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by JR Valrey, the People’s Minister of Information and editor in chief of the SF Bay View
On April 25th, a no bail warrant was issued by the Alameda District Attorney’s office for the arrest of Oakland police officer Phong Tran, a veteran homicide investigator who has been employed by OPD since 2006. He faces five felony counts of perjury and threatening a witness. According to the charges, Tran made secret cash payments to a witness, which resulted in putting two men in prison on murder charges. As of April 26th, Officer Phong Tran was not in custody.
Because of moves like this, the local wing of the Police Officers Association and their allies are gearing up and promoting in the media that they are going to try to recall D.A. Pamela Price, because her office is holding police officers accountable for their actions and derelict of duty, which is much different from her predecessor, former Alameda County D.A. Nancy O’Malley, who is Hollywood famous for not charging BART officer Anthony Pirone – the other police officer directly involved in the Oscar Grant murder. The murder is one of most publicized police murders to occur in Alameda County in decades.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is answering the community call to hold the police – the biggest mafia in Oakland – accountable for murder, perjury, terrorism and abuse. I wanted to talk to her to see what makes her tick.
JR Valrey: What inspired you to want to become the District Attorney of Alameda County considering that the police in Oakland have been under federal receivership for over 20 years, and that the DA has been somewhat of an enabler?
D.A. Pamela Price: I am the District Attorney of Alameda County, which includes Oakland and 13 other cities and six unincorporated areas. I ran for District Attorney of Alameda County in response to the startling racial disparities in our County with respect to adult and juvenile prosecutions. The federal oversight of OPD has potentially raised the bar for every law enforcement agency by establishing the best practices for investigations, disciplinary considerations and an expectation of accountability.
The District Attorney has the opportunity to expand on the expectation of accountability across the County and raise the bar on independent investigations of police misconduct.
JR Valrey: Can you talk a little bit about the recent eight cases that you have reopened that deal with police murder and misconduct?
D.A Pamela Price: I cannot speak to specific cases as they are all under review. However, I can say that for the first time, we are establishing a procedure and goals for our investigations to ensure fairness for both the accused officer and the victims of any misconduct. We are also working to remove the stigma of a double and unequal standard for law enforcement misconduct.
JR Valrey: How did the grassroots community respond to your monumental decision to reopen those police cases?
D.A Pamela Price: Some members of the community were very supportive of our decision. Others were critical of which cases we chose to pursue and have demanded that we include more or particular cases. Most people are unaware of the limitations and restrictions that we must follow in reopening these types of cases.
JR Valrey: How did the police and the Police Officers Association respond to your decision to reopen those police cases?
D.A Pamela Price: The local POAs are used to having an outsized influence and voice in the conversation on criminal justice. The POAs and their members are accustomed to operating in a community where there is a double standard for law enforcement. Until we were elected and actually began to review the cases. The change has been shocking to some and unsettling for others.
JR Valrey: When you look at how the police and their allies responded to the work of former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, do you see any similarities in how he was treated while he was in office?
DA Pamela Price: I understand that anytime you stand up for freedom and justice, there is going to be a backlash. I was not watching the relationship between Chesa Boudin and local law enforcement closely enough to have an opinion on any similarities, and I have only been in office for four months, so there is no way to evaluate any similarities.
JR Valrey: Besides the expected political opposition, have you been threatened in any way because of the fact that you have been carrying out your duty?
D.A Pamela Price: The number of death threats and the racist vitriol directed at me personally is shocking. I have been called everything from a Black bitch, to a cunt, to a cotton monkey – and the attacks have been both sexualized and racist. My home address was published online with a threat and a call to action to come to my home.
JR Valrey: You recently was the subject of a rally that a few hundred people showed up to, on the steps of the Oakland Superior Courthouse, what was that about?
D.A Pamela Price: My supporters in Alameda County decided to have a rally to support me because most of the attacks against me appear to be racially motivated and organized by people who do not live or vote in Alameda County. The loudest voices in the media are not representative of our community. We won the election fair and square and I think people wanted to remind my attackers of that fact.
JR Valrey: How could people follow the work of your office online?
D.A Pamela Price: The best way to follow our work is to sign up on the website for our official newsletter. Follow our official Alameda County District Attorney pages on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
JR Valrey, journalist, author, filmmaker and founder of Black New World Media, heads the SF Bay View’s Oakland Bureau and is founder of his latest project, the Ministry of Information Podcast. He can be reached at blockreportradio@gmail.com and on Instagram.
