It’s election season and the Oakland mayor’s race is underway. Ten candidates are vying for the big city position. As in past elections, KALW will bring you interviews with all the mayoral candidates.
First up Jesse Smith. He’s an activist that’s against the institution of policing and wants the community to have more control over how they implement safety. Smith is also currently homeless.
If we fired every Oakland cop today and replaced them with saints tomorrow, within a few years we'd be back in the same situation. The problem is the design of the institution.
He spoke with KALW East Oakland reporter Jeneé Darden about the police, housing and his plans to take on other major issues facing the city if he wins.
You can find Jeneè's interviews with all the Oakland mayoral candidates here.
