Oakland will suffer setback if police chief leaves

Since he was hired to the post in August 2009, Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts has been the straw that stirred the drink in this city.

He's as popular with residents as he is with the police officers who serve under him and is a point of pride in a city with a dubious national reputation for high crime.

In a city where political priorities are as divided as the election results in November's mayoral race, Batts has been the only city official universally embraced by residents as a leader.

And that's why his likely departure resonates well beyond the walls of Oakland City Hall. It also shook the city's confidence in itself.

On Sunday, Batts informed the Oakland Police Officer's Association that he was one of two finalists for selection as the next police chief in the city of San Jose.

So, not only could we lose the Oakland A's to San Jose, we could lose our police chief to them as well.

Batts told Oakland Mayor Jean Quan on Friday that he's been in the interview process with San Jose city officials since October. He broke the news to Quan days after her spokeswoman confirmed that Quan will appoint Dan Siegel, a criminal defense lawyer and political ally, to a position that will allow him to consult with the city's Police Department.

Batts did not comment publicly on Siegel's appointment, but privately he expressed disappointment with Quan's decision.

And even though Siegel's appointment had no bearing on a decision Batts made months earlier, the convergence of the two issues creates an instant problem for a new mayor and a Police Department already stretched to its limits by layoffs and attrition.

The initial response from Quan's office was both obvious and perplexing.

"Should Chief Batts be chosen and decide to leave, I will immediately appoint an interim Chief and conduct a national search for a new Chief," she said in a statement.

She also made a reference to continuing the fight to make community policing a priority.

When you consider the Oakland Police Department is about 25 percent below the mandated 803-officer force and is on the brink of losing its most popular police chief ever, pledging to push through a preferred policing strategy is an awkward response. It's not what people need or want to hear.

After the mayoral election, Batts assured Quan he had no plans to move on, the mayor told reporters Monday. She also suggested that finding a replacement should be no problem.

"Oakland, being this medium-sized city, we're a good place for people to be and grow, but they often move on," Quan said. "I'm not happy, but it's not the end of the world, either."

Quan is either kidding herself or her constituents if she thinks that attracting a new police chief - particularly one as well-received as Batts - from inside or outside the department is going to be easy.

With a shrinking city budget, a shrinking police force and no training academies on the horizon, it's a recipe for big trouble, and it's plain to see.

There is no doubt that Batts saw the writing on the wall as he was given fewer resources to develop strategies to address violent crime. Even after four consecutive years of lower homicide rates, Oakland remains among the most violent cities in the nation.

The constraints on the city's fiscal resources, the department's manpower shortfalls and the level of crime in Oakland will not be lost on any potential top candidate from outside the department.

Chip Johnson's column appears in The Chronicle on Tuesday and Friday. E-mail him at chjohnson@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle