Mayor Jean Quan has been a fierce proponent of a crime fighting plan labeled the 100 Block plan. But now it has been revealed that her crime statistics – claiming that 90 percent of homicides happened in 100 blocks – was badly inaccurate.
Instead of 90 percent in 100 blocks, the real numbers appear to be along the lines of 58 percent of homicides took place in 1,300 blocks – or nearly 20 percent of the city. But under the 100 Blocks approach, the city had assigned extra officers to a 100 block area, fighting serious crime and gun violence. However, the plan drew officers from other areas of the city, leaving those residents exposed. Critics say that violent crime outside of the 100 block area has increased 20 percent as a result of the program.
Quan said that as mayor, she should have verified the statistics she’s trumpeted. However, she drew the data from community meetings that involved police officers, and took the statistic and used it widely.
From the Oakland Tribune:
Mayor Jean Quan won’t say exactly how she came to embrace an incorrect statistic that at first lent crucial credibility but now threatens to undermine her signature crime-fighting plan.
At a news conference Wednesday, she continued to defend her 100 Block plan even as she acknowledged that her much-repeated claim that 90 percent of homicides and shootings occurred in just 100 city blocks was far from accurate.
“As mayor I probably should have taken more time to analyze the data myself, but I didn’t, so I’ll take full responsibility for using that figure,” Quan said.
Read the full article here.