The New York Times names Oakland top place to visit in North America–#5 on The 45 Places to go in 2012!  Check out Emily Brady’s slide show in 36 Hours in Oakland-- “For visitors willing to give the city a chance, the rewards are plenty: Art Deco architecture, stunning views and a lively mix of cultures.” Photo by Eros Hoagland for The New York...

Removing the proliferating guns and reducing the shootings and homicides in Oakland is our top priority. We are ensuring that our families, children and businesses are safe, by making public safety a top priority, getting guns off the street and reducing recidivism. We are  laser-focused about using our increasingly limited resources in a smarter, more effective way. Short-term it means concentrated enforcement Mid-term, it means community engagement and...

I got my start in Oakland politics in 1989 as a parent trying to save the schools’ music and arts programs. I served on the Oakland Board of Education for 3 terms and the Oakland City Council for 2 terms before being elected Oakland’s first woman and first Asian American mayor in 2010. As the first Asian American woman mayor of a major US City, I have been a leader at the local, regional, state and national level, serving on the boards of the California and...

Join one of the many Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service events scheduled for Monday, January 16, 2012. We are encouraging some new efforts in the 100 blocks of Oakland where we have the highest levels of violence.  Contact Reygan Harmon at 238-6291 in our office if your would like to participate or organize a project: Urban Releaf, 31st and Market Street in West Oakland, 10 am-1 pm: Tree planting. Allen Temple Baptist Church and 2012 Community Revitalization...

One of my campaign pledges was to bring together the City, local public and private schools, colleges and universities,  labor and local businesses to focus on education and jobs for Oakland’s youth. Under the leadership of OUSD Superintendent Tony Smith, Mills College President Janet Holmgren and myself as Mayor, our Education Cabinet meets once a month to focus on three priorities: Fine tuning the education/jobs continuum so that the school, city and...

Oakland will flourish as we strengthen collaborative efforts on the local, regional, state and national level. By working together with residents, local businesses and sister agencies at all levels–sharing ideas and, when possible, resources–we can more effectively and efficiently serve our...

In addition to press releases or press coverage at specific newsworthy events, we hold weekly press briefings to provide reporters with background information on upcoming issues so that they can help communicate complex issues to the public.