Oakland Housing Authority Police Department

Police Communications

The Oakland Housing Authority Police Department is staffed by a Police Dispatch 7days a week, between the hours of 9am. and 2am., including weekends and holidays.  It is the job of the dispatcher to answer incoming emergency and non-emergency telephone calls, operate a two-way radio system and perform records and warrant checks.  Most of the time the dispatcher is required to perform all these tasks at the same time.

Requesting Police Services

Emergency: 911
Call for police assistance in emergency situations and crimes in progress.

OHA Dispatch: (510) 535-3100

Dial direct to report any emergency or to report any crime:  (510) 535-3100

Non-emergency e-mail:  info@oakha.org

Routine and administrative calls: (510) 535-3106

Records and Communications Supervisor: Jackie Mesterhazy: (510) 535-3129

For police assistance in non-life threatening situatuations on Oakland Housing Authority property:

When calling, have the following information ready:

• Type of incident.
• Is the crime in progress?
• Location
• Number of suspects, if any; and whether they are armed.
• Suspect description (race, sex, height, weight and clothing) and last known direction of travel.
• Vehicle description (color, year, make, model, license plate number) if any; and last direction of travel
Open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. 365 days a year

Public Safety Answering Point:

When you call the police, we will always ask the following:

• WHERE are you?
• WHAT is going on?
• WHO is involved?
• WHEN did this happen?
• IS ANYONE INJURED, OR DOES ANYONE NEED EMERGENCY MEDICAL ATTENTION

We will then ask for such details as:

• Are there vehicles involved?
• Which direction did the person or vehicle leave?

If there was a vehicle involved, try to describe it to us in a systematic manner.  Getting a vehicle description as soon as possible allows responding officers to spot the vehicle if it leaves the area.  The most important part of any vehicle description is the license number.  This provides us with the last registered owner information, the make and year of the vehicle.  Color is the next most important piece of information we need, partly because it is NOT part of the registration information. The following is all the information we need for a vehicle description:

• License
• Color
• Make
• Model
• Body Style
• Distinctive Characteristics, such as decals, body damage, racks, custom paint designs

If you are reporting an individual involved in a disturbance or a crime, look at them in order to gather information on their physical and clothing description.  Be prepared to give your information in the following order because this is the order we will ask you:

• Sex
• Race
• Age
• Height
• Weight
• Hair color
• Facial hair
• Eye color
• Distinctive physical characteristics, acne, scars, braces, accents
• Baseball caps, knit caps, etc
• Color top, such as a jacket, shirt, sweatshirt
• Color pants, skirt, Shoes

If there are any weapons involved, we will ask:

• What kind of weapon?
• Who has them?
• Where is the weapon on the person's body?
• If it was a firearm, was it a rifle, shotgun, or handgun?
• Was the handgun an automatic or revolver?
• Was it blue-steel or chrome colored?
REMEMBER, ACT PRUDENTLY AND SAFELY. You don’t help anyone by putting yourself at risk and becoming another victim

* If the Communications Supervisor is not available, such as on nights or weekends, supervision of communications personnel reverts to the on-duty patrol Watch Commander.

 

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RECORDS:

In-house police reports may be released only to Oakland Housing Authority management and other authorized parties. To obtain copies of these reports, contact your housing manager. Reports involving certain types of crimes (i.e.; burglary, theft, narcotics, etc.) can be obtained from the Oakland Police Department, Records Division, located at 455 7th St. The Oakland Police Department is the custodian of these records.

To determine if a report can be released to you, or for information about the status of your report, please call (510) 535-3100.

VEHICLE RELEASES:

All vehicles towed by Oakland Housing Authority Police must have a release form issued by OHAPD before the tow company can release them.

The registered owner of the vehicle must obtain a vehicle release form at the OHAPD office at 1180 25th Avenue before going to the towing company. There is a fee for the release. Vehicles are released only to the registered owner of the vehicle. The owner must supply a current, valid registration and be a valid licensed driver (or have one with him) in order to receive the vehicle release form. Towing and storage fees are paid at the towing company once the vehicle has been released.

The Oakland Housing Authority Police Department charges the following for vehicle releases:

$125 for vehicles towed from a suspended or revoked license.
$100 for vehicles towed for an enforcement action (registration expired, owner arrested etc.)
$75 for private property tows*, non-residents.
$50 for private property tows*, OHA residents.

*Private Tows

Vehicles that are towed from OHA property and are not in violation of any penal code, such as expired tags, are *private tows.

PROPERTY RELEASES:

Releases for property left in a towed vehicle can be obtained at the OHAPD office at no charge. For all other property or evidence, contact the Oakland Police Department Property and Evidence section.