Home » Oakley Councilmember Suggests Not Sending Officers into City of Antioch

Oakley Councilmember Suggests Not Sending Officers into City of Antioch

by CC News
City of Antioch

On Tuesday, Oakley City Councilmember George Fuller highlighted comments made by Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe during an NAACP Breakfast which prompted him to request they stop sending officers to Antioch until they can update their mutual aid agreement.

Fuller stated the comments made by Thorpe made him “seriously distressed” before stating he did not want the Oakley Police Department responding into the City of Antioch until they looked at their mutual aid agreement. He also called for Oakley to look into switching police dispatch providers.

Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard issued a response (see full response below) stating he is a anti-crime and pro-police person and supports officers as a whole. He said they will continue to assist any department in need of their assistance.

Statements on NAACP Breakfast w/Mayor Lamar Thorpe Commentary

Councilmember George Fuller

Councilmember George Fuller highlighted how he went to the NAACP Breakfast recently and presented Oakley’s first proclamation for Martin Luther King Jr. He called it a nice event where Oakley received a “resounding approval” and that Odessa Lefrancois was appreciative of the gesture.

He then stated a few minutes later he stated he was “seriously distressed” after being followed by Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe who took a cheap shot at Oakley.

Fuller then shared comments made by Thorpe at the event.

“Some cities just give proclamations but the city of Antioch means it. What we have done is we put restrictions on the police where they can’t put certain control holds. That they are to behave in a certain manner, that they have ac omission to oversee the police and its been highly successful because the murder rate in Antioch is half of what it was the year before.”

Fuller stated Thorpe felt very good because “he has implemented this” and continued to share more of what transpired.

“With three black councilmembers on the city of Antioch he is going to make sure that agenda gets carried out and that the people who attempted to recall him will be sorry,” explained Fuller. “In addition, the Antioch Foundation (Celebrate Antioch Foundation) that has gone on for 10-years that has put on the 4th of July Celebration in Antioch has ceased to do so because the city is going in one direction and they are going in another. Three of the councilmembers, who are black, are going to receive an administrative assistance at the support of Mayor Thorpe, the other two will not.”

George Fuller

Fuller Expresses Concerns With Mutual Aid Agreement with Police Response

Fuller then stated he had concerns with the mutual aid agreement with Antioch for Oakley Police to assist when Antioch Police need help—putting Oakley officers at risk.

“I want to discuss what we can do to protect our officers because the way it was going that if something happens over, Mayor Thorpe is going to be very happy to say our officers misbehaved and District Attorney Diana Becton you should put out an indictment,” stated Fuller. “I don’t want to see our officers careers go out. Our officers are trained. Whatever he says, our officers are trained. They recognize systemic racism and they are accommodating that and they are well trained.”

Fuller then highlighted a recent incident where a man was having a mental health crisis off Main Street and Carol Lane where Oakley Police responded.  In the incident, an armed man pointed a gun at officers, officers contained the area before bringing in a mental health team and peacefully take the man into custody.

“I do not want my officers going over there from Oakley and finding themselves in trouble. I would like when we come back with the request for staffing that we discuss what the mutual aid means over there and how this is going to be communicated because in law enforcement something is going to happen,” stated Fuller.

“I want to be prepared for it because I don’t want to end an Oakley police officers career for helping and saving lives in the City of Antioch,” stated Fuller. “It’s a sad situation… but I am very concerned.”

Fuller Request Dispatch Center Change

Fuller said he called 9-1-1 for a person with a gun and when he called dispatch they had 3-4 minutes of him being corrected and they suggested how he needed to talk or they were not going to response. He called it unsafe with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Dispatch.

“I am very concerned with what is going on,” said Fuller who noted officers had a great response time, took the subject into custody.

Oakley City Manager & Police Chief Issue Joint Response

Oakley City Manager Josh McMurray and Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard issued a response when asked about the comments made by Fuller Tuesday night.

Q: Is there or would there ever be a time when Oakley would cut off aid to the city of Antioch which would impact both officers and citizens in need?

A: The Oakley Police Department has always adhered to police department policy when it comes to how to handle outside assistance to other agencies. In part our policy reads “It is the policy of the Oakley Police Department to promptly respond to requests for assistance by other law enforcement agencies, subject to available resources and consistent with the applicable laws and policies of this department. Officers may respond to a request for emergency assistance, however, they shall notify a supervisor of their activity as soon as practicable.”

With that being said the Oakley Police Department has never taken a stance of cutting off aid to the Antioch Police Department, or any other department. I am an anti-crime and pro police person. Part of being pro police means I support officers as a whole. We will always follow our policy and assist any department in need of our services.

Q. Has Oakley looked at changing communication centers for dispatch. Preliminary is it cost effective and what kind of timeline would it be.

A. In an effort to see what other services are available and also in the spirit of cost efficiency and based upon direction from the city council last year we are in the process of exploring other dispatch providers. The timeline on an endeavor such as this is very elongated, provided it should ever occur.

Antioch Shooting

Fact Check: Antioch Homicide Rate

Editors Note – untrue statement on murder rate being cut in half per Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe. Here is the data since 2010 on number of homicides in the City of Antioch.

  • 2022 – 9
  • 2021 – 12
  • 2020 – 10
  • 2019 – 12
  • 2018 – 7
  • 2017 – 10
  • 2016 – 9
  • 2015 – 7
  • 2014 – 9
  • 2013 – 12
  • 2012 – 10
  • 2011 – 5
  • 2010 – 13

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5 comments

Robert C. January 26, 2023 - 7:38 am

Thorpe just can’t open his mouth without inserting his foot, can he?

Antioch POA Issues Statement After Oakley Councilmember Comments January 26, 2023 - 12:27 pm

[…] Councilmember George Fuller made the comments during Tuesday’s Oakley City Council meeting after listening to commentary by Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe at an NAACP event in which Fuller […]

Conan January 26, 2023 - 8:36 pm

Thorpe is more of an embarrassment to Antioch than Fuller is to Oakley and that is saying a lot.

LoveableCurmudgeon January 27, 2023 - 2:38 am

Someone should remind the good Councilman that East County cities are connected, whether he likes it or not. Bad people don’t respect citylimits. So, in spite of his snit at the Antioch mayor, he needs to get along

Oakley Councilwoman Responds to Statement of Not Sending Cops into Antioch January 27, 2023 - 6:26 am

[…] Thursday night in response to comments made by fellow councilwomen George Fuller who suggested they stop sending Oakley Police Officers into the City of Antioch until they look at a mutual aid […]

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