One in thirty Oakland residents had their car stolen last year as 15,000 vehicles were stolen – a 45 percent increase in just one year.
The shocking number is the highest in 15 years.
However, fewer than five percent of these car theft cases result in an actual arrest, as the California city's understaffed and underfunded police department struggles to deal with a 21 percent increase in violent crime. And there are only two police officers responsible for solving car thefts.
Mary Remington's 2018 Honda Fit, Milan Sanders' 2019 Kia Sorento and Emily Frazier's 2020 Kia Forte were all ruthlessly stolen, they reported to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The city's mayor and district attorney are both outspoken progressives who have both said police accountability and racial justice are priorities, but fed-up locals have implored them to make the Bay Area city safer.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (pictured) highlighted ongoing investments in police resources and technology – even though fewer than 5 percent of car theft cases result in an arrest
Last year alone, nearly 15,000 cars were reported stolen in Oakland – a staggering 45 percent increase over 2022 and the highest number in at least 15 years (Pictured: Accident scene after a driver was chased by thieves, resulting in his car being stolen rolled over)
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (pictured) faces removal amid a wave of violent crime in the city
In October, Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price even had her work laptop stolen when her car broke down outside a family justice center at lunchtime.
This comes as the campaign to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, also known as Save Alameda for Everyone (SAFE), gains momentum. The recall was initiated in 2023.
The epicenter of this surge is in Uptown and North Oakland, where there has been a shocking 69 percent increase in car thefts, according to police and state data.
The Chronicle uncovered several reasons experts blame for the growing crisis plaguing the city.
A major factor, according to the Chronicle, is the lack of basic anti-theft technology in popular Kia and Hyundai models, which is exacerbated by a viral social media challenge that encourages thieves to target these particular cars.
Additionally, scarce police resources are reportedly being directed toward higher priority crimes.
In Oakland, this increase in property and violent crime reflects the broader impact of the troubling trend.
An Oakland restaurant owner was robbed by multiple suspects after his vehicle crashed and flipped upside down during a Mad Max-style chase Friday morning
Masked bandits brazenly attack cars in downtown Oakland in daylight
Loi rolls down the windows of her car enough so that thieves can open the doors instead of breaking the windows when it's parked in front of the cafe
Victims like 63-year-old Remington, who discovered her Honda Fit missing from her apartment complex's garage, are desperate.
Although Remington has witnessed crime since moving to the city 23 years ago, she told the Chronicle that she has noticed the increasing trend in car-related crimes.
“It’s unbelievable what’s happening,” she told the Chronicle.
Social media posts from neighbors also highlighted the growing concern, she said, as incidents ranged from car break-ins to armed carjackings just blocks away.
Two months after her car was stolen, Remington received a call from police – her vehicle was found in San Leandro without a license plate.
To ensure the safety of their replacement car, Remington chose a model with LoJack, a tracking system that makes recovery easier in the event of future thefts.
Oakland has experienced a variety of crimes, including car theft and shoplifting
Despite this incident, the chances of finding and arresting car thieves in Oakland remain slim.
In 2022, police made arrests in only about 4.5 percent of car theft cases — a lower rate compared to San Francisco and San Jose.
The Oakland Police Department's limited resources, with just two officers dedicated to investigating car thefts, reflect the harsh reality of prioritizing violent crime amid rising crime rates.
Police Department spokesman Paul Chambers defended its commitment to reducing crime and highlighted the challenging environment in which violent crime requires immediate attention.
In an email to the Chronicle, he said the department is “committed to reducing crime and serving the community.”
Oakland experienced a 21 percent increase in violent crime in 2023, along with a staggering 38 percent increase in robberies and a 23 percent increase in burglaries.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao highlighted ongoing investments in police resources and technology.
A $360 million deficit in the city's general fund led Thao to freeze hundreds of vacant positions, including in the police department, further straining resources amid rising crime rates.
In an emailed statement to the Chronicle, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said the safety of children, businesses and families is her top priority.
She announced that the city is reportedly investing in a “robust and accountable police department,” advancing violence prevention initiatives and using technology to “modernize” investigations.
“Progress is being made and investments are starting to bear fruit,” the mayor said, adding that the number of car thefts fell after the city set up a special unit of uniformed and plainclothes officers in September to prevent the break-ins.
