An Open Letter to the Citizens of Oakland from Oakland Police Officers’ Assoc...

[jackovesk]

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Oakland from the Oakland Police Officers’ Association

http://www.opoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/not-forgotten.jpg

1 November 2011 – Oakland, Ca.


We represent the 645 police officers who work hard every day to protect the citizens of Oakland. We, too, are the 99% fighting for better working conditions, fair treatment and the ability to provide a living for our children and families. We are severely understaffed with many City beats remaining unprotected by police during the day and evening hours.

As your police officers, we are confused.

On Tuesday, October 25th, we were ordered by Mayor Quan to clear out the encampments at Frank Ogawa Plaza and to keep protesters out of the Plaza. We performed the job that the Mayor’s Administration asked us to do, being fully aware that past protests in Oakland have resulted in rioting, violence and destruction of property.

Then, on Wednesday, October 26th, the Mayor allowed protesters back in – to camp out at the very place they were evacuated from the day before.

To add to the confusion, the Administration issued a memo on Friday, October 28th to all City workers in support of the “Stop Work” strike scheduled for Wednesday, giving all employees, except for police officers, permission to take the day off.

That’s hundreds of City workers encouraged to take off work to participate in the protest against “the establishment.” But aren’t the Mayor and her Administration part of the establishment they are paying City employees to protest? Is it the City’s intention to have City employees on both sides of a skirmish line?

It is all very confusing to us.

Meanwhile, a message has been sent to all police officers: Everyone, including those who have the day off, must show up for work on Wednesday. This is also being paid for by Oakland taxpayers. Last week’s events alone cost Oakland taxpayers over $1 million.

The Mayor and her Administration are beefing up police presence for Wednesday’s work strike they are encouraging and even “staffing,” spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for additional police presence – at a time when the Mayor is also asking Oakland residents to vote on an $80 parcel tax to bail out the City’s failing finances.

All of these mixed messages are confusing.

We love Oakland and just want to do our jobs to protect Oakland residents. We respectfully ask the citizens of Oakland to join us in demanding that our City officials, including Mayor Quan, make sound decisions and take responsibility for these decisions. Oakland is struggling – we need real leaders NOW who will step up and lead – not send mixed messages.

Thank you for listening.

http://www.opoa.org/uncategorized/an-open-letter-to-the-citizens-of-oakland-from-the-oakland-police-officers%e2%80%99-association/

[Lord Sidious]

Sorry, just following orders doesn't cut it anymore.
See the International Military Tribunal, Nurnburg for more info.

[jcocks]

I shudder to think what their local government would look like if it were a dog. You'd have to put it down.

[Lifebringer]

I suggest they toss the badge in the drawer on their day off and join the march if they are part of the 99% paying their salaries through OUR taxes.

[Tony]

They haven't a clue that Stanford and Tavistock institutes are behind it all.

[Eagle]

Sorry, just following orders doesn't cut it anymore.
See the International Military Tribunal, Nurnburg for more info.

Speaking from experiance, following orders is not enough, asking if those orders are ethical, moral, and justifiable is also a duty. Making sense of a govenrment offical is something we all would like to do especially when they were elected into that office "By the People" in the first place.

[Cartomancer]

This is going on all over the country in every city and town. Many police forces have tons of federal money and federal officers (homeland security) on the staff. Eventually they are going to be asked to do things they really don't want to do. Hopefully enough of them simply will refuse when the time comes. Here they have enough federal money to buy an assault vehicle while they are complaining about laying officers off at the same time. The OWS is just a manufactured pile meant to deter the real thing. Its like they are using the energy of what the real issues are and just organizing it themselves so they can control it. I went to the "occupy" protest here only to be told I couldn't video tape and to STFU w/ the anti-federal reserve rhetoric. I was also laughed at and ostracized for suggesting any occult involvement in what is happening to the world today. If you don't fit their mold they don't want you there. Definitely controlled and not an organic occurrence.

[ceetee9]

On Tuesday, October 25th, we were ordered by Mayor Quan to clear out the encampments at Frank Ogawa Plaza and to keep protesters out of the Plaza. We performed the job that the Mayor’s Administration asked us to do, being fully aware that past protests in Oakland have resulted in rioting, violence and destruction of property.
Excuse me if I'm wrong, but the last time I checked the police work for the people and, along with protecting life and property, have a duty to protect our rights and freedoms as well and not bow down to the whims and wishes of another public servant simply because they are higher up the totem pole of authority.

Regardless if past protests resulted in rioting, violence and destruction of property, that does not give the police (or the mayor) the right to circumvent our Constitutional rights to peacefully assemble and protest in anticipation of events that might occur. I respect the police immensely and have no problem with them being present to take action should violence breakout, but I have a major problem with them shirking responsibility via the "we're just doing our job" mantra. They are not at war and they are not soldiers. Authority should always be questioned when instantaneous decisions are not required and your heart tells you that what you are being told to do doesn’t make sense or is flat out wrong. Police have brains just like the rest of us and if they truly are part of the 99% who are simply trying to take care of their families then they should join with the protesters against the tyranny that is being foisted upon us all by an illicit, corrupt, dictatorial and out of control government.


To add to the confusion, the Administration issued a memo on Friday, October 28th to all City workers in support of the “Stop Work” strike scheduled for Wednesday, giving all employees, except for police officers, permission to take the day off.

That’s hundreds of City workers encouraged to take off work to participate in the protest against “the establishment.” But aren’t the Mayor and her Administration part of the establishment they are paying City employees to protest? Is it the City’s intention to have City employees on both sides of a skirmish line?
I wonder if the police have considered that they are nothing more than pawns in the game and needed not only to protect the “rulers,” but to be their scapegoats if and when things go bad.

We love Oakland and just want to do our jobs to protect Oakland residents. We respectfully ask the citizens of Oakland to join us in demanding that our City officials, including Mayor Quan, make sound decisions and take responsibility for these decisions. Oakland is struggling – we need real leaders NOW who will step up and lead – not send mixed messages.
If the police truly love Oakland and want to “protect” Oakland residents then stand with them in protest against tyranny. They will never achieve their stated goal by replacing the Puppets. It is the Puppet Masters who must be replaced.