News & Events
Rashidah on Stanford Law Clinic Panel
On December 12,
PUEEBLO Attempts to Confront Compliance Director 
On Tuesday, December 10th, PUEBLO and the Ella Baker Center tried to meet with OPD NSA Compliance Director Tom Frazier.
Davey D Cook Accepts PUEBLO award 
If you missed our recent dinner, here's a glimpse of some of the sights and sounds....
Tremendous turnout for PUEBLO dinner 
November 9th saw a huge turnout of supporters to honor PUEBLO's 24 years of work on behalf of Oakland residents of color, youth, immigrants and other marginalized communities. Attendees were treated to delicious Carribean and soul food dishes, raffle prizes, and many just couldn't resist getting up to dance to the vibes of the Carribean Allstars. Honoring Davey D was a highlight of the evening and Davey's remarks will be posted here soon.
In the meantime, check out the photos:
PUEBLO Youth Programs Video 
PUEBLO wants to share a short video that highlights some of the wonderful activities PUEBLO provided for Oakland youth as a part of our various programs that educate, develop skills, encourage leadership and community awareness.
PUEBLO Youth Complete Wage Fairness Project 
PUEBLO Youth Complete Wage Fairness Project was funded by the California Endowment, providing funding to several Oakland youth groups to administer a project to advance social justice. PUEBLO's youth submitted a proposal to survey day laborers about whether or not they had ever been paid less than they were promised, asked to work extra hours without compensation, or not been paid at all after working. Their findings are summarized below. We are very proud of the excellent work this group did in less than two months' time.
Congraulations!
PUEBLO 
Saturday, November 9th, 2013 at 6:00 PM
Mayor Quan Compromises Police Reform 
Some of Mayor Quan’s most fervent supporters have warned her that if she does not immediately change course regarding the implementation of the City Council's clear policy regarding the Citizens’ Police Review Board, they may no longer be able to endorse her bid for a second term.
Youth Wage Fairness Project 
The Wage Fairness Project is a group of five students and a project of PUEBLO. Our goal is to interview day laborers in East Oakland about wage theft, which is when employers underpay workers, pay them late, or do not pay them at all for their labor and create laws to protect them. The Wage Fairness Project is a group of five students and a project of PUEBLO.
PUEBLO Holds Mayor Quan Accountable 
On July 22, PUEBLO members and allies arrived at Mayor Quan' office to ask her what her position is on transferring the intake of complaints from Internal Affairs to the Citizens' Police Review Board (CPRB).
PUEBLO sponsors Vertical Farm 
Green Skies Vertical Farm is a project that is testing unique new methods of vertical agriculture while taking advantage of unused urban spaces. Our goal is to create a system that can be easily reproduced in vacant lots throughout urban areas in the US and abroad.
Santana subverts will of City Council
June's Public Safety Committee continued to hear one excuse after another from Ms Santana about the difficulties she faces in implementing the long-overdue reform. Even more distressing was her characterization of the proposal which would insert civilians into Internal Affairs, rather than the CPRB.
Rudsdale's Green Teens
PUEBLO staff Renee Peoples and Diana Escamilla have been hard at work at the Garden program that began in March of this year, assisting students in learning sustainable living skills through the creation of a large garden. With a small budget, students that I affectionately call my Green Teens from Rudsdale and SoJourner Truth schools have been busy transforming a beautiful piece of land adjacent to their school into a vibrant garden.
OPD Must Civilianize Positions 
The City Council must include in its 2013-2015 budget a provision to civilianize at least 25 positions instead of incurring the expense of 4 police academies.
Pinole Farm Grand Opening Awesome! 
Pinole Creek Incubator Farm is nestled in between Briones and the City of Pinole, 20 minutes outside of Oakland and 12 minutes from the Orinda BART. This farmer incubation project on EBMUD watershed land along the Pinole Creek aims to improve food sovereignty for vulnerable urban communities by developing a vertically-integrated network of fresh food enterprises inked to the stewardship of public lands.
