The city of Oakland has experienced a dramatic crime surge since 2020 as arrests plunge and the police department struggles to fill vacancies.
From 2020 to 2023 burglaries increased by 99 percent, motor-vehicle theft surged by 72 percent, robberies jumped by 53 percent and homicides went up 16 percent, according to a supplemental police report on the Oakland public safety committee’s April 9 agenda. Arrests plummeted by 50 percent over the same period.
The newly released data, first reported by the Center Square, demonstrates that the public-safety situation in Oakland has not significantly improved since the Oakland police department released a city-wide crime report at the end of 2023 showing that robberies in the city had spiked by 38 percent, burglaries went up 23 percent and motor-vehicle theft surged by 44 percent compared to the same period the previous year. An analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle found roughly one out of every 30 city residents was the victim of car theft last year.
Staffing levels at the Oakland police department have gone down from 749 in 2019 to 696 over the past year, according to the newly released data. Police are projecting approximately 91 retirees in 2024. Only 9.5 percent of Oakland police officers live within city limits and many come from nearby cities and counties. The Oakland police department staff is roughly a quarter black, white, and latino, reflecting the city’s population.
As crime surges and staffing levels fall, Oakland is facing a decline in arrests: Arrests dropped from 12,911 in 2016 to 5,576 last year, according to a report by the city’s finance department. The city went without a police chief for over a year, until mayor Sheng Thao (D) announced the appointment of Floyd Mitchell as the city’s police chief in late March. Mitchell will begin his duties in late April or early May after previously serving as the police chief of Lubbock, Texas.
The surge in crime happening in Oakland was cited by In-and-Out Burger chief operating officer Denny Warwick when the fast-food chain announced its first-ever store closure in January. Similarly, employees of Kaiser Permanente, the city’s largest private employer, were reportedly advised to stay inside during lunch and work hours.
Oakland residents have also laid blame at the feet of soft-on-crime Alameda County district attorney Pamela Price, who took office in January 2023 and is facing a recall effort. California governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced earlier this year he would be deploying 120 California highway patrol officers to crack down on violent crime in Oakland and the surrounding area.