Clearing Out The Pirates In Oakland

The John Phillips Show

The episode addresses the ongoing cleanup of abandoned vessels in the Oakland estuary and the potential end of federal oversight for the Oak

Key takeaways

• The Oakland Police Marine Unit has removed over 50 derelict vessels from the Oakland estuary to combat crime.
• Community leaders are supporting the end of federal oversight for the OPD, though concerns remain regarding transparency.

Main topics

• Oakland Estuary cleanup
• OPD federal oversight

Notable quotes

Some might label us right wing. We say clip our wings and just call us right.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a critical commentary on the mismanagement of pu

Transcript preview

Speaker 6 (0:00) Some might label us right wing. Speaker 8 (0:02) We say clip our wings and just call us right. It's the John Phillips Show. Speaker 2 (0:18) And we continue at 2.05 in the afternoon on the John Phillips Show. Mr. Randy Wings in Culver City. Speaker 4 (0:25) Johnny, we're broadcasting live on the radio on 790 KABC in Southern California and 810 KSFO in the Bay Area. And we're broadcasting live on video every single day from noon to three at johnnydontlike.com. That's Johnny with a Y, johnnydontlike.com. Someone just suggested we should do a debate watch show tomorrow. That's a great idea, but I don't have CNN. Speaker 2 (0:48) Are we allowed to make the announcement? Speaker 4 (0:52) I think we can make an announcement of an announcement. Speaker 2 (0:56) Okay. Speaker 4 (0:58) So we've got a busy, busy, busy October coming up here. On October 9th, we're going to Gladstones in Long Beach with our friends from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association. And there will be many, many, many, many, many more details. But it looks like on October 30th. We're going to be doing our first live event in the San Francisco Bay Area with our friends from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Many more details to follow. It is going to be a very exciting month. One great month, two great remotes. I am very, very excited. Is the reason I'm excited is because I want to go to Lovely's Hamburgers? Yes. Speaker 4 (1:50) That place is so good. Speaker 2 (1:52) 800-222-5222 is the telephone number 1-800-222-5222. Well, pirates have taken over the Oakland estuary, and now the city of Oakland wants that estuary back. Speaker 4 (2:10) It's time to clean up all the derelict boats and the pirating that's been going on in Oakland. For more on this... Here is KPIX. Speaker 5 (2:21) Busy waterway in Oakland getting a long overdue cleanup. Many people who sailed on the estuary in recent years described the waterway as a... You Speaker 4 (2:30) know, originally for the remote, we were going to do a yacht party in the estuary, but apparently because of the fear of pirates, we can't get insurance. Speaker 5 (2:40) Wild Wild West with a lot of crime and little enforcement. You Speaker 4 (2:44) don't say, huh? Speaker 5 (2:45) It's Wild Wild West out here. Speaker 2 (2:48) Even on the water. Speaker 4 (2:50) Someone just asked, what about the Shang Tao trial? Johnny, we're going to be in the Bay Area during the Shang Tao trial. Speaker 2 (2:56) That just warmed my heart. Speaker 4 (2:58) Because the trial starts on October 19th, and it looks like we're going to be up there on the 30th. We might need to do a special podcast with Seneca outside of the courthouse. Speaker 2 (3:08) Maybe we can go in there for the morning hearing. Oh, boy. Speaker 5 (3:13) Our chopper showing crews pulling abandoned boats from the water today. Now the cleanup operation happened right in front of the Jack London Square Aquatic Center. Dahlins spoke to some of the community members who pressured city leaders to take action. Speaker 3 (3:29) A few months ago, people experiencing homelessness illegally anchored dozens of boats in and around the Jack London Aquatic Center Basin. Speaker 4 (3:36) Can't we just call them pirates? Yeah, that's the term. People experiencing homelessness on the water? Pirates. Speaker 3 (3:45) Take a look now. Gone. The result of enforcement. Speaker 4 (3:51) They finally get more than one boat cop because for a long time, there was only one guy at OPD that knew how to operate the police boats. Speaker 3 (4:05) After a decade of drifting under the radar, the tide is finally turning in the Oakland estuary. The Oakland Police Marine Unit is towing away a boat that has been floating in this estuary and headed for the crusher. Heather Kukora, who runs the East Bay Rowing Club, says this is about more than removing an abandoned boat. Speaker 4 (4:23) You know, there are some jobs where, boy, that seems like a lot of fun. How would you like to be the guy that operates the boat crushing machine? Speaker 7 (4:35) No more drug dealing. No more human trafficking. No more. Wait, Speaker 4 (4:39) I thought they were just experiencing homelessness. Speaker 2 (4:41) Yeah, human trafficking seems like something that would be an odd activity to participate in. Speaker 4 (4:47) Now, John, if there's human trafficking