Harvest Time Approaches
As harvest time approaches, PUEBLO's Urban Youth Harvest is about to get underway. If you have more fruit than you can handle, give us a call at 510 535 2525 and our youth will come and glean what you can't use We donate the produce we harvest to low-income seniors and others who can't afford or don't have access to fresh produce.
The Start of Tassafaronga Community Garden
In the summer of 2011, PUEBLO's Youth Greening Oakland program teamed up with Acta Non Verba to do the heavy lifting and prepare the soil for Tassafaronga's first community garden. We did outreach to the surrounding community and here's a short interview about the process from those who participated.
Pinole Farm Grand Opening 
Sunday, April 21st, 2013 at 12:00 PM
Oakland Youth Learn Construction Skills 
Youth are learning construction skills which will help them develop careeers.
Youth Plant Trees and Garden 
Last summer (2012) the PUEBLO YGO team had the opportunity to work on great projects around district 7 and beyond. Firstly, we continued our stewardship of the gardens that we had been working on since the previous summer, these projects included our ongoing collaboration with Suzanne at the Stonehurst garden where we planted and harvested many wonderful fruits and veggies and prepared the soil for the orchard that will be planted there this month.
Oakland Post on PUEBLO
The following is a reprint of Jesse Allen Taylor's article on PUEBLO's work over the past twenty years to improve police accountability in Oakland.
With the Dec.13 date fast approaching for a federal court hearing on the fate of the Oakland Police Department, the City of Oakland might have avoided a court takeover of OPD if it had followed the advice of a local grassroots police watchdog organization.
PUEBLO Youth Honored at Dinner 
At PUEBLO's 23rd Anniversary Dinner on November 10th, PUEBLO Program Directors Oscar Arciniega and Leon Dockery awarded several of their outstanding trainees for their curiosity, dependability and consistency as they have learned skills in auto repair and home construction skills. They are earning money as they acquire both job and life skills training that will provide career and business opportunities for them, and they are also earning money to continue their education and acquire either a diploma or a GED.
Congratulations to all for a wonderful kick off of this new program supported by the Private Industry Council and Alameda Social Services.
Growing Plants Without Soil 
That is what Youth Greening Oakland teens did last summer at Castlemont High School when they built an aquaculture garden.An aquaculture garden is an indoor garden that is fertilized using fish. A fish tank is connected to the garden. Plants are grown using gravel instead of soil.
---new article---From Rashidah 
Check out Rashidah's comments on the strategies and approach to community safety that actually work, and cost far less than our current programs in public safety.
Interview with Rashidah on KPFA
Rashidah Grinage, PUEBLO's Executive Director, was interviewed by KPFA's Kitty Kelly Epstein on her bi-weekly program called "Education Today." Police accountability was discussed, along with the progress made by PUEBLO's Youth Policy Builders in getting some reforms intended to improve the relationship between Oakland police and youth.
PUEBLO Dinner Resounding Success 
PUEBLO's 23rd Anniversary Dinner attracted a diverse representation of our community. One of the main elements of the program was the celebration of our youth employment program which featured several of our youth receiving awards from their instructors. Another special moment was provided by the recipients' of PUEBLO's Community Leader Award to Robert Gammon, Ali Winston and Joaquin Palomino of the East Bay Express for their investigative reporting of the Oakland Police Department's ongoing challenges.
PUEBLO 
Saturday, November 10th, 2012 at 6:00 PM
ATTORNEYS REQUEST RECEIVERSHIP OF POLICE 
Attorneys John Burris and James Chanin called a press conference on Friday, October 5th to detail the reasons for their filing a motion with Judge Thelton Henderson that requests the appointment of a Federal receiver to 'enforce' the portions of the Negotiated Settlement Agreement with which the Oakland Police Department remains non-compliant.
PUEBLO co-sponsors Candidates 
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Does Oakland Need a Police Commisison? Sign this petition if you feel Oakland voters should have a choice! PUEBLO | Created: 06-17-2012
Professor Sam Walker addresses ACLU 
Nationally-recognized expert on police practices and accountability, Professor Emeritus Sam Walker made an appearance at the Paul Robeson Chapter of the ACLU annual event. He addressed issues of civil liberties related to the expansion of homeland security, and discussed the need for more civic engagement to pressure municipal governments to reign in unacceptable police practices, such as racial profiling.
