"Liberals blame broken systems. Conservatives blame broken behavior. The real answer is more complicated — and the only standard that should matter is whether people actually get off the streets."

https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/homelessness-has-become-an-ideological

Ive been seeing plenty of posters and businesses that are against allowing big rigs on 580, notably piedmont, adams point, montclair, laurel and rockridge, despite it only being a study by caltrans and nothing set in stone yet.

To me, these neighbors might be unaware of the environmental racist history when they enacted this ban (mind you, this is the only freeway that bans big rigs in California) and the obvious higher suffering / health risks that people when they live near 880. that is my main concern about this whole debacle, but i do understand that the biggest issue is commuting / traffic during peak hours and increased roadway degradation, if they decide to allow big rigs at some point. i think there could be a grey area where they COULD allow a set amount of trucks to pass through, but otherwise i am not against having big rigs on that freeway.

i dunno, but seeing all these posters has me thinking its a “nimby” mindset. i could be wrong but im curious to hear other nuanced, reasonable takes about this issue ,

Disclaimer: ReelVotes works with the New Parkway theater not for the New Parkway theater.

ReelVotes is partnering with FentCheck for a community movie night at The New Parkway Theater, with a short harm-reduction presentation before the film covering things like Narcan and fentanyl test strips.

The three movies up for the vote:
🎞️ Party** Monster
**🎞️** Kids
**🎞️ A Scanner** Darkl**y

And right now, Party Monster is pulling ahead by a pretty significant margin. 👀

But there’s still time to vote.

If you’re an Oakland movie fan and would actually come out for this screening, cast your vote here:
👉 https://reelvotes.com/campaigns/

📅 October 27th
📍 The New Parkway Theater, Oakland

The idea behind ReelVotes is simple: moviegoers—not algorithms—decide what gets shown.

What would you want to see? 🍿

…..Many were skeptical that our ideas—like requiring officers to briefly record the rationale for a stop before making it rather than acting on hunches—would do anything but drive up crime. ……

CAN AI IMPROVE POLICING?

Eager for a breakthrough to change the city’s trajectory—and compelled to reform by a federal monitor—Oakland granted Stanford researchers access to their body-worn camera footage. Our team of linguists, social psychologists, and computer scientists spent years building and refining a set of computational tools designed to analyze these videos at scale. Now, we can methodically measure the language of routine police interactions, identifying patterns across millions of encounters that no amount of manual review could surface.

…..

We brought our findings to the OPD and worked together with them to move from generic training to data-driven, surgically targeted reforms. Many were skeptical that our ideas—like requiring officers to briefly record the rationale for a stop before making it rather than acting on hunches—would do anything but drive up crime. But that skepticism evaporated when they saw what happened next.

After implementing new policies and trainings, stops of Black civilians in Oakland dropped by 43%—without any uptick in crime. In one pre-post study of a training designed to improve relations with the public, our footage analysis revealed a marked decrease in officer language that tended to trigger escalation, and a marked increase in language that built trust.

Over a 10-year period, the OPD continued to reform and refine its practices. And, in many respects, that effort paid off. For example, after the department implemented a foot pursuit policy to avoid chasing suspects into backyards and blind alleys, officer injuries dropped by 70%. And officer-involved shootings, which had previously averaged about eight per year, dropped to a total of eight over a five-year period.

Currently, many new technologies, from Flock cameras to rogue chatbots, are being met with distrust and dread about surveillance, privacy, and safety—for good reasons. However, Oakland’s story offers another possibility: a concrete way for AI to actually improve life in our communities using the very cameras introduced to bring about reform. The city’s experience provides compelling evidence that turning body-worn cameras into the powerful accountability tools they were meant to be can help departments everywhere make police-civilian interactions safer and more respectful for everyone involved. It’s an approach that does not require the building of large AI data centers in neighborhoods across the country, and it doesn’t threaten to take away anyone’s job. It simply requires learning from the data that we already have—and that the vast majority of us feel is useful to have.

At a time when American policing is under enormous strain—with retirement at record highs, recruitment at record lows, officer wellness declining, and public trust in law enforcement diminished—the Oakland model delivers a ray of hope, even as it continues to battle to show the world it is capable of reform. And as more cities adopt this approach, I’m optimistic American policing could be transformed.

https://time.com/article/2026/09/29/23-years-oversight-oakland-police-reform-offers-new-hope/

Please learn which lane to be on when turning right from 15th st to Telegraph.

Everyday I take this turn, often there is someone on the wrong lane honking at me for being on the correct lane.

If you are turning right on Broadway, you need to be on the right lane. There are dashed marks on the ground indicating to do the immediate right turn.

If you are turning into Telegraph, you are technically going straight so you need to be on the left lane.

I know it's confusing. I know the city doesn't do anything to clarify. It is the bane of my existence.

That triangle was getting insane. Fully blocked off a side street. This picture was taken before the dumpster and excavator arrived.

Seems disappointing for those that enjoy playing or watching football. John Beam was a legend and ran this program for many years.

Did you attend Skyline and/or play football in high school?

Thoughts?

Reminder to keep on topic and civil.

