Crime

Oakland Police See Spike in Homicides

Published

4 years ago

July 9, 2020

Oakland, CA — The City has seen a recent spike in homicides, between June 24 to July 2nd, seven lives have been lost to violence.

The Oakland Police Department asks our community to join us as we voice a call to action to “Put the guns down”. As a community, we must come together to reduce violence and improve safety.

On July 2, 2020, at 4:58 PM, officers responded to a report of a shooting in the area of 72nd Avenue and International Boulevard. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds, the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.

On July 1, 2020, at 7:34 PM, officers responded to the 2500 block of Embarcadero on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

On July 1, 2020, at 12:11 AM, officers responded to the to the 2500 block of International Boulevard on an alert from a ShotSpotter activation, regarding gunshots. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene.

On June 29, 2020, at 2:54AM, officers responded to the 7700 block of Krause Avenue on a report of a stabbing. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male suffering from fatal stab wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene.

On June 28, 2020, at 2:08 PM, officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of 42nd Avenue to investigate a report of a fire. OPD officers and the Oakland Fire Department located several burned tents. Officers located a deceased female inside one of the burnt tents. On July 1, 2020, the Oakland Police Department’s Homicide Unit deemed this investigation a homicide.

On June 28, 2020, at 1:19 AM, officers responded to the 3500 block of Dimond Avenue on a report of a shooting. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene.

On June 24, 2020, at about 2:05AM, officers were dispatched to the 9100 block of E St regarding a shooting. When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim was pronounced deceased on scene.

The Department is seeing a sustained level of inner group and renewed conflicts with gangs and groups, generating gunfire not only at each other but also shootings at residential homes and cars. The Oakland Police Department Ceasefire Team, the Department of Violence Prevention and Community Partners continue to work towards reducing gun violence and improving public safety.

We ask our community to partner with the Department and the City to reduce violence by helping to provide information: “If you know something, say something.” If you were a witness or have information regarding a crime, you can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Oakland TIP LINE (510) 777-8572.

The Oakland Police Department’s Homicide Section (510) 238-3821.

We encourage our community to opt into our camera registry program https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/register-your-securitycamera?_ga=2.97709471.1425431140.1580770016-296443967.1572396264 Get involved in a community lead group, together we can all make a difference.

*ShotSpotter is an advanced system of sensors, algorithms and artificial intelligence that detects, locates and alerts police to gunshots in real-time. Once the analyst confirms the sound was gunfire, police are notified.

For more information, please contact the Media Relations Office at (510) 2387230 or opdmedia@oaklandca.gov or Visit Nixle.com to receive Oakland Police Department alerts, advisories and community messages, or follow OPD on Twitter, @oaklandpoliceca.

Officer Johnna Watson

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of June 12-18, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 12-18, 2024

Published

2 days ago

June 14, 2024

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Sen. Wiener, Mayor Breed Announce Bill to Shut Down Fencing of Stolen Goods

On June 3, San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed joined State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to announce a bill aiming to combat fencing, the sale of stolen goods. Authored by Wiener and sponsored by Breed, Senate Bill (SB) 925 would allow San Francisco to create permitting requirements to regulate the sale of items commonly obtained through retail theft and impose criminal penalties for those who engage in this practice.

Published

2 days ago

June 13, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By Oakland Post Staff

On June 3, San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed joined State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) to announce a bill aiming to combat fencing, the sale of stolen goods.

Authored by Wiener and sponsored by Breed, Senate Bill (SB) 925 would allow San Francisco to create permitting requirements to regulate the sale of items commonly obtained through retail theft and impose criminal penalties for those who engage in this practice.

“The sale of stolen items in San Francisco has created unsafe street conditions and health and safety hazards that have negatively impacted residents, businesses, City workers, and legitimate street vendors,” states a statement released by the mayor’s office.

San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Chief Bill Scott praised the effort.

“I want to thank Mayor Breed and Senator Wiener for identifying new ways to combat the illegal fencing of stolen goods. This will help our hard-working officers continue to make progress in cracking down on retail theft,” said Scott.

Under the legislation, San Francisco can require vendors to obtain a permit to be able to sell items deemed as frequently stolen by asking for documentation that the merchandise was obtained legitimately, such as showing proof of purchase.

The legislation also establishes that those in violation would receive an infraction for the first two offenses and an infraction or a misdemeanor and up to six months in county jail for the third offense.

Under this bill, people can still:

Sell goods with a permit
Sell prepared food with a permit
Sell goods on the list of frequently stolen items with a permit and proof of purchase.

“In San Francisco we are working hard to make our streets safer and more welcoming for all. SB 925 would greatly help us get a handle on the sale of stolen goods, all while taking a narrow approach that specifically targets bad actors,” said Breed.

Wiener says the cultural richness of San Francisco and the livelihoods of legitimate street vendors are threatened when bad actors are allowed to openly sell stolen goods on the city’s streets.

“With this bill we’re taking a balanced approach that respects the critical role street vending plays in our community while holding fencing operations accountable for the disruption they cause. It’s critical that everyone feel safe on our streets, including street vendors and neighborhood residents,” said Wiener.

Oakland Post

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Community

Public Policy Inst. of California Releases Data on Hate Crimes

Hate crimes against minorities have increased statewide over the last decade with a spike in violent crimes between 2020 and 2022, states a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report. The recent increase in violent hate crimes is backed by data revealing that victims were targeted based on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, and gender. Those violent hate crimes disproportionately affected Black, Latino, and Asian individuals.

Published

4 days ago

June 11, 2024

Oakland Post

iStock

By California Black Media

Hate crimes against minorities have increased statewide over the last decade with a spike in violent crimes between 2020 and 2022, states a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report.

The recent increase in violent hate crimes is backed by data revealing that victims were targeted based on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, and gender. Those violent hate crimes disproportionately affected Black, Latino, and Asian individuals. Incidents of violent hate crimes including assault grew by 791. The number of property-related hate crimes, including vandalism, increased by 314 incidents. In all the incidents reported, 25% of the hate crimes included the use of weapons including knives, handguns, and clubs.

The report stated that violent hate crimes remain underreported. The California Department of Justice is working on plans to invest more money in facilitating the reporting of hate crimes and supporting communities affected most by these incidents.

According to the report between 2019 and 2022, hate crimes targeting Black people tripled, while incidents against Latinos doubled, and attacks against Asians more than tripled in recent years.

“These increases are overwhelmingly driven by violent rather than property crimes,” the report stated.

In 2022, approximately 75% of all reported hate crimes included violent attacks against Black, Latino, or Asian people.

The state has since passed bills to address current and emerging issues related to hate crimes. The Legislature passed AB 485 in 2020, requiring local law enforcement agencies to post monthly updates of hate crimes online. Legislators passed AB 449 in 2023, a law that requires local law enforcement agencies to report suspected hate crimes and provide information that helps report hate crimes to the state attorney general.

Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the “CA vs Hate” campaign, an educational awareness campaign that includes a hotline and online resources for reporting hate crimes. The campaign also provided funds to community-based organizations supporting victims of hate crimes.

“This potential change in reporting behavior, along with increased media attention to the problem, may be partially responsible for the recent uptick in the number of incidents we report on here,” the report stated.