Is this really the way to get more cops on the streets?

I was drawn to this article because I had an intense conversation about how to improve the quality of life in Oakland with a couple of friends for whom I have the utmost respect.

I understand, to a point, the desire to have more cops on the street. Especially if there is a special program designed to get more beat cops in the neighborhood. But the sad fact is that when most police departments ask for more dollars for cops, it rarely gets spent on getting police officers on the street with the common folk.

Imagine my dismay at reading that just finding qualified police is difficult, not even factoring into it QUALITY police officers. In Oakland, it's important to put it all in perspective, afterall two or is it three trials later, we still haven't sorted out the fiasco of the rough riders. In cities where crime is either more visible or just more prominently displayed, in truly urban settings, you know the kind, where white folks have moved away yet are still holding positions of power, like police and fire chief. Quantity and quality sometimes get confused.

I wonder if the police chief who hired this loser would have hired him to patrol the his own city.

Addendum:
SF Gate is chronicling the loss of life in Oakland.