Darren Allison. Interim Chief of Police.
A TikTok car theft challenge that shows a step-by-step guide to stealing certain Kia and Hyundai models has only added fuel to the fire.
Since the manufacturer will no longer install immobilizers in its vehicles from 2011 to 2022, these cars have become prime targets for thieves.
Crime has increased so much in Oakland that locals revealed they have rolled down the windows of their cars to prevent the glass from being smashed when thieves break in.
The number of homicides has been in the triple digits for four years in a row, car thefts have increased by 50 percent in one year and 1,000 more people are living on the streets.
Suzane Loi, who has run The Coffee Mill on Grand Avenue for 27 years, doesn't like what she sees outside on the busy street.
Her cafe was broken into three times in six months, doubling her insurance premiums to $12,000, and masked car thieves break car windows several times a week.
“When I park my car outside, I roll the windows down enough to fit my hand and unlock them so the glass doesn't shatter,” she told in December.
It would be better to just let the thieves rummage through her car and not replace another broken window, she thought.
“My business is down 40 percent this year because people are too afraid to go out to eat downtown,” Loi said.
“Their cars just get broken down or stolen or broken into. “There have been two break-ins outside this week alone.'
Loi said the masked bandits who carjacked cars on the street were even younger than she remembered in years past.
“There are 15-year-old children or even teenagers, and now there are girls too,” she said.
“This used to be the place to be, but now everything is closed. “We don't have good food, stores are closing, even CVS is trying to close.
Elected in 2022, Oakland's district attorney has faced intense criticism as crime rates have soared in Oakland and throughout the Bay Area
In August, Oakland NAACP leaders called for a state of emergency because of rising crime rates and blamed Price
“Frankly, someone needs to be held accountable for this. 'I don't know what to do, the government isn't doing anything, why did we even vote for them?'
Oakland restaurants have reported losing thousands each week because customers' cars and jewelry are stolen while they eat – and locals are now avoiding downtown.
Amid rampant violent crime in the Democratic-run California city, business owners in November likened the area to a “battlefield” similar to the Vietnam War.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price is therefore facing a recall. Hundreds of locals have formed a group called “Save Alameda for Everyone” to oust Price from her position because of her soft stance on crime.
That same weekend, two popular restaurants closed their doors after years of operation because of continued car thefts and violent crime on their doorsteps.
French-Vietnamese restaurant Le Cheval closed its doors after 38 years, as did Galeto Brazilian Steakhouse on the same block.
Galeto's owner Eli Nascimento said it was “a defiant crime” that caused him to quit. He remembered how his host was robbed outside the restaurant with three guns to his head. He gave up because he couldn't take it anymore.
Other small business owners, including shop owners and gas station workers, had previously announced a one-day strike to show how out-of-control crime is impacting the local economy.
Derreck Johnson, owner of Home of Chicken and Waffles, said, “Every day we fight not to want to lay off our employees.”
“I witnessed a group from Miami being robbed at gunpoint on a Saturday afternoon and having all of their jewelry taken away.” That shouldn't be my priority. “It shouldn’t be my job to make sure my customers are safe while they walk the streets of Oakland.”
Many of Johnson's guests had their luggage stolen from their cars or were robbed at gunpoint as they entered and exited the restaurant.
Woke San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin faced a recall vote in 2022 as murder rates rose 11%, rapes rose 9% and angry locals called the city a “dangerous place to live.”
The number of homicides has been in the triple digits for four years in a row, car thefts have increased by 50 percent in one year and 1,000 more people are living on the streets
The total number of armed robberies in Oakland this year has reached 1,282, a 43 percent increase since this time last year.
In November, vehicle thefts increased by almost 50 percent and home thefts increased by 65 percent. Oakland police arrested seven people in a special operation against car thieves.
In December, an Oakland restaurant owner was robbed by multiple suspects after his vehicle crashed and flipped upside down during a Mad Max-style chase.
The harrowing event occurred on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland, California – a city likened to a hellscape in the Mad Max film series where gangs roam in groups of vehicles looking for fuel.
Photos and videos showed the victim's Honda Accord flipping over and landing on the trail at Lake Merritt. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots after the accident.