He spent his career putting gangs in jail. A radical idea changed everything

Despite years of tough policing, Oakland couldn't get a handle on gun crime. Was the solution a community-based approach?

• Want the latest news on our investigation? Sign up to our newsletter

Ersie Joyner had a banner year in 1995. He was just four years out of Oakland's police academy when he was awarded a prestigious medal of merit for a seemingly superhuman feat. In one year, he personally made more than 400 arrests. And the evidence room of the Oakland police department (OPD) was crammed with millions of dollars worth of cocaine and heroin he had confiscated from dealers.

"I thought to myself, I'm on top of my game," said Joyner in a recent interview. "I'm the best of the best."