{"id":30564,"date":"2025-10-30T18:36:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/30564\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T18:36:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:36:08","slug":"poll-finds-oakland-voters-support-mayor-barbara-lee-want-more-cops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/30564\/","title":{"rendered":"Poll finds Oakland voters support Mayor Barbara Lee, want more cops"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most Oakland voters want to see more police, more surveillance, and fewer homeless encampments, according to a recent survey from the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, the research firm FM3<\/a> surveyed 735 likely Oakland voters online and by phone about city issues and policies.<\/p>\n

The survey also included questions about city leadership, finding that 61% of respondents support Lee. The City Council apparently does not enjoy the same goodwill, receiving only a 27% favorability rating in the poll.<\/p>\n

A majority of surveyed voters would like to see Oakland\u2019s governance structure<\/a> change to give the mayor more power.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Respondents say they want more Oakland police officers
\n\"\"Two-thirds of Oakland voters surveyed say they want more OPD officers. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

The results<\/a>, released Thursday morning, show that 67% of respondents support increasing the number of officers at the Oakland Police Department, versus 9% who want the police force to decrease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The survey also shows strong support for increasing police surveillance in neighborhoods and business districts. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they want the city to monitor privately-owned camera systems, such as business security cameras, with consent from the owners. Similarly, 66% support the use of city-owned automated surveillance cameras, and 59% support the use of aerial drones to monitor public safety incidents.<\/p>\n

By a 14-point margin, respondents were more likely to say crime and public safety have been improving (40%) rather than worsening (26%) over the past few months. As of OPD\u2019s most recent weekly crime report<\/a>, violent crime in Oakland is down 25% year-to-date compared with the same time last year. Reports of robberies and burglaries are down 42% and 27%, respectively, though property crime data may take a while to be finalized, as OPD must review each report.<\/p>\n

Asked about six categories of city services, respondents overwhelmingly said public safety and emergency response times are the most important to maintain in a tough budget cycle (61%), followed by homelessness resources (11%), road maintenance and repair (8%), staffing for city services (7%), illegal dumping clean-up (4%), and parks and recreation (3%).<\/p>\n

Respondents want Oakland to limit homeless camps
\n\"\"City crews work to close the Wood Street homeless camp in May 2023. Credit: Natalie Orenstein\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

The chamber also asked voters about how the city handles homeless camps. The Oakland City Council is currently considering sweeping changes<\/a> to its encampment policy, including enabling the city to clear camps without offering residents other shelter, and enabling police to arrest people for camping.<\/p>\n

The survey asked voters about changing this policy, but focused on only a couple of specific changes. One change would allow the city to close sidewalk encampments without advance notice, and make it easier to clear vehicle encampments. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they\u2019re in favor of these changes.<\/p>\n

There was also broad support for generally restricting homeless camps in public spaces (85%) and for limiting long-term RV and vehicle camps (74%).\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the past two-plus decades, the chamber has hired a data research firm each year to poll likely Oakland voters\u2019 views on several key issues, including public safety, the economy, quality of life, and the efficacy of local elected officials.<\/p>\n

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