programs and an annual audit of all spending. In response to community requests, two specific guarantees were put in the measure: 1) that the City will maintain a baseline of 739 police officers in addition to the 63 new officers; and 2) that 40% of the total funds available for police and prevention services (after deducting $4 million for fire services) will be spent on the violence prevention programs.
