Oakland Advances $900K Youth Cadet Program to Rebuild Depleted Police Force

Oakland's Public Safety Committee unanimously approved a resolution to reinstate the city's police cadet program, funded by a $900,000 private grant targeting youth as young as 15, in a bid to address a department operating at barely 80% of its authorized strength. The vote came as the committee opened with a somber acknowledgment of a weekend mass shooting that killed two people, including an educator — underscoring the public safety crisis driving urgency behind the recruitment push.

• $900,000 Oakland Police Foundation grant advances to rebuild OPD's youth-to-officer pipeline after two-year hiatus
• Committee mourns weekend mass shooting that killed educator Leticia Bobo and Marquis St. Martin
• Cadet program lowers eligibility to age 15, targeting youth from West, North and East Oakland
• Public commenters clash over whether to reinstate cadets while OPD remains under federal oversight
• Councilmember Fife pledges crackdown on unregulated venues after shooting in his district

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A $900K Bet on Oakland's Own Youth

The centerpiece of the March 10 Public Safety Committee meeting was a resolution to accept and appropriate a $900,000 grant from the Oakland Police Foundation to bring back OPD's cadet program — a youth recruitment pipeline that was cut during the 2023-24 budget crunch and has been dormant for two years.

The basics: The grant covers fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28, funding salaries, training, uniforms and equipment for nine initial cadet positions. Cadets will handle administrative duties, certain property-crime reports that don't require law enforcement follow-up, traffic control, ride-alongs with sworn officers and facility tours. They will not carry firearms but may carry handcuffs and pepper spray after training.

Why it matters: OPD is severely understaffed. The department has just 499 sworn members out of an authorized 615 — a gap of 116 officers. The cadet program historically boasted a 90%-plus success rate in transitioning participants into the police academy, making it the department's strongest homegrown recruitment tool.

"Currently, OPD has 615 sworn members with an operational strength of 499," said Chief James Beer. "The cadets who enter our police academy have a very high success rate, usually higher, over 90% than their peers."

Where things stand: The revamped program lowers the minimum eligibility age from 17.5 to 15, giving cadets more time in the pipeline before they're old enough for the academy. Recruitment targets Oakland residents from neighborhoods across West, North and East Oakland. A cadet coordinator will be selected through a competitive testing process among sworn officers.

Chief Beer framed the program as more than a staffing fix — it's a culture shift. "One of the issues when I started almost 30 years ago was that there were very few Oakland officers that were born and raised in Oakland," he said, describing cadets as community ambassadors who bring OPD presence back into schools and neighborhoods.

Chair Charlene Wang echoed the vision but pressed on equity, asking whether underserved communities would be prioritized and whether cadets could support beat-walking. The Chief confirmed cadets can only accompany sworn officers on foot or in vehicles — they cannot operate independently.

Councilmember Houston asked how the program would be advertised and whether the council could help it expand. Chief Beer said applications are already being received through the city website and that Measure NN funding is being explored for future growth.

Public Comment: Pipeline or Problem?

Three members of the public weighed in, exposing a fault line between those who see the program as essential and those troubled by its timing.

Rajni Mandal, a District 4 resident, was the most enthusiastic, citing conversations with officers who came through the program and calling it one of OPD's strongest recruitment pipelines. She referenced an East Bay Polling Institute survey showing public safety is a top voter priority, with roughly two-thirds of residents wanting more police officers.

David Boatwright, also from District 4, expressed support but pressed for accountability, asking about female candidate graduation rates, the average age of academy applicants from the program, and whether the coordinator position could be filled by an officer on medical leave.

Assada Olabala struck a sharply different tone, opposing reinstatement while OPD remains under the Negotiated Settlement Agreement — the federal oversight framework governing the department since 2003. She cited unresolved issues around discriminatory discipline of African Americans, retaliation and promotion practices, and raised pointed questions about citizenship requirements, parental approval, liability insurance and the content of written tests.

A Website Glitch and a Promise

Chair Wang flagged a concrete discrepancy: the staff report lists eligibility at age 15, but the city website still states applicants must be 17.5 or a high school senior attending college.

"I see in the report that for eligibility it's 15 years old, but on the website it says high school senior attending college. Can you clarify that so we can provide accurate information for who qualifies?" she asked.

Chief Beer acknowledged the error and said a question on the application still asks candidates to certify they are 17.5. "We're telling applicants just to say no. That will not disqualify them," he said, promising to update the application and the departmental general order.

The Bigger Picture

Councilmember Fife delivered the meeting's most expansive remarks, connecting the cadet program directly to the weekend mass shooting in his district. He described the cadets as a long-term answer to the cycle of violence.

"As long as we have a system of racialized inequality and oppressive capitalism in this country, we're going to need a system that addresses individuals that do not want or have a difficult time engaging in systems society," he said. He also referenced twin officers Isaac and Isaiah Harris, who came up through the cadet program from West Oakland, as proof of its transformative potential.

Councilmember Brown asked what success metrics would be used, prompting Chief Beer to outline reporting commitments on recruitment, academy completion and retention.

Decisions: The resolution passed 4-0 (For: Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Fife, Councilmember Houston, Chair Wang) and was forwarded to the March 16 Special City Council meeting on consent.

What's next: The full City Council will take up the resolution on its March 16 consent calendar. If approved, OPD will begin filling the nine cadet positions and the coordinator role. The department will also need to correct its online application and update its general order to reflect the new age-15 minimum. Expansion using Measure NN funding remains under consideration.

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Mourning Another Educator Lost to Violence

Chair Charlene Wang opened the meeting by acknowledging a mass shooting over the weekend that left seven victims and two dead: Leticia Bobo, an educator and teacher, and Marquis St. Martin.

"I just want to acknowledge the mass shooting that had happened this past weekend where there were seven victims and unfortunately there were two individuals who died," she said.

Wang noted the painful pattern of Oakland losing educators to violence, referencing Coach Beam and Marvin Boomer. Councilmember Fife, in whose district the shooting occurred, described an individual with a weapon inside a crowded venue that the city had not been aware was operating. He pledged the city would work to shut down such unregulated venues. The committee observed a moment of silence.

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Minor Items

• February 24 meeting minutes approved 4-0 without discussion.
• Outstanding committee items schedule accepted as-is, 4-0, with no changes requested.
• Open forum: Assada Olabala criticized the Privacy Commission's reporting requirements on federal task forces — including the Secret Service, ATF, FBI, and DEA — arguing they hamper OPD's operational effectiveness and represent overreach compared to scrutiny directed at other commissions.