OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS) _ Many Oakland business owners are expressing concerns over response times following the layoffs of 80 police officers in the city.

And some are even taking extra measures by hiring private security guards.

At a meeting Wednesday of the Oakland Merchants Leadership Forum, many business owners said they were concerned about the response following the Johannes Mehserle verdict.

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But on a long-term basis, the real concern is over the loss of so-called Problem Solving Officers. Those officers used to walk beats and also deal with merchants and so-called quality of life crimes exclusively.

Julie Stevens said she is hiring security guards for her place, 17 Jewels Salon in the Temescal District.

“I witnessed a carjacking and almost got ran over in the district,” she said. “This is after our walking officer was out on injury and not replaced. I’ve had a very mentally ill person come in and scream at me and try to attack me in my business and I’ve seen a hate crime right in front of my business.”

As he left the meeting, Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts was asked if the PSOs would ever come back.

“What I tell them is that we’re starting a program to try to make every officer in the Oakland Police Department PSOs,” said Batts. “We’re starting a program where we train officers in community policing and to make sure that they do the exact same thing that those 63 officers did.”

Batts did say that crime is down in the city 18 percent over the last 16 months.