I was out for a walk yesterday on Grand Avenue when I heard someone call my name. It was an old friend, who owns a small business there. He was standing by his parked car on the driver’s side and motioned me over. The window of his Tesla was smashed in; there were blue-green crystals of glass in the road. “Some guy did it while I was watching!” my friend exclaimed. “Two minutes ago!” He was in shock.
While I was commiserating with him another man came over, someone neither of us knew. It turned out that his Tesla also was broken into, and the man had witnessed the whole thing. He even got the license plate number of the smash-and-grabber. The same white car, with the same white driver, seemed to be responsible for both crimes. “They work in pairs,” the man explained. “One of them scouts cars and radios his friend, who then pulls up alongside the car and breaks in.”
The man had reported the license number and a description of the car and thief to OPD, but, he said, “They don’t want to have anything to do with it.” I asked my friend if he was going to call the cops. “No,” he replied. “What’s the point?”
As I walked around the Lake, on such a pretty day, my mood was dark. I felt bad for my friend and for the other guy. I understood their pain and frustration. This kind of stuff happens every day, all around the city. Things are going from bad to worse. Oakland is being destroyed. The people have lost all faith in government, or the ability of their leaders to run this city safely, or even of the police to protect them. Meanwhile, these “leaders” on the City Council hold meetings and make promises they have no intention of keeping, and they’re out there raising funds for their next campaign, making deals with donors that you and I never hear about. And they’re still trying to defund the Oakland Police Department.
We have a mayoral election coming up next year. The Coalition has had Zooms with Loren Taylor, Treva Reid and Greg Hodge, all of whom are running. We’ve asked Sheng Thao, who’s also running, for a Zoom, but she hasn’t had the courtesy to reply. There will probably be other candidates. But so far, I haven’t seen anyone who’s interested in doing the things that need to be done to rescue our beloved city.
What are those things? Among others, they include:
- A police force of at least 1,100 sworn officers
- Cracking down on littering, loitering, shoplifting, sideshows, dirt bikes obstructing traffic, public intoxication, panhandling, indecent exposure, peddling stolen items, store invasions, and all the other “victimless” crimes that destroy our way of life
- Mandatory relocation of encampments into sanctioned areas
- Provision of centralized services to homeless people relocated to sanctioned areas
- Zero tolerance for downtown riots
None of these things is impossible. Relocation of encampments can be accomplished in compliance with Martin v. Boise. People who offer Martin v. Boise as an excuse for not interfering with encampments are either ignorant, or they’re lying. If we had 1,100 sworn officers, and we allowed them to do their jobs instead of hobbling them, they would have caught the Tesla smash-and-grabbers by now, as well as many others who break the law. They would break up the ring of grifters who peddle stolen stuff by the Lake. It’s outrageous that people are committing such brazen crimes in broad daylight. OPD is blocked by the City Council and the Police Commission (and the NSA) from arresting them, or even investigating these cases. We need to replace the City Council. As for the Police Commission, we can just ignore them. If they don’t like it, they can sue us. And let’s finally challenge the NSA for the scam it is. Let Henderson howl.
You know it and I know it: Oakland has been invaded, and we need to fight back. And we can do so as Democrats! Who let the Republican Party take ownership of public safety?
So, like I said, do I frigging have to run for Mayor? Some serious candidate has to stop with the platitudes and get real.
NUMBER OF DAYS SINCE I INVITED CARROLL FIFE TO HAVE TEA WITH ME, WITH NO REPLY: 12
Steve Heimoff