that's going over in the estuary, don't you need to get the Coast Guard involved? You might need to. You might need a maritime lawyer. Speaker 7 (4:58) Dog feces being dumped in the water. Oh, Speaker 4 (5:00) no. Oh, God. This poor crew team. They're better off on the land and the erg. Well, how about the fish? Speaker 3 (5:08) It's based at the Jack London Aquatic Center. In recent years, the adult and youth rowers had to navigate a waterway that was increasingly crowded with so-called anchor outs. Speaker 4 (5:18) You just call that an obstacle course. Speaker 3 (5:23) People living on boats that were moored in the estuary. But Heather says what started as a housing alternative. Speaker 4 (5:29) Now look at the scene that we have on the screen right now and tell me that you're not thinking about Gilligan's Island. Speaker 2 (5:36) Okay, that's what St. Martin looked like after the hurricane. Speaker 4 (5:41) But there's no hurricane in Oakland. So what happened? Speaker 3 (5:46) Turn into a hotbed for crime. Because you'd have Speaker 7 (5:49) drug dealing that was happening. A lot of this was happening in unison with encampments that were in the parking lot. And so it's just kind of... The kids are watching all of it. The kids are seeing all of Speaker 3 (6:00) it. After many complaints, the city this year modified its ordinance in part to better protect the city from lawsuits after people sued over the crushing of abandoned boats. Speaker 4 (6:09) Wait a second, wait a second, wait a second. The city was successfully getting sued when they crushed an abandoned boat. Speaker 2 (6:20) Judges are a huge part of the problem in this state because they always side with the bad guy. Speaker 3 (6:29) Look Speaker 4 (6:29) how many barnacles are on that hull. Speaker 3 (6:33) Oakland police and their partners removed more than 50 sunken, derelict, and surrendered vessels from the estuary. OPD says they plan to remove 16 more in the next two weeks. Speaker 4 (6:46) Wait, so 50 wasn't all of them? There were over 65 abandoned boats that were sunk in the estuary? It's Speaker 2 (6:55) not even just that they're abandoned, they're partially sunk. Did someone shoot a missile at it or something? Speaker 3 (7:02) It costs about five times that amount once they sink to remove the vessels from the estuary. Chief James Behr adds some people on the anchor outs were burglarizing other boats. Speaker 4 (7:11) You don't say. You mean pirating? Speaker 2 (7:15) Could you imagine if on the SS Minnow you had some crazy homeless person holding lovey howl at knife point? Speaker 1 (7:25) They were modern day pirates. All right. Speaker 4 (7:28) See, I like James Beer, not only because his name makes me think about beer, but because he'll say pirates. Speaker 3 (7:35) Crimes from the boats and onto the shore. Police say people came from as far away as Sacramento and San Jose because they knew there was little enforcement. These Speaker 1 (7:44) boats that rankered out, some of them were mobile meth labs. Some had weapons on them. It wasn't uncommon for officers to board boats and come into contact with people with assault rifles, pistols. Oh my God. Speaker 2 (7:57) It's like Walt Watts RV on Breaking Bad. Seriously. Speaker 3 (8:02) Mary Spicer with I Heart Oakland Alameda Estuary is hopeful for a cleaner and safer estuary. As far as feeling safer, 100 % safer, it's actually very, it uplifts my heart because if our shores are healthy, our community is healthy. The city says it's reclaiming the waterfront. For Heather, she's not ready to declare victory. Speaker 7 (8:23) What city doesn't value its waterfront? And that's kind of what it felt like, feels like still. cautiously optimistic. I'm really thankful for all these changes. Speaker 3 (8:32) They worry the city and the police will eventually cut back on the enforcement. That's what happened before. But the police chief promises to sustain the enforcement and keep the estuary safe. Speaker 4 (8:42) So there you go. The pirate derelict boats in Oakland are finally being cleaned up for now. And Speaker 2 (8:51) the moment the police pull out, all of the homeless and the pirates on the boats are coming back. Speaker 4 (9:00) Well, the ones that had their boats crushed, at least we'll be able to not have to deal with them for a while. Speaker 2 (9:07) Yeah, well, then they just go steal new ones. Speaker 4 (9:10) That is a good point. Just Speaker 2 (9:12) give it time. They're going to hijack the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. And the Carnival Jubilee. Speaker 4 (9:21) Well, there you go. That is our latest update on the pirate situation going on at the Oakland estuary. Speaker 2 (9:30) Now, the Oakland PD is in the news, not just for that, but because there's now a push to get rid of the federal oversight. Speaker 4 (9:38) Something that Oakland has been trying to get out of for over 20 years. Something that notably. Former OPD chief Leron Armstrong was blowing the whistle about how the federal monitor had no incentive to end the oversight because he was making seven figures. And as