In the same week the Oakland Police Department took a step forward in coming out from under federal oversight, 17 new officers graduated from the police academy.
Friday’s graduation brings the number of sworn officers in the department to 621 – still well shy of the 678 sworn positions funded by the city and short of the more than 700 that OPD’s chief and the union say is needed.
“There’s a lot more interest in the community wanting to become Oakland police officers,” interim police Chief James Beere said. “We have hundreds of people that are inquiring about it. We have over 100 that are in the process for the next academy.”
This is the second class to graduate from the academy since January. Together, the two classes add 31 new officers to the department.
Meanwhile, federal oversight is expected to end in September after a federal monitor said the department had met all court-mandated recommendations following a 2000 brutality and corruption case.