To highlight the severity of the crime wave in Oakland, California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that 120 California Highway Patrol officers will be deployed to the city to curb violent crimes and property crimes which have been rife over the past few years.
The city is facing alarming levels of violent crime, vehicle theft, and retail theft. Many people have blamed the city’s and state’s soft-on-crime policies, arguing they have emboldened criminals.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, announced on Tuesday that he will send 120 California Highway Patrol agents to Oakland to combat violent crime.
Officers will be conducting a targeted law-enforcement surge operation in Oakland, Alameda County, and the surrounding areas. The officers’ focus is on vehicle thefts, retail thefts, and violent crimes. This deployment represents an increase of nearly 900% in CHP personnel within the county.
According to 2023 preliminary data, violent crimes in Oakland have increased by 21%. Robbery has risen 38%, and vehicle thefts are up 45%. This contrasts with the declining crime rates of other major Californian cities like Los Angeles.
Last summer, community members spoke out against the rapid rise in criminal activity. The NAACP criticized the local government for not tackling the problem.
Oakland NAACP calls on local elected officials to declare a state of emergency around crime. Almost too many noteworthy lines to choose from:
“Failed leadership, including the movement to defund the police, our District Attorney’s unwillingness to charge and prosecute people who… pic.twitter.com/PvJZgnwM3b
— Leighton 明 Woodhouse (@lwoodhouse) July 28, 2023
It has gotten so bad that In N’ Out Burgers and Denny’s restaurants have had to close. It is impossible to know how many businesses have closed because the local government has been unwilling or unable to crack down on crime.
Oakland’s former mayor, who once was a staunch supporter of the “Defund the Police Movement”, has rethought her previous stance towards law enforcement.
Armstrong continues to raise alarms over budget cuts in the city and the lack of leadership to address the issue.
It may have appeared that no one was paying attention during this time. It turns out someone did listen. Libby Schaff, the Democrat mayor of Oakland, is demanding the City Council reverse its decision on defunding the police. She says that now is not the right time to take money away from people who risk their lives.
Schaff answered a question in a CNN interview yesterday about the brutal murder last week of Kevin Nishita. Nishita was working as a security guard for a local news team at a location where they were planning to report on a previous “smash-and-grab” looting. Schaff said the city “appreciated” the police officers, acknowledging the tragedy of the death. Schaff acknowledged the tragedy of the death and said that Oakland desperately needed more police officers. He also stated that they “appreciated” them (really?) We know it’s not just Oakland.
CHP officers may be able to help local law enforcement in Oakland control crime, as this has been a problem for many years. If the same policies are in place, it won’t take long for Newsom to have to send CHP agents in to deal with this problem.
