In this month's newsletter: Updates on our efforts to address public nuisances and crime in Oakland.  

City cracks down on illegal dumping

With help from a growing number of concerned citizens, the City of Oakland is pursuing individuals who are responsible for one of the worst causes of civic blight in Oakland: illegal dumping.

The Illegal Dumping Enforcement Action initiative - a joint effort by my Office, the Public Works Agency and the City Administrator's Office - uses photos, videos and other evidence from members of the public to track down illegal dumpers and make them pay for disrespecting Oakland's residents, businesses and taxpayers.

Dumping old mattresses, furniture, construction debris, garbage and other items on sidewalks, in parks and under freeways is a major source of blight in neighborhoods across Oakland.

Oaklanders have had enough of this disrespect of our beautiful city; we will not be a dumping ground. Illegal dumping is more than just unsightly. It creates an environment of blight and lawlessness that can encourage more serious crime and violence. Making Oakland a cleaner city will make our city safer.

An increasing number of Oakland citizens, many using camera phones, are taking photos and videos of illegal dumping incidents and reporting violators to the Public Works Agency using the Agency's on line service request page or the SeeClickFix mobile application for Oakland.

SeeClickFix is an online and mobile tool that allows residents to report and track non-emergency problems such as graffiti, illegal dumping and potholes.

I want to thank members of the public for making enforcement actions possible by submitting evidence of violations, especially photos showing the license plate numbers of vehicles involved in dumping. The City Attorney's Office is using license plate numbers to track down the owners of those vehicles. Many of the individuals cited by the City live outside of Oakland, meaning they drive to Oakland to dump their garbage here.

The City is charging illegal dumpers up to $1,000 a day for every day the blight continues, plus other fees and costs. The average citation is in the range of $3,000 to $4,000. In a recent case, an individual was cited for $6,000 for two incidents of illegal dumping in East Oakland. A neighbor submitted photos of the incidents from a home security camera, and took a close up photo of the license plate, which was used to track down the owner.

In September, I will bring an ordinance to the City Council to (1) increase penalties for illegal dumping, (2) make illegal dumping a misdemeanor crime under City law (it is currently an infraction under the Oakland Municipal Code, but a crime under state law) and (3) allow some violators to perform community service by cleaning up illegal dumping instead of paying fines.

More information 

Former Prostitution Hotel Sold 

Prostitution, child prostitution and human trafficking are ongoing problems in Oakland.

I applaud Oakland police and federal law enforcement for their focus on prostitution and trafficking. However, our city continues to struggle with this criminal industry, in which women and children are routinely, horrifically abused.

Due to the court's, the community's and my Office's work, we recently closed one horrible chapter in the fight to stop this industry of abuse.

As you may know, last year our Office went to trial to shut down the Economy Inn and the National Lodge, two hotels that were centers of prostitution and child prostitution in Oakland. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte ruled in the City's favor, closing the National Lodge and the Economy Inn for the maximum period of one year provided by state law.

I am delighted that at the end of July, the National Lodge was sold to a buyer who plans to open retail and office space on the site. This is an excellent outcome for the property, which was a major prostitution hub when it operated as a hotel. 

The Economy Inn has reopened under the control of a receiver and the continuing oversight of the Alameda County Superior Court; the court's order authorizing the reopening imposes new security measures to prevent prostitution. The City can seek closure if reports of prostitution activity at the business are confirmed. You can help to maintain the Economy Inn as a lawful business by reporting any prostitution activity to the Oakland Police Department or to my Office.

You can call the police department at (510) 777-3333 to report prostitution activity in Oakland. However, if you suspect that the prostitution activity involves a minor, call 911 to report it. 

No Violence and Destruction at Protests

Lastly, the City Council introduced an ordinance on July 30 that will ban tools of violence and vandalism at demonstrations.  

My Office conceived and crafted the ordinance more than a year ago and it was first proposed to the Public Safety Committee by my Office and Council President Pat Kernighan. Councilmember Noel Gallo reintroduced the ordinance after an employee of a downtown restaurant was hit in the face with a hammer during a recent demonstration.

To be clear, I and the attorneys in my Office champion the First Amendment and the right to peacefully protest and dissent. This ordinance does not chill dissent or free speech rights. It will ban specific items such as hammers, metal shields, fire accelerants, sling shots, crow bars, spray paint and other items that have no legitimate purpose in protests or demonstrations and have been used to assault people and destroy property during demonstrations in Oakland.

Unfortunately, a small number of individuals, many of whom do not reside in Oakland, have attempted to hijack peaceful protests by vandalizing public buildings, setting fires and damaging local businesses.

Individuals who use protests as cover to trash Oakland have a chilling effect on free speech rights of Oaklanders who want to engage in peaceful protest. I have heard from many folks who would like to join demonstrations and bring their minor or young adult children; but they are fearful that they will be injured. My goal is that this ordinance will protect free speech for everyone by providing disincentives for individuals to come to Oakland to damage our city.

As always, I look forward to your comments, thoughts and questions about how we are conducting the City's business.

Very truly yours,

Barbara J. Parker

Oakland City Attorney