Oakland police have urged residents to secure their homes — including trimming hedges and bushes to give burglars no hiding places — amid an increase in brazen burglaries while residents are inside their homes.
Police in the California city warned of an ‘increase in home invasion robberies’, with robbers armed with guns kicking in doors before threatening homeowners and stealing their belongings.
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) said some of the hardest hit areas were Laurel, North Hills, Joaquin Miller and the Greater San Antonio area.
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) said some of the hardest hit areas were Laurel, North Hills, Joaquin Miller and the Greater San Antonio area. Photo: An attack last year
“In recent cases, armed men entered homes by forcibly kicking in doors, threatening victims and taking personal belongings of victims before fleeing the home,” the force said in a post on Wednesday.
‘OPD is actively investigating each of these home invasion robberies. If you are a victim or have information about this incident, please call 510-238-3326.’
The department has several suggestions for residents to reduce their risk of break-ins, including making sure all doors and windows are properly secured and even reinforcing doors with a security bar or door brace.
‘Strengthen home security by installing a security system with motion detection, surveillance cameras and alarms,’ OPD added. ‘Use outdoor lighting with motion sensors.
Surveillance video captured an attempted home invasion that ended in a shooting in Oakland last year
‘Trim hedges and shrubs around entrances to eliminate potential hiding places. Do not open your door to strangers without verifying their identity.
‘Make an emergency plan to include a safe meeting point. Join or start a neighborhood watch program in your community.’
The force said it was ‘committed to public safety’ and urged the public to report any robberies.
A terrifying home invasion in the city that ended in a shootout was caught on camera last year.
Surveillance footage from Feb. 4, 2022 shows a man using a crowbar to break into a home on Mina Avenue in the Allendale neighborhood of Oakland.
A second man joins him, pointing a gun at the front door, obtained by KTVU, and several others stand guard.
Homeowner Ken Johnson told the broadcaster he was awakened by the sound.
In 2021, I took my kids to In-N-Out in Oakland. We saw a group, probably coming from the airport, to see them emptying their cars. They were right there but powerless to stop it. I decided to leave my former beloved city. pic.twitter.com/U0CuTPGJmU
— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) July 11, 2023
‘I looked out the balcony and saw a man pointing a gun at me. So I came back home,’ he said.
Johnson said his nephew pounded on the door inside his house to let the attackers know there were people inside, mistaking the gunshots and fleeing.
The footage shows the group running away towards their car.
As they drove away, a man fired four shots from the car — as debris fell in front of the camera lens — while Johnson’s nephew called 911.
‘They entered the house and started shooting. Now we were on the 911 call at the time, which the 911 operator heard and so they sent the police right away,’ Johnson said.
Luckily the family was unharmed, but Johnson found rounds from a 9mm handgun stashed in a closet as well as an old football helmet.
My sister lives in Oakland, her car has broken into 4 times in the last year.
He is a speech pathologist and 2 out of 4 times thieves have stolen his exam assessment papers. Literally worthless to them. He had to cancel many apps. All severely disabled children. The effect is real
— Stay Real (@bball_all_day_) June 27, 2023
I lived in Oakland for years. In that time I’ve been jumped 3 times, robbed, had my house broken into and had car windows smashed more times than I can count. Posting cherry-picked photos of “nice” parts of Oakland doesn’t change the underlying problems there.
— HR Task (@broken_task) April 5, 2023
Meanwhile, an Oakland mother says she decided to leave her ‘beloved’ city because of rampant crime.
Sharing a video of hooded men breaking into a car stuck in queuing traffic, she said: ‘In 2021, I took my kids to In-N-Out in Oakland.
‘We saw a group, probably coming from the airport, so they saw their car being emptied.
‘They were right there but they didn’t have the power to stop it. I have decided to leave my former favorite city.’
A man with family in Oakland also shared the horror story of thieves taking his doctor sister’s records from his car, forcing her to cancel appointments with ‘severely disabled’ pediatric patients.
He wrote on Twitter, ‘My sister lives in Oakland, her car broke down 4 times in the last year.
‘He is a speech pathologist and two of the four-time thieves stole his exam assessment papers. Literally worthless to them.
‘He had to cancel many apps. All severely disabled children. The effect is real.’
Also writing on Twitter, a former West Auckland and Thamescol resident said: ‘I have lived in Auckland for many years.
‘In that time I’ve been jumped three times, robbed, had my house broken into and had car windows smashed more times than I can count.’
Read Full News Here