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Oakland to vote on $50K police hiring incentive targeting veteran officers

The emergency proposal aims to combat a spike in violent crime

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By Suzie Ziegler

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland city leaders are expected to vote Tuesday on an emergency proposal aimed at recruiting more veteran police officers, not rookies, according to NBC Bay Area. The move comes amid a crime spike that puts Oakland on track for a deadly, record-breaking year.

The city council will vote on offering a $50,000 hiring bonus, according to the report.

Councilmember Shen Thao, who proposed the measure, also suggested the city hire an independent recruiting firm to conduct a “nationwide search for talented, committed and community-focused patrol officers.”

Oakland just recorded its 129th homicide this year, according to the report, putting the city on track for its deadliest year in almost a decade. The Oakland Police Department simultaneously has a decade-low of 676 sworn officers. A voter-approved measure requires the city to always have at least 678 officers, the report says.

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