Comments on: New police chief of Oakland schools

By: Will Telish

Will Telish — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:45:10 +0000

It helps to have political contacts. Pete was Jerry Brown’s confidante and also advisor of sorts when Brown was Oakland’s mayor. Brown endorsed and appointed Sarna to Calif DOJ’s DLE Director position. When Sarna resigned after the DUI, Brown helped Sarna get various law enforcement and security gigs using his political contacts. Good to know people in high places. I wasn’t that lucky.

By: KaTHRYN REDIC

KaTHRYN REDIC — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:40:36 +0000

MAKE THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTION AT THE DISTRICT. AND GET A LAWSUIT FOR DENYING PEOPLE A JOB BECAUSE OF PAST LIFE AND THIS OFFICER/CHIEF IS ALLOW TO IGNORE THAT A PERSON HAS A CRIMINAL PAST. SO WHAT MAKES HIM DIFFERENT. AND MAKING A WHOOPING SALARY. MOST OFFICERS CAN CUT IT ON OPD SO THEY ARE ACCEPTED HER WITH A SMALLER SALARY. SO I AM LIVID ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WE ARE TO WORK AND WE ARE SUPPOSE TO HIRE THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IS THIS ABOUT

By: KaTHRYN REDIC

KaTHRYN REDIC — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:37:21 +0000

but it other afro american that are denied a job and it is only a misdeamener and you say he cant work until he get through probation. THat is not fair and it is discrimination. I would file a eeoc.
or get a lawyer against the district for denying many from working and tell them dont evfen ask why. Not me i think we should fight. And expo OUSD FOr THE DISREPECT OF AFRO AMERICAN WOMEN AND MEN IN THIS COMMUNITY,

By: Gifted1

Gifted1 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:41:06 +0000

WOW. It almost sounds like some of you are jealous. You act as if you have never done something you regret. GET OVER IT is just what you need to do. Nobody is perfect and everyone including all of you have done something at some point in your life you would change if you could. Have you ever been through the selection process for a position such as this one. I doubt it. There’s something very positive about pete and you can see that in his proven track record. Let the guy do his job and you’ll see a DUI has absoultly nothing to do with him getting the job done.

By: harlemmoon

harlemmoon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:33:47 +0000

At some point, the contented get to the place where settling becomes the norm, where we no longer aspire, set our sights on higher things or reach for those things that require some bit of exertion.
OUSD is at that place. Where 2nd best (or third or fourth) is acceptable, where expectations are so low that we no longer even think of ourselves as worthy.
Day in, day out, we reaffirm our ass-dragging self-esteem in the pathetically obtuse way we hunch our shoulders and sigh the sigh of those who have given up.
Sarna, the Keystone Cops Board of Education and the dunderheaded administration all deserve each other.
But when will we ever find the spirit, the will to say we, the City of Oakland deserve better. Far, far better?

By: TheTruthHurts

TheTruthHurts — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:54:54 +0000

Let me repeat. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy or might not be a great chief. Maybe it was the right decision given the need for a hire, the applicant pool and the task at hand.

I am just having a hard time with adults who can only say, “do as I say, not as I do” on critical issues of morality and judgement. Not that a man strapped with heat needs moral authority, but there was a time when we expected that from our authority figures. If Obama was smoking crack in 2006, I would hope we would have passed on him in 2008.

As I said, I’m all for forgiveness, I’m just for PROOF also. If this happened two years ago, what is the proof of a change? What is the proof that we are not endangering more lives with someone who has unresolved demons to deal with?

I hope OUSD satisfied itself on these questions. I wish him and OUSD the best, I just question the decision-making.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:37:07 +0000

Harlemmoom: I wish I could agree with you. Maybe a long time ago I used to think the way you speak of in Post #13. And it’s been a long time.

I’ve since learned that people are never so perfect and life is not so black and white.. And I think of things more black and white than a lot of people do still. Am I being unpredictable again?

The more you traffic in violence, trauma care, combat, litigation, emergency services, and people working in split second decision making where you are basically allocating injury and damages along with the budget the more you are going to be dealing with not just alcoholism but other unpleasant coping mechanisms that are just there. I meant it when I said that Police Services and related industries are never populated by Simon Pures. There is nothing worse than a hypocritical person that turns on their Dr, Nurse, Lawyer, Judge, Cop, Soldier, Fireman, Ambulance Driver, etc. the minute they learn that they’re still human and not perfect. In this society I see that the workers are sold out in a minute when they’re old, used up or not shiny, new or lying to you the way you like it. To me that’s what this is all about here.

Yes I don’t like the DUI history because I have handled these people for a lifetime and I know what it means statistically once you have had one. But I also know that the people who wipe your rear end and save your lives over and over on occasion are the same people who have had One DUI – even One DUI with an injury.

So get over it.

People are never as perfect as you want them to be but you still use them when they have what you need. I’m not surprised this candidate had what OUSD thinks they need – and he may well be the right person at the right time. I’ve never met the man and I can defend him easily in this instance. I could be off on this occasion, but I’m probably not. It’s all a matter of odds and stats to some degree.

He probably should not speak out publicly about this situation. One of the Fords said once, “Never Complain, Never Explain…” which was a pretty good motto for the situation when he publicly stated it.

Now I seem to remember that the last police chief was not so beloved either and I may have said some things about him too. Something about him getting caught mouthing off to a reporter with greater emotion than his payscale allowed for. Well now we have a new chief – which was what many to most seemed to want. Someone who can really understand the people.. run things the way the OUSD community would want… And still we’re not happy!

Welcome to OUSD Chief Sarna. Hope you enjoy the experience.

Brave New World.

By: BLT

BLT — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:06:38 +0000

Here’s an interesting part of the article about his arrest: “No one was injured in the crash, which heavily damaged the state car. Repair or totaling of his SUV may come at taxpayers’ expense.”

I would like to know what happened here. He should have been required to reimburse the people of California for the replacement of the SUV — probably woth about $45k if it was totalled.

By: harlemmoon

harlemmoon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:07:05 +0000

Uh, Leroy, safety IS actually the issue here. Your new school’s chief has shown a supreme inability to behave in a safe, responsible way. He got into his car drunk and placed at risk his life and that of each person he swerved by.
That is an indefensible action. One that shows a complete lack of judgment. Why would you want your children to be policed by someone who has shown such contempt for the law, his life and all around him?

And another thing, the board that you speak so highly of has shown itself to be utterly inept.

I, like you, look forward to the day when the district moves in the right direction, but this ain’t it, Leroy

By: Leroy

Leroy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:46:17 +0000

Hi, I am a parent of a child at Roosevelt middle school and one at Fremont. I just saw this blog and don’t normally comment but I feel like I need to.

I believe that obviously the district has done a background and there are certain requirements that must have been met if he was appointed. I’m sure that this was taken into consideration and there were more positives than negatives. He must bring a lot to the table that makes him stand out for the board to approve this. With all the liberal views our society has during these times, your really going to cast the first stone on someone who must have went through a horrible processes and reconciliation. I think we need to give this a rest. He and the district police as well as everyone working at the district will have a tough job ahead of them in keeping my kids safe as well as other parents.

there seems to be a lot of positive changes going on at the district and I’m sure this is one of them….lets wait to see what the chief does to keep our KIDS SAFE!!