Last week’s temporary law enforcement surge operation netted arrests of 71 suspects, the recovery of 145 stolen vehicles and the seizure of four crime-linked firearms, the governor’s office said. There were $60,000 worth of stolen electronics recovered, and one of the four firearms seized was a ghost gun, CHP said.
Suspects were arrested for charges including auto theft, drug possession, felony gun possession, possession of stolen property, DUI and outstanding warrants. Cases will go to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, according to the governor’s office.
I’m deeply conflicted because I believe ACAB (to a point) but also Oakland has not felt terribly safe since the pan. The downtown area has declined as many professionals are wfh, allowing the once-busy area to feel empty and deserted. I discovered an amazing sandwich shop only about three weeks before they went out of business. My partner befriended someone right before they moved cities because they felt unsafe.
You don’t even need a thought experiment. The hard data is there. Police in my are, for example, cut enforcement by more than 60% back during the pandemic. Crime and civil violations shot through the roof to the point of chaos. I don’t remember the exact number, but it got bad, ignore the fact we already have some of the highest gun crimes in the country… They finally stepped up enforcement a bit the middle of last year and crime dropped measurably, but it is still higher than 2017-2018.
I am sure this has been a familiar thing across many cities.