Youth Proposals to Chief Jordan 
OYPB members met with Chief Jordan on May 10th to propose policies to improve the relationship between youth and police in Oakland. Please sign this petition to express your support for these initiatives.
OYPB presents at "Heal the Streets" 
On Saturday, April 21st, Oakland Youth Policy Builders was represented by Andrea Guzman and Saleem Shakir at the Ella Baker Center's "Heal the Streets" event at the Eastside Cultural Alliance Center. After an intense "participatory research" activity which featured dramatic scenes of urban youth challenges, where the audience was invited to intervene, Andrea participated in a panel discussion with youth leaders from Youth Together, the Ella Baker Center and the HOPE Collaborative, discussing the challenges and rewards of being a youth leader in Oakland.
Desley Brooks meets with OYPB 
“Your policies will have some impact.” This what City Council member Desley Brooks told members of the Oakland Youth Policy Builders on April 5. The group met with Brooks to discuss the policy proposals for the police department they have brainstormed.
OPD Captain Tracey Dialogues with Youth 
OPD Captain Ed Tracey, head of the Training Division, visited PUEBLO\'s Oakland Youth Policy Builders on Thursday, March 15th to discuss their ideas about how the relationship between Oakland police officers and youth might be improved. Captain Tracey is a twenty-two year veteran of the Department currently in charge of training.
CPRB presents to Oakland Youth Policy Builders 
On Thursday, February 2nd, Patrick Caceres, the Manager of the Citizens' Police Review Board (CPRB) and Policy Analyst Ryan Hunter came to the PUEBLO office to dialogue with Oakland Youth Policy Builders. OYPB is reviewing a survey of 700 high school students in Oakland which revealed that 75% of students who reported negative encounters with police did not file a complaint about the incident.
Judge Henderson Considers Sanctions 
On January 9, Judge Thelton Henderson heard a motion brought by Riders' Plaintiffs Attorneys John Burris and James Chanin that sought Federal sanctions for officers who had covered their name plates during Occupy eviction actions by the Oakland Police Department.
PUEBLO Weighs in on Measure Y 
PUEBLO presented at the Measure Y Oversight Committee meeting on Dec.19th. Gwen Hardy was one of the speakers who urged the Committee to hold off on issuing new RFPs for the final three years of the Measure Y term. PUEBLO believes that current providers should have their contracts renewed for an additional six months while the Oversight Committee and the City Council re-visit violence prevention priorities.
PUEBLO presents at OaklandWorks Town Hall
PUEBLO presents at OaklandWorks Town Hall on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, from 5:30 to 7:30 at the West Oakland Senior Center, on1724 Adeline St. OaklandWorks is an alliance of several community groups who have joined together to ensure that the jobs that result from the development of the Oakland Army Base will go to Oakland residents, as a priority.
PUEBLO Dinner an Outstanding Success!
Delicious chicken mole, wonderful entertainment, and lots of good news about PUEBLO's successful efforts in 2011 to celebrate.The recent PUEBLO dinner on November 11th was enjoyed by everyone.
Judge: City Running Out of Time 
No one knew what to expect from the Negotiated Settlement Agreement Status Hearing before Judge Henderson on September 22nd. As the Judge himself admitted at the outset, “This one is somewhat different.” Going on to comment that this is no longer “business as usual,” he stated that, “we need to change things that are being done as well as attitudes.”
Round Table on Restorative Justice in Oakland 
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011 at 7:00 PM
PUEBLO's 22nd Anniversary Dinner Set! 
Friday, November 11th, 2011 at 6:00 PM
KPFA's Education Today Interviews Rashidah 
On September 9th, KPFA's Education Today interviewed Rashidah about PUEBLO's work with young people. The host, Killy Kelly Epstein asked many questions about the work PUEBLO has done to close Internal Affairs and re-route complaints against the police to the Citizens' Police Review Board (CPRB), a civilian oversight agency. The discussion focused on the need for greater transparency and accountability and the importance of involving young people in the policy-making that directly impacts their lives.
