Oakland’s police ranks are running thin, and the city’s push to bring more women into uniform is barely moving the needle. Academy classes are small, officers are retiring, and patrols are holding the line with fewer personnel on shift.
As of last Friday, the Oakland Police Department had 625 sworn officers on the books and, with about 102 on leave, roughly 523 officers available for full duty. The percentage of women in OPD has hovered around 15%, and the department loses about five to six officers a month on average, according to KQED. An independent staffing analysis recommended the city budget for about 877 officers to cover patrol and investigative work.
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