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Not a Good Look: Oakland Police Communications Fail During Visit by President Obama
There are some cities where the budget crisis is so bad that embarrassing things happen in public. Detroit is the most recent example, where it was determined that it now takes four hours for police to come to your house during a standard call. Oakland has recently tried to trump Detroit with the most embarrassing police incident of the year. In what a police commander called a “train wreck,” a major piece of the radio system used to allow officers to communicate shut down during a visit by President Barack Obama. “The guys downtown couldn’t talk to one another,” said Barry Donelan, head of the Oakland Police Officers Association. There was even a time when officers couldn’t speak to the dispatch center, which means that if Obama had been attacked, they would have been sitting there like lame ducks. “That lasted about 30 minutes,” Mestas said. “When you have the president there, 30 seconds is too long.” After the president left, the situation only continued to get worse. Oakland is currently dealing with massive protests, with streets being blocked and protesters everywhere. “Any radio failure puts officers at risk, but this was a critical situation to provide safety and security for the president and the public,” said Donelan. Pleasant Hill Police Chief Pete Dunbar, a former Oakland Police officer, said this: “When you have the president of the United States in town and your system goes down,” he said, “you wonder what could happen next.”
Michael
July 27, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Absolutely atrocious.
Danita Johnson
July 27, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Please…. the secret service goes everywhere with President Obama; and, a motorcade keeps him surrounded. Oakland, Detroit, Washington, D.C.; or, anywhere else. The President of the United States is protected!!!! But, Oakland and Detroit should get their s_ _t together.
TIMM DAWG
July 28, 2012 at 8:04 am
Amen to that sista!!! With it being publicized it is more likely now for something bad to happen. These kinds of thing need to be kept in-house and not put on blast for public knowledge for some ignorant-ass to take advantage of!!!
Dawn
July 28, 2012 at 9:39 am
Probably intentional.
Robert
July 28, 2012 at 12:15 pm
If the President is so protected, how were they able to assasinate President Kennedy and shot Ronald Reagan. As hostile as people are toward this President, every precaution must be taken to protect him. Never be so naive that you think, that he is not in constant danger. To all of the police agencies, no more mishaps, misunderstandings or mistakes. PROTECT THE PRESIDENT NOW
O Dogg
July 28, 2012 at 5:47 pm
@Robert…I agree!!!