Oakland, CA - Oakland cops review snafus in protest response

[Thunderbolt]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Communication breakdowns and logistical snafus hindered Oakland's response to mayhem after the Johannes Mehserle verdict earlier this month, leaving riot-clad officers standing by as protesters set trash fires, smashed windows and looted shops.

Read more: Oakland cops review snafus in protest response
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[karldotcom]

Ha, nice article! We commented on this during the event right on this board....and Oakland has purchased a system post 9/11 that doesnt work with the county's.

Just a guess, but maybe you should have had an Alameda County, Berkeley radio in the Command Post.

 

[blantonl]

"The communications didn't work well," said Renée Domingo, Oakland's Director of Emergency Services and Homeland Security. "We're trying to figure out what exactly didn't work."

She said police had a plan to handle communications among the different forces, but added: "We weren't able to test the system (in the field) prior to the actual event. It was tested during the event and it didn't work."

I'm betting money this woman's job is in jeopardy.

 

[Hooligan]

I'm betting money this woman's job is in jeopardy.

In a normal world, that'd be a good bet, but alas, that's not how Oakland operates.


What was a good bet, however, is that the natives of Oakland would get restless no matter what the Mehserle verdict was, so shame on a major police department like Oakland not knowing how to deploy Mobile Field Forces & not testing mutual-aid comms capabilities in advance of a known, major event.

I expect Oakland & the rest of the East Bay is going to use this as part of their hype to help justify the new 700MHz BayRICS.

Oakland is so desperate & destitute that they're now allowing marijuana farms (high license fees) & sending a civillian --if anyone-- to handle non-violent incidents!

The good news about a riot is that it gives the savages their fill for a while -- no need to rob someone or burglarize a house for a week or two because they scored big (Air Jordans, wigs, & grillz!) during the 'civil unrest.'

 

[Hooligan]

Sorry for the rant above.

Getting back to the comms topic, the 'Black Block' group are known to utilize communications for command & control, as well as communications intelligence (monitoring the po-po) so perhaps for the next riot in November, some of you locals can pay attention to the FRS & MURS frequencies & we can all see if there's some sort of Twitter group for them we can infiltrate.