Rising crime risks turning Oakland into a ‘ghost town.’ Newsom is sending in reinforcements
CNN
Violent crime and other felonies fell in 2023 in America’s biggest cities. They increased in Oakland.
Violent crime and other felonies fell in 2023 in America’s biggest cities. They increased in Oakland. Robberies grew 38% last year in Oakland, according to police data. Burglaries increased 23%. Motor vehicle theft jumped 44%. Roughly one of every 30 Oakland residents had a car stolen last year, according to a San Francisco Chronicle analysis. On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he was taking action, deploying 120 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland and the surrounding area to conduct a law enforcement surge operation. The aim: to crack down on crime, including vehicle theft, retail theft and violent crime. “What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable,” Newsom said in a statement. Business owners have been pleading for help for months. Nigel Jones isn’t giving up on Oakland, even after Kingston 11, his community food center for low-income families, was vandalized and its glass doors smashed.