Make Oakland Better Now! believes that the Oakland should regularly conduct scientifically valid polls of its citizens to learn what Oaklanders feel about how the police department is doing, and how the city’s budget process is meeting Oaklanders’ needs.
Valid polls typically cost about $25,000, and we believe the money would be well-spent. We will continue to urge Oakland to conduct this type of survey. But until it does, Oaklanders should take participate in two non-scientific surveys that will allow them to provide their views on the Oakland Police Department and the city’s budget process. Make Oakland Better Now! urges all Oaklanders to take the 15 minutes it will take to respond to both of these surveys:
The first is the budget survey from the City’s Budget Advisory Committee. In the next few weeks, the Budget Advisory Committee will be giving City Council, the Administration and the Mayor its views on this year’s budget process. For those of you who watched the process, who went to community meetings or City Council or who otherwise followed the process, this is a good chance to weigh in. Please do so here. Please note that this poll closes on Sunday, September 22.
The second is the Oakland Police Department’s survey, available here. While we wait for polling to be a regular process for measuring police / community relations, we acknowledge the department is asking some of the right questions. Go to the survey and tell them what you think. We haven’t been able to find out how long this poll will be open, but suggest interested Oaklanders participate soon.