Police officers in Oakland, California, have reported more than 10,000 motor vehicle thefts in the city since the start of 2023, data from the Oakland Police Department (OPD) shows.
The OPD recorded a total of 10,547 motor vehicle thefts — an average of 40 vehicle thefts a day — and a 51% increase from the year-to-date reported number of thefts in 2022, CBS News Bay Area reported. At least 133 vehicles were stolen between Sept. 11 and Sept. 17, and an additional 12 vehicles were carjacked during the same time period, according to the OPD data.
“While the number is pretty staggering, I wish I could say that I was truly surprised or am truly surprised for that matter because of the lack of leadership in Oakland city government and the lack of accountability,” Eugene Kopman, a resident of Oakland, told CBS. “My car was parked at the Coliseum BART. I took my son to a baseball game last Sunday and I came back — the car was gone.”
Oakland residents have placed pressure on their district attorney and mayor for months to increase the town’s police force and security response as crime in the city has continued to escalate. Residents became even more frustrated with local officials over the past week after the city failed to submit an application to the California government to receive additional crime-fighting funds.
“The buck stops with the mayor. This is the mayor’s fault. It stops with the mayor. We need to hear from the mayor,” Oakland NAACP President Cynthia Adams told CBS on Sept. 18.
Officers admitted that the number of overall crimes in the area is likely much higher because many residents have stopped reporting crimes to the police, according to CBS. Total crime in Oakland has gone up 27% since 2022 while violent crime has increased by 20%, OPD data shows.
The Oakland mayor’s office and the OPD did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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