City Government
City Bans Automated Cell Phone Purchase Machines
To address the significant number of cell phone robberies occurring in the City of Oakland, Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney introduced an ordinance to ban Automated Purchasing Machines.
These self-operating buy-back kiosks, which exist in five Bay Area cities, purchase cell phones, tablets, and MP3 players from individuals and distribute cash on the spot.
The company then sells the phones overseas or recycles the parts, pending on the quality of the device.
“In 2013, there were 3,390 cell phone robberies in the City of Oakland,” said McElhaney. “Something must be done to deter crimes of opportunity and to deter companies from profiteering from crime.”
Nationwide, many stolen cell phones have been purchased from Automated Purchasing Machines, due to the security loopholes that cannot be prevented by a machine.
TV news anchors from The Today Show, law enforcement investigators from throughout the country, and even Councilmember McElhaney’s own staff have tested the security of the machines by selling electronic devices with drivers licenses that did not match the seller of the device. These transactions were processed and the sellers earned quick cash from the machines for cell phones that did not belong to them.
“Cell phone robberies wound our public image, deter economic development, and – most tragically – harm our residents. People are being beaten and even
Lynette Gibson McElhaney
killed over cell phones and that needs to stop,” said McElhaney.
Oakland will follow cities like Baltimore, Maryland and Riverside, California, which banned Automated Purchase Machines in 2013.
The ban was unanimously supported at the July 15 City Council Meeting and will go into effect immediately.
The environmental impact discarded electronic devices is negative because they contain mercury, lead, and arsenic that can leach into drinking water and pollute the soil.
Councilmember McElhaney is encouraging residents to donate their e-waste for recycling rather than throw devices in the trash. Local drop-off sites for e-waste include Goodwill, Best Buy, and Office Depot.
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Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
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