After helping pick Oakland Police Commissioners for six years, Jim Chanin is stepping down.
Author Archives: Darwin BondGraham
Before joining The Oaklandside as News Editor, Darwin BondGraham was a freelance investigative reporter covering police and prosecutorial misconduct. He has reported on gun violence for The Guardian and was a staff writer for the East Bay Express. He holds a doctorate in sociology from UC Santa Barbara and was the co-recipient of the George Polk Award for local reporting in 2017. He is also the co-author of The Riders Come Out at Night, a book examining the Oakland Police Department's history of corruption and reform.
Posted inHealth & Environment
How a father’s grief led to decades of activism against the gun industry
Griffin Dix’s new book, “Who Killed Kenzo,” is a story of heartbreaking loss that galvanized a life’s work for firearms safety.
Posted inCity Hall
CHP will pay $7 million to settle lawsuit over fatal Oakland shooting
Erik Salgado was killed and Brianna Colombo wounded by 3 Highway Patrol officers in 2020. Their 6-year-old daughter will be financially supported.
Posted inCity Hall
New report strengthens fired Oakland police chief’s case against city
The former chief says he feels “vindicated,” and the Police Commission may seek to reappoint him. Mayor Sheng Thao says she’s sticking to her decision to fire Armstrong.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland’s public safety debate converges on a tiny corner of East Oakland
Held across the street from each other, the two events illustrated a growing chasm—and some significant overlap, too—in how Oaklanders are talking about some of the city’s biggest problems.
Posted inCity Hall
Seneca Scott, organizer of upcoming rally for public safety, denounced for ‘hateful anti-LGBTQ statements’
The mayor and district attorney will appear at a town hall on Saturday. A prominent activist with a history of inflammatory statements is holding his own rally nearby, with notable Oakland officials slated to attend.
Posted inRoad Safety
AC Transit wants community feedback on its redistricting process
The East Bay bus agency plans to eliminate its at-large board seats and create a new ward map. Residents can give input at upcoming meetings.
Posted inHealth & Environment
What’s up with that new fountain at Lake Merritt?
A “surface aerator” near the Pergola is the first of several changes to improve water quality and protect wildlife during harmful algae blooms.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker won’t seek reelection in 2024
Parker served as city attorney since 2011 and said she is proudest of establishing civil rights, housing, and community law programs.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland police commissioners can’t stop the city from replacing them, judge rules
Two commissioners claim they aren’t being reappointed because of corruption. A judge said these allegations are based on a “weak premise.”
Posted inHealth & Environment
Fire at Schnitzer Steel sends potentially dangerous smoke over Oakland
Fire crews worked Wednesday evening to put out flames in a pile of scrap metal near the Port of Oakland.
Posted inNature and the City
Worried about the fish-killing red tide returning to Lake Merritt? Here’s a way to help
State wildlife officials want the public’s observations of marine creatures during the harmful algae bloom.
Posted inCity Hall
Here’s your chance to weigh in on Oakland’s next police chief
The Police Commission is hosting several community forums and surveying residents about what qualities they want to see in the next OPD leader.
Posted inCity Hall
Heated public safety meeting in Montclair reveals a divided Oakland
District Attorney Pamela Price defended and explained her public safety philosophy during an emotional town hall that drew hundreds.
Posted inCity Hall
Oakland’s Police Commission is failing to meet deadlines in misconduct investigations
The commission’s chief investigator says his team is overwhelmed by cases. Blowing deadlines could mean discipline can’t be issued.
Posted inCity Hall
A show of unity after Oakland suffers 4 homicides in 10 hours
Oakland’s police chief and chief of violence prevention outlined the city’s strategies for dealing with gun violence.
Posted inCity Hall
District Attorney Pamela Price’s critics take first steps toward potential recall
Price was elected on a reform platform last November. Her critics say she’s too lenient.
Posted inCity Hall
‘Threats, complaints, chaos’: Leadership battle embroils Oakland’s police watchdog group
The head of Oakland’s Police Commission is accused of abusing her own power. She says her critics are pawns in a bigger game.
Posted inCity Hall
In Oakland police bribery case, an internal investigation revealed more troubling practices at OPD
Veteran officer Phong Tran faces criminal charges for his handling of a murder case. His internal affairs file reveals that unrecorded cash payments to witnesses have been allowed at OPD for years.
Posted inCity Hall
After fumbling last year’s elections, Alameda County’s voting office gets a new watchdog
The county Board of Supervisors voted to create an election commission to oversee the registrar of voters.
