Oakland police are disbanding the traffic enforcement unit

"As you know, the police department is going through some issues now with staffing,"

"I can only predict that, maybe, collisions will go up with losing this enforcement unit."

"I would like to see a larger traffic enforcement unit in the years to come,"

Six motorcycle officers who primarily enforced traffic laws will be reassigned to patrol beats to fill vacancies currently covered by overtime. The traffic enforcement unit will be disbanded at the end of the week, and the reassignment does not affect the traffic investigation unit or the weekend sideshow enforcement team. All officers retain authority to conduct traffic stops. The city is on track to end the year with around 40 traffic deaths, above a 2020–2024 average of 33 annual fatalities. The department reports 644 officers total, with 133 on leave, leaving 511 available for patrol and other assignments. The department is on a rotating mandatory overtime schedule for weekend sideshow enforcement, averaging about 30 officers dedicated per weekend day.

Read at The Oaklandside