Should the Feds Take Over the Oakland Police Department?

Should the Feds Take Over the Oakland Police Department?

A hearing on whether a federally-appointed receiver should take control of the Oakland Police Department is set for Dec. 13.

Civil rights attorneys Thursday urged a federal judge to appoint a receiver to take charge of the Oakland Police Department.

In a motion to U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson, the attorneys said the department has failed to reform following controversial or illegal incidents involving Oakland police over more than a decade. But Police Chief Howard Jordan told the San Francisco Chronicle that the department has changed for the better in the past 10 years.

It's unclear, if the police department is put under receivership, how the rest of the city would be affected.

Considering the receiver's potential power over city council budget decisions, District 1 representative Oakland City Councilwoman Jane Brunner told the San Francisco Chronicle she feared the takeover would mean more cuts to funding for city services like libraries and senior centers.

A hearing on whether a federally-appointed receiver should take control of the Oakland Police Department is set for Dec. 13.

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