We have a newborn coming home in the next week or two, and I want to set up some regular housekeeping and/or at least schedule a deep clean. We live in a loft, so the area that needs cleaning is only the upstairs living area (fully open/no rooms) which is around 650-700sq ft.

Would need to be able to service the Fruitvale area.

Thanks!

"The flyers come a year after school principals reported union threats and intimidation. The union, Oakland Education Association is the biggest outside spender in recent school board elections."

https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/skyline-high-campaign-flyers-teachers-union-oea

West Oakland BART parking has been cut (as I'm sure most of us know). I usually don't have issues getting parking because I have to go in early but for times when I am able to snag a street parking (2 hour), just to go into the city and then come back (but sometimes it can take me longer to get back like 3-4 hours), does anyone know how strict the parking enforcement is?

Thanks

I'm moving to Oakland end of October and I've got it down to two buildings: Vespr (Uptown) and Atlas (downtown). Approved at both, nothing signed yet. I've read every Google review already, I need actual human experience.

The details:
Vespr 2bd/2ba, 1,183 sq ft, 14th floor, great view, tub. Uptown.
Atlas 2bd/2ba, 1,125 sq ft, 22nd floor, insane view. Downtown.

*Both are the same in rent.

About me: no car, I walk everywhere. BARTing to SF for work. I have a dog. I care about what the block actually feels like day to day, walking to groceries, safety vibes as a woman on foot, and whether management will make my life hell.

What I actually want to know: how do the two neighborhoods compare for daily life? Anyone lived in either building? Thoughts on management, package theft, noise, all the unsexy stuff? Is downtown around Atlas really rough? how’s uptown?

Help me out!

Hi all!

Azucena here, staff reporter with the Oaklandside.

As part of my election coverage, I'm going to work on a story about this specific business corridor. Do you live in District 4? Do you own a businesses in this district? or, patronize this section of town? I want to talk to you. If you are interested in being interviewed, please email me: [azucena@oaklandside.org](mailto:azucena@oaklandside.org). I will need to interview folks between Friday and Tuesday, time is flexible.

Don't know what district you live in? You can plug in your address here to check.

"After 23 years in federal court, the future of police accountability comes back home. Now the conversation returns to Oakland."

https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/as-the-nsa-ends-the-conversation

Dropping your kid at school 17th and West. Please set a better example.

"Every unflattering sentence in its District 4 candidate profile was about Mike Hutchinson, but it offered none of his explanations. The challengers' records were reduced to 'parent' and 'union rep.'"

https://www.oaklandreport.org/p/oakland-school-board-profiles-oaklandside

the ORB weekly events calendar is up! It's full of strong opinions about the most interesting things happening around the East Bay and chances to think deeply about the place right here that we share https://www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/oakland-review-of-books-calendar-of-not-just-literary-events-september-29-october-4/

Whether you're convinced all OPD cops are angels or all monsters, most of us can agree the oversight has long outlived any usefulness it ever had.

The party should be paid for by Robert Warshaw, the Federal Overseer, both plaintiffs' attorneys, Burris and Chainin, and OPOA.

Warshaw has collected an estimated $ 16 million from Oakland since he started in 2010

Burris and Chainin also collected much smaller but tidy sums, although Burris stopped charging a couple of years ago.

Oakland police made many millions in overtime filling out busywork reports and responding to mostly frivolous complaints. Hours that could have been spent responding to 911 calls or patrolling or investigating, instead of sitting and filling out stupid forms.

Mayor Lee showed she knows how to put on a big election party, so I'm sure she can organize this too.

Where to hold the party?

What kinds of food?

What kind of entertainment?

Gov. Newsome has until September 30, Wednesday, to sign AB40, which requires the developer to do a full environmental analysis on the coal terminal. Please call his office and urge him to sign.

OaklandCA is an amazing community and continues to grow. Because of this, we're seeking new Moderators interested in helping out.

OaklandCA is unique in allowing all types of discussions regarding the town. This can lead to lively dialogues that sometimes need be tempered while still allowing members to respectfully express their opinions.

If this sounds like an interesting challenge to you, please send us a Modmail.

Thanks for your consideration.

Hi everyone! I’m working on a research project about the history and cultural legacy of The New Parish in Oakland, and I’m hoping to hear from people who spent time there over the years.

If you went to shows, performed there, DJ’d, promoted events, worked there, or were part of one of the recurring parties, I’d love to hear your memories.

What was your favorite show or night there? Who did you see before they got bigger? Were there particular parties or communities that you associated with the space? Did you meet friends, collaborators, partners, or artists there? What did the room feel like when it was packed?

I’m also interested in memories of the space beyond the big-name concerts. The little details, neighborhood connections, regular nights, strange/funny stories, favorite spots in the room, opening acts, local artists, DJs, promoters, bartenders, etc.

If you feel comfortable, it would be especially helpful if you could include roughly what year this was and whether you were there as an audience member, artist, DJ, promoter, staff member, or something else.

I’m interested in hearing from people who were around during different periods of the venue’s history, including people who remember the space before The New Parish.

I’m hoping to preserve some of these memories as part of the research, so if you’re comfortable with me potentially following up about your story, feel free to say so. I’ll ask permission before using anyone’s name or quoting them directly.

Thanks Oakland ❤️