Newsom calls on Oakland leaders to allow police to go after more criminals

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is calling on leaders in Oakland, California, to reconsider their police pursuit policy, arguing it is “contributing to Oakland’s public safety challenges.”

Newsom, who has been at odds with city officials over the crime crisis in the East Bay, sent a letter to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, the City Council, and the Oakland Police Commission on Friday to express his concern over the city’s policy, which only permits vehicle pursuits for “violent forcible crimes” and crimes with firearms.

The governor surged California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland to fight crime earlier this month and noted that officers sent to the East Bay had brought to his attention that criminals had been exploiting the Oakland Police Department’s pursuit policy by using a route they believed “where OPD would discontinue a pursuit.”

“Although some California jurisdictions allow vehicle pursuits for only certain crimes (e.g., felonies), Oakland is an outlier by imposing exceptional restrictions on OPD’s ability to police criminal activity,” the letter said.

Newsom said while he is “mindful of the sensitivities around vehicle pursuits,” he called on the City Council to consider allowing police to pursue criminals “in more circumstances to improve public safety in your city.”

“I urge you to reconsider whether OPD should be permitted to pursue suspects in more circumstances
to improve public safety in your city and to establish a process to evaluate whether OPD is making full use of its authority, including that granted under the existing pursuit policy, to protect public safety and enforce the law,” California’s governor said.

Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor, has made Oakland’s crime crisis a focus this year, surging law enforcement and criticizing embattled Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price for not accepting help from the state with prosecuting crime.

Earlier this month, he rescinded a previous offer to send state attorneys to help prosecute crime after Price allegedly declined the help. Newsom’s office also said at that time that “certain complex cases” would be referred to the California attorney general’s office for prosecution.