PUEBLO Launches Oakland Young Policy Builders 
PUEBLO is partnering with Concerned Black Men of Oakland to launch Oakland Youth Policy Builders, a program for young people from 14 to 23 years old. Participants will work to improve the relationship between the Oakland police officers and Oakland's youth. Utilizing the PUEBLO survey of over 700 high school students about their interactions with police, these young policy builders will analyze the data and propose changes in policy that are intended to lessen tensions and provide for a more constructive relationship.
Youth Greening Oakland 
This year, PUEBLO has expanded its summer youth program Urban Youth Harvest into an educational, job training program called Youth Greening Oakland. This year, fifteen Oakland young people are learning urban garden design, how to build compost and worm boxes, mulching, composting and permaculture skills.
City Council Closes Internal Affairs to the Public 
On Thursday, June 30, the Oakland City Council decided to close Internal Affairs to residents' complaints against police, and consolidate the intake of those complaints at the Citizens' Police Review Board (CPRB) in fiscal year 2012-2013.
City Council meets to decide 2 year budget!
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 at 5:30 PM
A NEW WAY TO SUPPORT PUEBLO! 
Raise money for PUEBLO when you search or shop online!
Raise a penny (or more!) for our organization every time you search the web. iSearchiGive.com is a search engine powered by iGive.com, the internet's first online shopping mall where a portion of each purchase is donated to your favorite cause. Over 700 of the web’s best stores participate in this free program, and up to 26% of each purchase benefits our cause!
Meet Ana Villa! 
Meet Ana! Here she is in her own words:
My name is Ana Villa. I have been an intern at PUEBLO (People United for a Better Life in Oakland) since the summer of 2010. I just turned seventeen and will enroll in my senior year in American Indian Public High School. I am Hispanic, and I find it useful to be able to speak both English and Spanish fluently.
PUBLIC SAFETY vs LIBRARIES: FALSE CHOICE! 
The cuts being contemplated for parks, libraries, programs for seniors and other services is not only the consequence of an economy that has gone south, causing declining revenues. The budget deficit also derives from the disproportionate and unsustainable costs of public safety (police and fire) that cannibalize the City’s General Purpose Fund, leaving only crumbs for all the remaining public services.
Beyond Gang Injunctions: A Community Discussion 
Oakland is notorious for a high level of homicide and violent crime. So, how do we keep our communities safe?! Gang injunctions are the latest proposal for law enforcement. They are part of a continuing strategy of policing and prosecution that promises to reduce gang violence and promote safety. But some argue that these strategies siphon money away from crucial community programs, attack civil liberties, and increase racial profiling and police violence on young black and brown men (exacerbating the problem and strengthening the cycle of violence). Join National Radio Project on Saturday, May 7th in our search for healthier alternative solutions.
Cocina De PUEBLO 
PUEBLO is now offering Healthy Cooking Classes for ARISE High School students!!! We are very pleased to announce the exciting new project -- COCINA de PUEBLO!!! Program Director, Rosa Arciniega and her partner, Oscar, are working with youth to train and empower them in the kitchen and beyond.
Police Accountabilty Needed NOW!!!!! Ya Basta!!!!! 
As the Riders’ Negotiated Settlement Agreement heads toward a resolution within a year or so, there is considerable concern about what will follow it, in the way of civilian oversight of the Oakland Police Department. OPD has shown resistance to the mandated reforms, causing and additional three years to be added to the original five year period during which they were supposed to come into compliance. What will happen when the Police Department is no longer Monitored and overseen by a Federal judge? Will OPD go back to doing things the way they used to? If you care about police oversight and accountability, join the many organizations and individuals working with PUEBLO to ensure that Oakland has a vigorous, independent civilian oversight agency as we move forward.
What does "Public Safety" look like? 
