Oakland Chinatown leaders call for City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas to resign

(Oakland) Violent crime has taken away many lives in Oakland. Chinatown leader Carl Chan and supporters hosted a press conference on October 4 against City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas' position to defund the Oakland Police Department and calling her to step down from her office.

The press conference was organized by Chan and community activists of Oakland Chinatown. But the press event ended up with arguments between Chan's group and Bas' supporters who held signs of Bas’ reelection campaign standing behind.

In the media cameras, the press event looked like a rally to support Bas for reelection. Her supporters defended Bas and called Chan a liar.

2021 was Oakland's deadliest year since 2006. A total of 134 people were killed in Oakland in 2021. It was the record number since 2006 in which 148 people were murdered. As of October 4 this year, there have been 101 killings in Oakland. The victims of violent crime were from all ethnicities, including two Chinese Americans, Uber driver Kon Fung and local dentist Lili Xu, who were shot to death in recent months in Oakland.

Anti-Asian violence incidents occurring in Oakland have also become national news since the pandemic. Chan himself was the victim of anti-Asian violence who was attacked on the street in broad daylight at Oakland Chinatown in May 2021.

"Oakland City Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas failed in her leadership to take any initiatives to protect residents in her district and the city of Oakland more broadly," Chan said in the press conference. "Bewilderingly, she credits herself with bringing more police resources to Oakland Chinatown despite spending more than a year working to cut the police budget and reduce officers on the force."

"Oakland needs leadership, not stances taken for political convenience that bring great harm to Oaklanders in the form of murders, violent attacks, robberies and stray bullets striking innocent victims. It is time for Nikki Fortunato Bas to step down and resign. Citizens of Oakland see and experience the deterioration of living conditions and the loss of social order," Chan said.

“Oakland Chinatown will be gone under this situation," said Chan. "Time and time again, the violent crime directly impacting Oakland’s residents, including

its Asian community, shows the consequences of Councilwoman Bas’ out of touch

policies.”

Chan said Bas' longtime call to defund the police and reduce law enforcement presence resulted in innocent victims getting beaten, robbed and murdered. "It’s time for her to step down.”

Bas responded to Wind Newspaper's inquiry and stated, "I am pasting below my October 3rd newsletter, which has recent information on public safety. "

"All Oaklanders deserve to feel safe. That is why I have been leading efforts to build a more comprehensive public safety system, where police can more effectively focus on responding to and solving serious and violent crimes, and we make deeper investments in alternative crisis response for non-violent issues like mental health; violence prevention programs; and the root causes of violence and inequality."

In respect to the police budget, Bas said, "Each year, the Oakland police budget has increased. Last year, the budget that I proposed and the Council approved increased the police budget by $38 million while investing more in violence prevention and alternative crisis response."

"This year, the budget that I proposed and the Council approved increased the police budget by $11 million. The Council also approved an amended police contract that extends it for 2 more years, through June 30, 2026, with a 3% annual COLA (cost of living adjustment), increases longevity premiums to retain officers, adds recruitment incentives to attract officers and more. The additional cost of this contract is $32.5 million," Bas said.