undercoverstrategies for busting drug dealers; the bureaucracy of community policing; an East Oakland neighborhood demanding more city funds; the connection between liquor stores and crime; and a church that moonlights as a drug recovery center.

Crime or no crime, it's clear that Oakland residents' faith in city government is in disrepair. We hope these stories will illuminate the places that most need fixing.

Crime is another matter. When we began reporting on Oakland in August, the city was approaching its 100th homicide. Today the tally stands at 114. Compared to Miami, a city with the same population, that's nothing. But compared to Minneapolis, also the same size, it's astronomical. In other words, the question of whether crime is bad in Oakland depends on who you ask.

To most residents crime statistics are unimportant. The real issue is, “What is the city doing about it?” Perhaps City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente answered that question best when he told San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chip Johnson, “We have failed to tackle the two most important issues facing our citizens: public safety and delivery of city services."

Oakland residents are paying more than they used to for their safety, and getting less.

For our final project in a news reporting class at UC-Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, we looked at how residents are making up the difference.

On this site, Gaelle Faure looks at how the relatively safe haven of Rockridge is paying for extra security; Talia Kennedy reports on an Oakland robbery victim who was blown off by police and tracked the crook down himself; and Jacob Fenston and Beth Hoffman ask over 30 Oakland residents “Do you feel safe?”

We also delve into the Oakland Police Department's bookkeeping nightmare; Chinatown's tradition of do-it-yourself policing;