Oakland police presence to increase about 10 times for G-20

The number of police officers in Oakland will increase about tenfold for the G-20 Summit next… The number of police officers in Oakland will increase about tenfold for the G-20 Summit next week.

About 170 officers from various departments will patrol the streets of Oakland Thursday and Friday of next week, Pitt police chief Tim Delaney said.

He said he has between 10 and 18 officers patrolling on a typical day. The exact number depends on the time of day.

The number of officers will gradually increase starting next week, Delaney said. He was reluctant to provide more details.

“You really hate to talk numbers, because if anybody’s thinking about causing harm, you’re telling them what you’re doing,” he explained.

Diane Richard, a spokeswoman for the city police, said in an e-mail that the increase “will be dependent on activity conducive to the need for police presence.”

Both Richard and Delaney said they have no idea how many protesters will be in Oakland next week. Delaney said he knew of only one march, which the Thomas Merton Center plans to hold on Sept. 25.

“That’s why the numbers [of officers] are where they’re at,” Delaney said. “You prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I hope absolutely nothing happens.”

Delaney said he will separate his officers into groups and give each team a sector of the neighborhood to cover.

He said he tried this when his officers worked during the Great Race. He found that it helped reduce response times because his officers were less likely to have to cut through large crowds of people.

Richard suggested that students continue with their days as usual during the Summit.

Delaney said he doesn’t think students will need to take many special precautions during the G-20. He did suggest that they avoid walking through areas with unruly protesters. If students must pass through the crowds, he said they should tell an officer why they’re cutting through the area.