Oakland (from a distance) – All of Oakland – from Adams Point to Shafter, and to East Oakland and Montclair – is on edge after report after report of Oaklanders victimized by evil-doers willing to kill for everything from money to laptops. And if it’s not that, then it’s the seemingly countless numbers of car smash-and-grabs.
All of it seems too much for the City of Oakland to handle, even as Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, and new Chief of Violence Prevention, Guillermo Cespedes, announces a new plan of action based on a task force model:
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The Oakland Police Department wrote this “Oakland Police Department is working with several other East Bay police departments to reduce auto burglaries and property crimes. The joint task force is comprised of Alameda Police Department, Berkeley Police Department, Emeryville Police Department, San Leandro Police Department, Piedmont Police Department.”
Meanwhile, Nextdoor, the online neighborhood social media platform, has report after shocking account of Oakland crimes done over the past several days in Adams Point, Shafter, and College Avenue, alone:
Car Break-in last night
Shafter Oaklander 1 :While parked in the driveway, our car was broken into and the thief used a crow bar to jack open the driver’s side door to steal a blue backpack with gym clothes and Rayban sunglasses. This has been reported to the police and the request for additional officer presence in the neighborhood has also been requested. Call the non- emergency police line to request the same at (510) 777-3333. Let’s stay vigilant!!
1 day ago · 36 neighborhoods in Crime & Safety
Shafter Oaklander 2: On a more serious note…..car break-ins have almost reached the point of non news here on ND. It does catch my attention when thieves have no hesitation
breaking into cars even on College Ave during peak visiting hours.
It’s clear OPD has little to no interest in focusing on what they consider low level crime. It also seems the level of private patrol in our area has had little effect, based on what I see posted here.
I have posted in response to several posts in the past that it is up to us, collectively, to present a presence so these criminals find it too difficult to find a clean moment to break in to our cars, roam our backyards, steal
our packages, etc.
I have suggested that we begin a volunteer patrol to flood our area with a high visibility presence.
I would donate a couple of hours once or twice a week-maybe one a.m. and one p.m. shift- to walk up and down Shafter-I am near Shafter & Cavour-with some kind of volunteer vest and offer to escort anyone requesting it to, or from, their doorstep within a few blocks of Shafter.
There is no hero mentality involved here and according to past response this idea will probably die with my last period but I see it as the only chance left to reclaim our neighborhood. Until then I will glance at all the
posts, videos, and condolences for all the loss and wonder why most everyone
stays static in the face of this epidemic.
Florio Auburn Corridor:
This happened last night at 7:30….on the 6000 block of College Ave, they hit that black car in front of them. I didn’t see any loss so they broke the window just to see that there was nothing to steal!
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Edited 16 hr ago
Oakland Smash And Grab In Action, courtesy, Nextdoor
Crocker Highlands: Smash n Grab on Lakeshore
My husband parked his red Honda HR-V in front of Starbucks on Lakeshore Avenue shortly after 7:00am. He had pre-ordered a coffee so all he did was run in, grab the coffee that was already waiting for him, and run out. He estimates that he was gone for roughly 40 seconds. His backpack, which contains his government laptop and government badge was stolen. Both are totally useless to whomever stole them: the laptop is highly secure so they won’t even be able to turn it on. Husband’s name is Nir, so if you find the badge or anything else, please message. Police report has been filed. These Smash and Grab people are QUICK. . I have reported this information to the police.
Description of vehicle involved – Color: Red, Make: Honda, Model: HRV, Year: 20, Type: Mini SUV, Other details: Lakeshore Ave near Starbucks
1 day ago · 27 neighborhoods in Crime & Safety
Ivy Hill: I don’t think saying we should avoid having things visible in the car is victim blaming. It seems like we’re discussing ways to avoid getting robbed. I feel for everyone who has been hurt by this.
Property crime is increasing in Oakland because there’s more to steal. The tech boom has made an already wealthy area, much more so.
Oakland doesn’t really seem like a city. It’s vaguely suburban in places, but the population density is pretty high. We remember those street smarts downtown, but away from the tall buildings it’s easy to forget to keep your guard up.
Glenview: As someone else mentioned thieves are using Bluetooth scanning apps to quickly detect if there are electronics in the car. I don’t know this for sure, but at the rate this happens, I imagine that they target coffee shops and cafes in the morning because they know people are just “running in” to grab a coffee or a pastry on their way to work and leave their electronics in the car.
