Sacramento --

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday said Oakland city officials can - and should - keep the port open in the event of future demonstrations.

The governor, speaking to reporters in a wide-ranging news conference at his office in the Capitol, was asked to comment on Oakland Mayor Jean Quan's assertion last week during a meeting with Chronicle editors that the city may be unable to prevent further shutdowns of the port.

"There are the resources under mutual aid. There are resources in Oakland - with some leadership and some imagination not only can they keep the port open, but they should keep the port open," said Brown, who was Oakland's mayor from 1999 to 2007. Brown said he believes Quan is aware that the port is important to the Northern California economy and was "going to do everything she can to keep it open, and certainly I'd give her whatever help is needed."

Port shut twice

Occupy Oakland activists shut down the Port of Oakland on Nov. 2 and Dec. 12. On the latter occasion, three of seven terminals were shut down by roughly 3,000 protesters. Some port officials, City Council members and business leaders criticized Quan for not preventing the closure.

Quan told Chronicle editors last week that even attempting to prevent a port closure by protesters would require at least 500 police officers, which the city would deploy if the port paid the $1.5 million cost.

Future protests could prompt "the port to ask the police chief to develop a plan to keep roads open," Quan said in the taped interview. Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan, Quan added, "has said he could do that with 500, 600 officers. And if the port wants to pay for that, we can do that."

Quan, the target of two recall campaigns, has been criticized for her decisions on the port, on dealing with the Occupy Oakland encampment, and for her response to violent crime.

The governor was asked about his thoughts on Quan's handling of the Occupy protests.

"I don't think Jean Quan needs more critics," he responded simply.

Later, Brown, who splits his time between an apartment in Sacramento and a home in Oakland, was asked whether he would vote to recall Quan if such a measure qualifies for the ballot.

Meets with Mayor Quan

He did not reject the notion. He answered by saying, "That's why we have a secret ballot election," and added, "but I've been meeting - I meet with her from time to time, so I don't want to send messages from Sacramento. I'll deliver them in person."

As for sending in the National Guard to help Oakland keep the port open, Brown said, "We don't look to the Guard for police work, except for in extreme emergencies."

Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Quan attempted to back down from the statements she made to Chronicle editors last week. She said that what she meant to say was that the city would share the costs with the port for sending police to keep the port open during a protest.

"I meant the port and we" would pay for policing, Quan said. "In all of the demonstrations, the port has brought in security and we've brought in security. The cost has been joint."

Quan insisted she has been unequivocal in her support for keeping the port open. "Yes, of course, we can keep the port open," she said. "It's a question of how much you want to spend and how much police."

'Not that complicated'

But she reiterated on Tuesday that one port worker alone could shut down the port if that worker felt endangered or wanted to support protesters.

Quan's statements Tuesday did little to pacify Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente, who wants the city to use all available tools to prevent port shutdowns. A resolution calling for the city to do just that was blocked by other council members.

"Instead of just vacillating and changing what she says, I hope that she concentrates and sends an unequivocal message that we'll use whatever lawful means we have to keep the port open, period," he said. "It's not that complicated."

Port spokesman Isaac Kos-Read declined to comment about Quan. But in regards to Brown, he said, "We're glad to hear that the governor recognizes the importance of the Port of Oakland to California's economy and will be working with him to keep the port open."