The Oakland Police Officers’ Association is criticizing the city’s leadership after an officer was hospitalized Friday in what police called an unprovoked attack.
An officer was stopped at a traffic light in a patrol car at 104th Avenue and International Boulevard when a suspect approached the car and suddenly began punching the officer without provocation, police said.
The suspected was arrested at the scene around 3:30 p.m. And the officer has since been discharged from the hospital.
The attack prompted the union to call out what it perceives as Oakland city leaders not prioritizing public safety.
“Oakland is experiencing an epidemic of violence under the misguided direction of city leaders,” said OPOA president Huy Nguyen in a news release.
“We need more cops, we need more equipment, and we need a commitment from city leaders to make Oakland safe by investing in police officers now to protect the the public from what happened to one of our own officers in broad daylight,” Huy Nguyen, Oakland Police Officers’ Association president
The union says that despite reports of overall crime declining this year, the number of homicides so far should sound the alarm to city leaders that not enough is being done to improve public safety.
“The City of Oakland is seeing homicides skyrocket over the last year,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen pointed to the 22 homicides in Oakland so far this year, compared to 18 during the same period last year.
The union says that providing the department with more equipment and focusing on boosting staffing levels will help in lowering crime.
“We need more cops, we need more equipment, and we need a commitment from city leaders to make Oakland safe by investing in police officers now to protect the the public from what happened to one of our own officers in broad daylight,” Nguyen said.