The prevailing notion is that public safety depends on how many police officers you have relative to the population, and, the more officers, the more safe. Yet, professors of criminology, criminal justice and even several police chiefs have all agreed that such a correlation has never been established. While it has been shown that 'police presence' does tend to reduce certain kinds of criminal activity, like car-jackings and commercial robberies, there is far less evidence to show that increased numbers of police officers leads to a reduction in violent crimes and/or homicides.
A Call to All Potential Fruit and Vegetable DONORS 
As the Spring leads into Summer, UYH is looking forward to its fifth summer of bountiful harvesting! We are still looking for fruit and vegetable donors as we work to expand our program so that we can continue to provide seniors in Oakland with fresh produce. If you would like to support Urban Youth Harvest in our efforts and you have a surplus of fresh produce in your yard, please contact us.
Urge Council to Cut Funding of Gang Injunctions 
After packing these meetings for months, community members have pressured the Public Safety Committee to take action and put “gang” injunctions on the agenda! It’s really important for people from every Oakland neighborhood to speak at the hearing. SHOW UP EARLY ON 2/22 AT 5PM TO SIGN A SPEAKER’S CARD. OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR PRESENCE AND KNOW WE CAN WIN! Now is the time to keep the pressure on and push our elected officials to stand with us against the injunctions!
Riders Negotiated Settlement Hearing Intense! 
On Thursday, March 17th, the first Status Hearing on the Riders’ Negotiated Settlement saw heated and impassioned exchanges from plaintiffs’ attorneys John Burris and Jim Chanin as well as Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts and Oakland City Attorney’s Office representative Rocio Fierro. Judge Thelton Henderson's opening remarks previewed his assessment of where things stand when he referenced Yogi Berra’s famous quote about “déjà vu all over again,” referencing continuing promises by the City of Oakland that they were making progress in getting to full compliance with the NSA.
GET IN THE MIX!!!!! A People's Hearing on Racism 
IT'S ORGANIZING TIME!!! In the two years since Oscar Grant was killed, Oakland and Bay Area police have continued their reign of violence against our communities. The Hearing on Racism and Police Violence will finally be a chance for our communities to speak out on these issues. The event is organized by grassroots organizers and community members. Share your testimony about racist law enforcement. Demand accountability for the murders of Oscar Grant, Derrick Jones and other civil rights abuses committed by the state. February 19th & Sunday February 20th
Progress in the Fight to Halt the Gang Injunctions 
PUEBLO is in full support of the Stop the Injunctions Coalition. Last night, at the Public Safety Committee meeting, nearly 100 people turned out to voice their concerns to Oakland City Council Members about how gang injunctions only serve to further polarize our communities from feelings of safety and healthy police-citizen relations.
At the meeting, Rashidah Grinage commented on an agenda item concerning the Oakland Police Department's compliance with the Negotiated Settlement Agreement. Rashidah asked the Council members to reflect deeply on the topic. She asked them to look beyond the check boxes of compliance, and really listen to the community to determine if the Oakland Police Department has bettered its relationship and standing with a significant number of Oakland's residents by moving forward with gang injunctions without first engaging the community.
Jean Quan: Civilianizing Police Complaint Process 
We finally have posted the video clip of Jean Quan addressing PUEBLO's 21st Anniversary Dinner! The dinner was in the immediate wake of the final call which pronounced Jean Quan's victory in the 2010 Oakland Mayoral Race. Soon to be inaugurated, Quan cites several promising priorities for her coming term. Of particular interest to PUEBLO were the intentions she expressed about reuniting Oakland by backing our youth, her acknowledgment of the grassroots organizing that got her successfully elected, and, most of all, her statement about seeking to civilianize the CPRB -- something PUEBLO has been pushing for for quite some time now.
CPRB HOLDS BIAS-BASED POLICING SYMPOSIUM  The Oakland Citizens' Police Review Board held a symposium on Bias-Based Policing on December 9th. Acting Manager Patrick Caceres acted as moderator, introduced the panel of experts and then took questions and comments from the audience. Oakland Local featured an article highlighting the CPRB's functions and potential, in addition to eloquently explaining police bias and how to strategically combat it. Click the following link to check it out: Experts, community discuss how to combat race bias in Oakland policing (Analysis)Community Safety and Police Accountability | Created: 12-13-2010
Oakland Local Editorial 
PUEBLO is concerned with how our Oakland Police communicate with the Oakland Community, and as Rashidah poses in the article, Chief Batts seems to be skipping some steps that would constitute such communication.
