‘Corrupt in its roots’: as Oakland police scandals pile up, residents not surprised
Source: The Guardian
‘Corrupt in its roots’: as Oakland police scandals pile up, residents not surprised
Donald Trump may have called the city one of the ‘most dangerous’ in
the world but community members say the real danger is its police officers
Sam Levin in Oakland, California
Saturday 21 May 2016 16.00 BST
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The bizarre line of questioning only made sense when OPD lieutenant Roland Holmgren later revealed to Olga the identities of the two suspects: They were Oakland cops who, according to the lieutenant, were just “being silly” and “mistakenly went to her house” looking for a party, the claim alleges.
The ensuing scandal is just one among numerous misconduct cases plaguing the police department in Oakland, the city across the bay from San Francisco that has long been at the center of contentious debates about crime, gentrification and race relations.
Although presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump recently called the city one of the “most dangerous” places in the world, some say the real danger in Oakland is its police.
This week, four officers were caught up in a national controversy centered on accusations that a cop may have murdered his wife in a case that has exposed allegations of sexual misconduct by numerous officers, possibly involving sex with a minor.
“I was not surprised,” Melissa Nold, the Cortez family’s attorney, said of the latest scandal. “We’ve been saying forever that there are systemic problems.”
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/21/oakland-police-misconduct-scandals-pile-up
