OAKLAND (KRON) — Violent crimes are decreasing in some Bay Area cities, including Oakland, according to a new report.
Overall major crimes were down 11 percent in 2018 from the year before in Oakland. Mayor Libby Schaaf says the downward trend in homicides and shootings has been happening for sometime.
“This represents an unprecedented six-year reduction in homicides an injury shootings combined six consecutive years that is unprecedented,” said Schaaf.
Sixty-eight people were murdered last year — the lowest in nearly two decades.
“We always want to remember there was a person behind those numbers,” said Schaaf.
Oakland’s police chief credits the latest numbers partly to something the department calls ‘Operation Ceasefire,’ focused on creating bonds with the community and changing the way they tackle gang violence.
“What we’ve tried to do for the last six years is to limit gang violence. We try to illuminate individuals who were engaged in violence and more portly embrace those who wanted a different way to do different things,” said Oakland’s Police Chief Anne E. Kirkpatrick.
The chief says they did see a rise in arsons and commercial burglaries last year, but many other property crimes were down by double digits. Car break-ins were also down by 25 percent.
The chief says they still have a lot of work to do — and one of her goals is to try to get the department up to full staffing by mid year. There are currently 750 sworn officers in Oakland’s police department, but the chief says they are still looking to hire 40 more.
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