MAYOR ELECT QUAN ATTENDS PUEBLO DINNER 
We were delighted to welcome Mayor Elect Jean Quan to PUEBLO's 21st Anniversary Dinner! on November 12th at the Sailboat House! Only a few days after the race was decided, Mayor Elect Quan kicked off our dinner celebration with some words of encouragement and commitment. The dinner was well attended and everyone seemed to have a great time. To catch the highlights, please check out the photos at:
OCT. 22nd Oscar Grant Rally 
Several organizations rallied on October 22nd at the Fruitvale BART station where Oscar Grant was murdered on New Year's Day 2009. Richard Brown of the San Francisco 8, against whom the charges have all been dismissed, talked about the start of the Black Panthers - a response to the outrageous Oakland police involved shootings of African-American men in the 70s. Rashidah Grinage spoke for PUEBLO, and representatives of other local groups talked about the ongoing violence perpetrated against people of color by the Oakland Police Department, as well as police departments all over the country.
PUEBLO HONORS JUDGE BEREOLA 
PUEBLO has chosen the Honorable Judge Gail Bereola to receive its Community Leader Award at its upcoming annual dinner celebration on November 12th at the Lake Merritt Sailboat House at 568 Bellevue (entrance on Grand Ave at Fairyland)
Judge Bereola is a Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. She has been a judge for 19 years and is formerly the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court. Having convened the County’s Restorative Juvenile Justice Task Force in November 2007.
PUEBLO WELCOMES IGNACIO! 
PUEBLO moved to the Fruirtvale area in May of this year, so we thought it was appropriate to invite our District 5 Council person Ignacio de la Fuente to our office since we are now his constituents.
MAYORAL CANDIDATES ON POLICE OVERSIGHT 
Oakland's Mayoral Candidates were given a questionnaire about their views on police oversight. L.L.Young, Greg Harland and Don Perata failed to respond, although Mr. Perata is on record as favoring the closure of the Citizens' Police Review Board.
A Progressive/Left Oakland Mayoral Forum 
PUEBLO co-sponsored a Progressive/Left Oakland Mayoral Forum on October 11, from 8-11 PM at Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland (near Broadway)
Candidates for Mayor of Oakland faced the progressive community in a forum co-sponsored by a grouping of organizations committed to social justice. Wilson Riles, Jr., a former member of the City Council, who has run for Mayor himself in the past, moderated the forum. Audience participation was included.
SURVEY FINDINGS RELEASED! 
In the Spring of 2010, Metwest senior Tamara Lawrence, supported by PUEBLO mentor Janice Embrey, administered a survey on students' experiences with and perceptions of the police. Over 800 students filled out questionnaires in their respective schools, and the results were analyzed by Research Development Associates (RDA), the same firm that the City of Oakland hired to evaluate its violence prevention and community policing programs.
PUEBLO TABLES AT KAISER HEALTH FAIR 
Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefits Program sponsored a one day Employee Health Fair from 8 AM to 4 PM on Wednesday, September 15th. PUEBLO was invited to participate, along with other organizations that provide healthful programs that promote well-being and fitness.
JUDGE HENDERSON WARNS OPD 
It is now 8 years after the Negotiated Settlement Agreement that resulted from the infamous “Riders” Class Action law suit brought by Attorneys John Burris and Jim Chanin. The NSA was supposed to expire after 5 years, and cost the City of Oakland several millions of dollars in fees to an Independent Monitor Team that was employed to report on the compliance of OPD to Federal Judge Thelton E. Henderson. Because OPD was not in full compliance at the end of the 5 year period, the NSA was extended for 3 years, and, as reported in the 2nd Quarter report of 2010, OPD is still not in full compliance.
Got Fruit?
