Oakland Desending Into Hell

City leaders care about Occupy Wall Street. There's more opportunity for time on television.

Jackson's plea for help from the governor comes almost a week after Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan told the City Council the department lacked a crime reduction plan and did not have the resources to develop one. 

Jackson said he felt compelled to put Brown on the spot because Oakland residents have been "abandoned" by city leaders unwilling or unable to make the reduction of street violence the city's highest priority.

"Crime isn't an issue for our city leaders, who seem to care more about these Occupy people - and most of them don't even live here," he said Monday.

"Residents are being killed at an alarming rate. It's like the wild, wild west over here," Jackson said referring to violence in the communities surrounding the church on 66th Avenue.

"Crime is up 20 percent, but that includes all the city's neighborhoods. In our community, we have shootings and homicides almost every night," Jackson said.

With two weeks to go before City Council elections, Oakland's crime rate has reached a tipping point for many residents.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/johnson/article/Higher-power-could-help-Oakland-governor-3972670.php#ixzz2A7kEfPVH