Center for Public Safety Management Calls for Service (CFS) Study

The Oakland Police Department contracted with the Center for Public Safety Management (CPSM) to conduct an analysis of our Calls for Service (CFS). The study was commissioned as part of a multi-phase evaluation of department workload and responses, with a focus on the first phase in identifying the potential for alternative responses as part of Reimagining Public Safety, recognizing that further analysis would be required in the second phase on any identified alternative responses. Additionally, the study analyzed service response times, organizational structure, and additional data which will form the basis for the second phase of the analysis to balance workload and organizational form and functions.

• The CFS Study started with an extraction of all OPD calls for service from 2019, via Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), from the City of Oakland server.

• CPSM removed all duplicate calls and calls for service OPD did not ultimately respond to due to the nature of the call not requiring a police response.

• The study focused on calls handled by field personnel; both community and department initiated.

• The report breaks down what types of calls were handled, on average, daily and how many OPD units, on average, were used to handle such calls.

• After initial review, 314 call types were identified.

• Of 314 call types, 33 were identified as having a potentiality of an alternative, non-sworn, response.

• A breakdown, by beat, of calls, work hours, violent crimes and response times is included.

• Call response times and staffing trends were compared using eight-week Winter Summer periods.

This study and report are the groundwork for what will be a multi-phased in-depth study that will require further analysis of workload and alternative response viability with a continued inclusion of subject matter experts, and community input. The intent moving forward is to eye all advances in the framework of balance and function to better serve the public.