SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today the Bay Area Council sent the following letter to the Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police of the Bay Area’s largest law enforcement agencies:
Re: Call for “Law Enforcement Mutual Aid” for Oakland
Dear Chief of Police/Sheriff:
This week, we had a tremendous demonstration of why having 9 separate counties and 101 cities in the Bay Area can hamper our region’s ability to respond to a serious crisis. Despite the heroic efforts of the Oakland Police Department, on Wednesday night, a peaceful protest regarding the tragic death of Oscar Grant at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland got seriously out of hand, resulting in injury, destruction and an atmosphere of fear in Oakland and across our entire region. Oakland’s Police Department is already shorthanded and needed help protecting both the rights of the protestors and the innocent bystanders and business, from splinter groups bent on violence.
Next week the situation threatens to spiral desperately out of control. There are nationwide plans for protests in Oakland in the coming days, meaning we will face much bigger groups, which will attract professional anarchists and protestors. We have seen before the amount of pain and damage these people can cause in cities like Seattle. Oakland and the Bay Area’s residents and businesses cannot afford this kind of mayhem, especially at a time of national hope and change.
The Bay Area Council, and the region’s businesses that we represent, call for immediate activation of the California Office of Emergency Services “Law Enforcement Mutual Aid” for Region II. We specifically call on the Chiefs of Police of region’s nine biggest cities – San Jose, San Francisco, Fremont, Santa Rosa, Hayward, Sunnyvale, Concord, Vallejo and Daly City, and Oakland’s neighbors Berkeley and San Leandro – plus the Sheriffs of the surrounding counties – Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco – to aid the Oakland Police Department, however possible. Others in the Bay Area that can help, should. Finally, we ask Governor Schwarzenegger to bring in state resources such as the Highway Patrol.
We cannot let jurisdictional lines interfere with an orderly management of these protests. If the situation gets out of hand, it will be an event that will harm Oakland in immeasurable ways.
None of this should be interpreted as interference of people’s right to protest. Public dissent is critical to a well-operating democracy. We just do not want the sincere, well-intended concerns of local protestors to be overwhelmed by violent outside forces that have different axes to grind than local protestors.
At a time of need, we cannot let Oakland stand on its own. This is a moment for our entire region to stand together.
Sincerely,
Jim Wunderman
President and CEO
CC: Theresa Becker, Chief, Golden Gate Division, California Highway Patrol
Henry Renteria, Director, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Charlene B. Thornton, Special Agent in Charge, San Francisco Division, FBI
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor, State of California
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Senator, State of California
The Honorable Barbara Boxer, Senator, State of California
About the Bay Area Council
The Bay Area Council is a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area. The Council proactively advocates for a strong economy, a vital business environment, and a better quality of life for everyone who lives here. Founded in 1945, as a way for the region’s business community and like-minded individuals to concentrate and coordinate their efforts, the Bay Area Council is widely respected by elected officials, policy makers and other civic leaders as the voice of Bay Area business. Today, approximately 275 of the largest employers in the region support the Bay Area Council and offer their CEO or top executive as a member. Our members employ more than 4.43 million workers and have revenues of $1.94 trillion, worldwide.