Oakland has only 700 sworn officers for a city of 400,000, well below the national average. The city hired civilians to organize residents in crime prevention councils and neighborhood alert groups to help break down the walls that sometimes separate neighbors from each other and the police. Oakland also has begun to compile and disseminate crime data on a daily basis. The police departments make those statistics available to all its personnel and to the public. Internet crime maps are updated daily, trends are spotted, and action is taken promptly.
Information is collected by beat, establishing a basis for competition and accountability.
Crime most often occurs in precise locations and often in patterns that can be quickly identified. The police department also provides extensive training to all its officers and is recognized for its excellent academy for police recruits. Additionally, officers are required to attend a Professional Development Academy every two years where they are introduced to new legislation, recent court rulings, and current issues regarding law enforcement. Finally, the city has established a police and state correction team to monitor the activities of individuals released on parole. The team meets with each person released from state prison to the city of Oakland.