The California Highway Patrol and attorney general failed in their bid to keep secret the names of officers Eric Hulbert, Donald Saputa, and Richard Henderson.
Author Archives: Darwin BondGraham
Before joining The Oaklandside as News Editor, Darwin BondGraham worked with The Appeal, where he was an investigative reporter covering police and prosecutorial misconduct. He has reported on gun violence for The Guardian, and was an enterprise reporter for the East Bay Express. BondGraham's work has also appeared with KQED, ProPublica and other leading national and local outlets. He holds a doctorate in sociology from UC Santa Barbara and was the co-recipient of the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017.
Posted inArts & Community
Watch: Can Oaklanders find a way to share Lake Merritt?
During the pandemic, people flocked to the lake, tensions grew, and Oaklanders sought ways to make our parks more welcoming and equitable.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland’s new budget doesn’t ‘defund’ the police, but it boosts funding for alternatives
City councilmembers say civilian-led public safety programs and investments in housing, jobs, and the arts will grow over time, eventually leading to smaller police budgets.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Public safety debate intensifies on eve of Oakland budget vote
The City Council will vote tomorrow on Oakland’s next two-year budget—including police spending—days after a mass shooting at Lake Merritt.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Photos: Rally and vigil follows Juneteenth shooting at Lake Merritt
Councilmembers Nikki Fortunato Bas and Carroll Fife rallied hundreds Tuesday evening to support their vision for public safety in Oakland.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland City Council president proposes trimming $18 million from police department budget
District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas unveiled her amendments to Mayor Libby Schaaf’s proposed two-year budget Monday.
Posted inOaklandside
Cómo reportamos sobre la vida de Mario González
Nuestra sala de redacción se esfuerza por informar responsablemente y con mucho cuidado sobre la vida de aquellas personas afectadas por violencia. QuerÃamos compartir más sobre nuestro enfoque de esta historia.
Posted inHow We Work
How we reported on the life of Mario Gonzalez
Striving to report responsibly on the lives of people impacted by violence requires great care. We wanted to share more on our approach to this story.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland police chief: Tear-gassing of George Floyd protesters violated policy
OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong said today multiple officers will be disciplined for misconduct during demonstrations last summer.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland police officers are facing discipline for last year’s protest crackdown
Police commission investigators found multiple officers improperly used force, mistreated arrestees, and other policy violations.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
California’s attorney general is fighting to keep the names of CHP officers who killed Erik Salgado secret
But the officers’ identities could be made public as early as next month after a federal judge ruled the public has a right to know.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Maintain police spending or invest in alternatives: What do Oaklanders really want?
Mayor Schaaf said a supermajority of residents want more police, but reform advocates say the public is really on their side.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
What’s in Mayor Libby Schaaf’s 2021-23 Oakland budget proposal?
Schaaf’s budget plan maintains police spending in a year when many are calling for ‘defunding’ and ‘reimagining.’
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Police in Oakland and across CA are failing to comply with records requests
Law enforcement agencies often ignore such requests, despite a 2019 California law mandating the release of certain records related to police misconduct.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
City of Oakland wins major court decision in police oversight case
A state appeals court ruled that police officers under active investigation aren’t entitled to investigator’s confidential records.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Gun violence: The other public health crisis that spiked in Oakland last year
Nearly as many Black people died in Oakland from a bullet in 2020 as from COVID-19.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Oakland police chief praises Chauvin verdict, says ‘change has already begun’ at OPD
At a press conference on Wednesday, Chief LeRonne Armstrong said department reforms have led to progress. Others question whether the gains are sustainable.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Does Oakland spend nearly half its budget on policing?
Oakland will have a new city budget soon. It’s a good time to clear up a widely shared misconception about OPD’s share of city spending.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Secret files and a family’s long fight: What happened to the OPD officer who killed Alan Blueford
Nine years after the controversial police shooting, the public—and Blueford’s family—can finally look at the officer’s disciplinary record.
Posted inArts & Community
Oakland mayor launches pilot offering ‘no strings attached’ funding to families in poverty
By giving 600 low-income families $500 per month, supporters hope to pressure state and federal lawmakers to do the same for all.