Given the Oakland Police Department’s notorious and longstanding problems, along with the fact that the city — like plenty of others in The Golden State — is facing potential receivership, the crime problem in the place with no there there is getting steadily worse. Maybe one part of the OPD’s problem is the caliber (no pun intended) of its recruits. On Friday evening a couple were in their Oakland Hills home when threy were joined by three home invaders . . .
From ktvu.com:
The robbers went for the victim’s gun and one took it and began pistol whipping the victim, police said.
The robbers then fled the scene.
The victim, a man in his 20s, was taken to Highland Hospital, but the woman was not harmed.
The homeowner, is the grandmother of the victim, and she told KTVU the victim is a police cadet who is currentlty (sic) attending the police
academy to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a police officer.
But judging from the reaction of neighbors, having a cop living nearby doesn’t seem to be providing them much comfort.
Neighborhood residents received an email alert from their neighborhood watch group about the incident.
“I thought it was really serious,” said Tom, a neighbor. “It’s getting worse and worse in this area.”
Neighbors told KTVU the crimes are getting more frequent and more brazen. Friday’s robbery took place right under the watchful eye of a neighborhood watch sign.
“We can never count on the police up here,” Tom said. “(We’re)pretty much on your own.”
Johnny Lazaro, a tow truck driver who came to take the homeowner’s car to get re-keyed, because her purse and car keys were among the stolen items agreed.
“It’s crazy out here in Oakland,” said Johnny Lazaro. “Everybody’s so hard up they’re doing a lot of killing and robbing. I don’t understand why.”
Well Johnny may have answered his own question. When people are hard up they will turn to less honorable means in which to get by. One of the challenges we are seeing from a crappy economy and reduced city services is an increase in crime. From urban areas to rural, people are having more and more issues just getting by.
So when San Bernardino City Attorney James Penman warned his city’s residents to lock their doors and load their guns, he knew what he was talking about. But as the Oakland cadet found out, it helps if you’re ready to use them.
