Stopping gun violence in Oakland
Oaklandside 510
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Gun violence is dropping in Oakland, but it's still way too high. We take you behind the scenes into some intensive, on-the-ground efforts to bring the numbers down further — efforts that are funded by the city but led by civilians.
Host Tasneem Raja talks with Oaklandside’s public safety reporter Roselyn Romero about Oakland's gun violence prevention programs. They discuss:
- The Ceasefire strategy that identifies high-risk individuals and surrounds them with both support and accountability
- How violence interrupters like Youth Alive's Doral Myles mediate conflicts before they escalate
- How victims and perpetrators of violence often come from the same communities
- How teenagers with Youth Alive teach kids and adults about the root causes of violence and managing conflicts
- The challenge of maintaining these programs through political and funding changes
Plus: Oakland's nine-year struggle to regulate short-term rentals like Airbnbs, a controversial proposal that could criminalize homelessness, free field trips to the Oakland Museum, and restaurant openings and closures around town.
Arts reporter Azucena Rasilla closes with weekend activities including East Oakland filmmaker Anthony Lucero's hometown premiere of Paper Bag Plan, Brazilian jazz at The Sound Room, the Oakland Chinatown Night Market, and the 23rd Oakland International Film Festival.
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Stories in this episode
- Trump claims Oakland crime is out of control. But crime has fallen this year
- Black boys and young men make up 48% of gun homicide victims in Alameda County, report finds
- Oakland's violence prevention efforts and Ceasefire strategy
- Youth Alive violence intervention programs
- Nine-year delay in short-term rental regulations
- Controversial homeless encampment policy proposal
- Oakland Museum's free field trip program
- Oakland restaurants: openings and closings around town
Find all these stories and more at oaklandside.org.
