NEWS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29, 2002

NEWS CONFERENCE: OAKLAND'S NEIGHBORHOOD LAW CORPS TEAMS WITH COMMUNITY TO MITIGATE LIQUOR STORE NUISANCE

Oakland, CA-Oakland City Attorney John Russo is hosting a news conference to announce a major milestone by the Neighborhood Law Corps to bring relief to a neighborhood long plagued by nuisance activities at a 24-hour market.

WHEN:

Monday, July 29, 2002 at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE:

#9 Eastmont Town Center, Professional Building
7200 Bancroft Avenue, Oakland (next to Eastmont Mall, behind Taco Bell)

WHO:

City Attorney John Russo, Neighborhood Law Corps Attorney Austin Cattermole, members of the East Oakland community, Oakland Police Department officials, City planning staff

For years the Beacon gas station and convenience market, located at 6600 Foothill Boulevard, has been a magnet for illegal activity which has severely affected the quality of life and safety of the residents living in its vicinity, including:

  • Sideshow activity (gatherings of large crowds of people and cars performing dangerous stunts)
  • Excessive noise
  • Underage drinking
  • Illegal drug use and trafficking
  • Loitering
  • Over 700 calls for service to the Oakland Police Department in 2001

In one of the first significant victories of the newly formed Neighborhood Law Corps in the Office of the City Attorney, neighborhood residents joined forces with Oakland's legal, law enforcement and planning staff to present evidence at a Planning Commission hearing about the detrimental effect of this nuisance property on the surrounding community. Organized by one of East Oakland's Neighborhood Law Corps attorneys, numerous community members testified at the hearing, giving the problem a human dimension and an authentic voice. As a result, the commission imposed significant restrictions on the use of the property to address these impacts.

During the news conference, City Attorney Russo and other city and law enforcement officials will demonstrate the steps taken in this process as a model for community partnerships to solve nuisance and quality of life problems in neighborhoods. Members of the community will also speak about the need to work collectively in addressing these challenges.