If you have excess fruits, vegetables, or herbs and would like to donate what you can't use to those in our community who lack access to fresh produce, you can be a donor to Urban Youth Harvest. Instead of letting all of that produce go to waste, let us collect it and deliver it to Oakland’s senior citizens who have need of fresh produce to maintain good health!
PUEBLO attends Racially Biased Policing Training 
PUEBLO was invited by the Oakland :Police Department to participate in a two day training on Racially Biased Policing. This session was co-sponsored by the Oakland and Berkeley Police Departments and the top command staff of each Department attend. It was considered important to have community stakeholders present, as well as police officers. In addition to PUEBLO, the Berkeley Chapters of the ACLU and the NAACP also attended the training.
The instructor was Dr. Lorie Fridell, the former Director of Research at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a national expert on racial profiling, or what she terms 'racially biased policing.'
Listening Session in East Oakland
PUEBLO will sponsor a Listening Session for the Oakland Food Policy Council on Thursday, Aug. 12th!
This session will be held at the East Oakland Boxing Association from 5-7 PM, with dinner and child care provided.
PUEBLO co-hosts Fruitvale Listening Session 
PUEBLO co-hosted a Fruitvale Listening Session with La Clinica de la Raza on behalf of the Oakland Food Policy Council on July 28th. The Council was interested in getting input from the residents about many issues they've been working on, related to whether folks have access to fresh, affordable healthy foods.
It's Time to Act!
It's time to act, We want citizen complaints to go to the CPRB instead of Internal Affairs! The City Council passed a resolution to close Internal Affairs to complaints and send them to the Citizens' Police Review Board (CPRB) but without funding, it won't happen.
Mayoral Forum a Huge Success! 
The Mayoral Forum on Public Safety Issues was a huge success last Thursday! The Lakeshore Baptist Church was filled, all the candidates except Don Perata participated, and those who attended were very appreciative of the opportunity to learn where the candidates stand on the critically important issue of public safety.
PUEBLO CO-SPONSORS MAYORAL FORUM ON PUBLIC SAFETY
Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 7:00 PM
PUEBLO presents forum on Restorative Justice! 
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 at 7:00 PM
East Park 17X NCPC hosts John Russo 
On Thursday, May 20th, the East Park 17X NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council) invited City Attorney John Russo to discuss the gang injunction he is seeking for members of the Northside Gang which operates in North Oakland.
GOT TOWED? 
Recently, many vehicles have been towed by the Oakland Police Department under their "Abandoned Car" Ordinance, but many owners feel that what happened to them was unfair, and possibly illegal. PUEBLO has learned of cases where vehicles were towed from the owner's driveway! If you've had a vehicle towed for reasons you feel were unfair, please contact PUEBLO. We are trying to document these cases in the hopes of getting Oakland to change its Ordinance and its policies. Email us at [email protected] or call us at (510) 535 2525.
WE MOVED! 
Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 12:00 PM
URBAN YOUTH HARVEST AT OAKLAND EXPO 
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 at 10:00 AM
PUEBLO hiring for Summer Jobs 
PUEBLO is hiring for Urban Youth Harvest workers this summer!
OPD Pushes Gang Ordinance 
On Tuesday, February 9th, the Oakland Police Department urged the Public Safety Committee to approve a gang injunction policy. According to the report: "Civil gang injunctions are obtained against a gang whose activities constitute a public nuisance.The complaint is filed along with an application for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the gang association."
There were nine public speakers, and all but one opposed such a policy, arguing that it would legitimize racial profiling and lead to civil rights abuses and an increase in law suits against the City.
PUEBLO Assists Oakland Food Policy Council 
PUEBLO is working with the Oakland Food Policy Council to help craft a strategic plan to present to the City Council later this year. On January 21st, the Council had its second full Council meeting, after smaller working groups had met to discuss proposals and recommendations. A diverse group of individuals, community based organizations as well as public agencies are represented by this group, and all meetings are open to the public.
Batts Endorses High School Survey 
Chief Batts enthusiastically supports PUEBLO's High School Survey on Policing! Tamara Lawrence, a senior at Metwest High School, is spearheading this work to fulfill her senior project, working with Janice Embrey as her mentor. In PUEBLO's first meeting with Chief Batts, Tamara explained the reason she chose this work and described attitudes that many of her classmates have toward Oakland police.
PUEBLO Meets Police Chief Batts 
PUEBLO had its first meeting with Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts Jan.13. Co-founding member Gwen Hardy provided Chief Batts with an introduction to PUEBLO, its history and accomplishments, after all of the attendees had introduced themselves to the Chief.
Most of the meeting was devoted to PUEBLO members expressing their interests, issues, concerns and questions to the Chief, and he responded very positively at the conclusion of the session.
HIGH SCHOOL SURVEY ON POLICING IN OAKLAND 
PUEBLO is excited about a new project led by Janice Embrey that will survey high school students in Oakland about their experiences with Oakland police officers. The student leader is Tamara Lawrence, a student at MetWest High School who will be leading a group of students from several high schools as they prepare the questionnaire.
Professor Tryon Woods of Sonoma State University will work with the students to generate the report of the findings and help the students analyze the implications of the data. The students will then begin a process of identifying whatever changes in policy or practice might be needed based on the results of this research.
PEET'S FUNDRAISER A HUGE SUCCESS! 
PEET'S Lakeshore store matched dollar for dollar the donations they received up through Christmas Day and donated to PUEBLO! We are grateful to the store's manager for selecting PUEBLO as the 2009 non-profit organization that they would support in this way.
PUEBLO Dinner Outstanding! 
PUEBLO's 20th Anniversary Dinner was a huge outstanding by all accounts! We had to scramble to find enough chairs to seat the overflow crowd that attended. Everett & Jones had to keep the food coming from their van to accomodate everyone on the line, and the West African Dance Troupe Diamano Coura drew a rousing ovation after their amazing performance.
PUEBLO Co-Hosts Reception for OPD Chief Batts 
On Nov 23rd at 6 PM at Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Oakland, Alameda County Keith Carson and several community organizations including PUEBLO co-hosted a reception for newly appointed Police Chief Anthony Batts. Chief Batts was introduced by City Council member Desley Brooks and introduced himself to the audience. Other co-hosts included the District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, Public Defender Diane Bellas, The Black Elected Officials and Faith Based Leaders of the East Bay, BWOPA (Black Women Organized for Political Action, Oakland/Berkeley Chapter) The Ella Baker Center, Leadership Excellence, The Mentoring Center, Oakland Rising,Youth Alive and Youth Uprising.
PUEBLO ANNUAL DINNER 
Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Racial Profiling and Police Brutality 
Rashidah participated in a Conference at Boalt Hall in Berkeley on October 7th at 4 PM that looked at Racial Profiling and Police Brutality -- What's Gender Got to Do With It? This panel discussion brought activists from across the Bay Area to look at the impact of police misconduct, bringing the experiences of women and LGBT people of color to the center of the analysis.
Food and Wine Magazine features UYH 
The November issue of Food and Wine Magazine contains a tribute to PUEBLO's Urban Youth Harvest Program called "Culinary Crusaders" and a slide show of our students in action!
Check it out at http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-culinary-crusader-awards-urban-youth-harvest
Urban Youth Harvest Graduation Day 
After eight weeks of learning how to fix bikes, ride bikes, harvest locally produced fruits, vegetables and herbs, we celebrated our interns' successful completion of the Urban Youth Harvest Program, in conjunction with Cycles of Change at a picnic on August 22nd at Poplar Park. Our students learned valuable skills, promoted their own fitness, contributed fresh, local produce to our low income senior citizens, and upgraded their academic and job-readiness skills.
Check out our Urban Youth Harvest Photos! 
Urban Youth Harvest Staff took almost 100 photos of the students engaged in activities ranging from fixing bikes, to riding bikes, to harvesting fresh fruit, to landscaping and learning how to start their own business. They were honored by a graduation picnic where they did a good bit of the barbecuing at Poplar Park.
NOBLE honors PUEBLO
On April 24, 2009, the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) recognized PUEBLO's accomplishments in advocating community saftey and police accountability.
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