Schaaf ends practice of asking for police applicants’ confidential records

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf says she has ended a Police Department practice in which applicants for officer positions were asked to authorize the release of their confidential records, including those that would disclose whether they were victims of sexual assault.

Schaaf said in a statement released Oct. 21, “Additionally, I directed the department to partner with the Oakland Police Commission to conduct a top-to-bottom review of the department’s recruitment and hiring process to ensure no other barriers discourage the hiring of women or minority applicants.”