Oakland officers' killings led Batts to job

Oakland officers' killings led Batts to job
Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

(08-17) 17:58 PDT Oakland -- When a headhunter called Long Beach Police Chief Anthony Batts in March and asked him whether he was interested in becoming Oakland's next chief, Batts knew the answer: No.

"I was happy in Long Beach," Batts said during his first public appearance Monday since accepting the chief's job in Oakland.

But everything changed three days later, on March 21: four Oakland police officers were gunned down in the deadliest day for law enforcement in the city. Batts viewed the television coverage.

"I watched the pain and the suffering in the Police Department," he said. "I watched the pain and the suffering in the community as it too hurt at the same time."

After attending the officers' funeral at the Oracle Arena, Batts said he text-messaged the headhunter: "I want to help."

Batts told police, community members, political leaders and the news media who showed up at City Hall on Monday to meet him that the events of March 21 and its aftermath affected him profoundly.



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