How officials aim to keep progress on Oakland crime

City leaders are trying to bolster the Police Department and pay for social programs.

- BY JAMES RAINEY

BEN MARGOT Associated Press

OAKLAND'S challenging conditions come soon after a promising recent past, when there was an infusion of tech and other investment.

A crime wave swept the city, even creeping into its tonier northern neighborhoods.

High-profile chains like In-N-Out Burger and Denny's closed outlets, saying Oakland had become too dangerous.

Voters recalled the mayor and the district attorney of Alameda County last year. And the civic mood turned even darker at the start of 2025, when federal officials indicted former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao on charges of corruption.

Though Oakland continues to struggle to find enough police to patrol its streets, to deal with homelessness and to deliver services, a random sampling recently found residents mostly optimistic that things may be getting a bit better. Several told The Times that they think the most brazen crimes — including car break-ins that had been epidemic — have become less common. The police department recently announced a 28% drop in crime (despite President Trump’s claims to the contrary) for the first six months of the year.

Locals said they were hopeful that a new mayor, longtime Congresswoman Barbara Lee, will be able to deliver much-needed housing, social services and an expanded police force, which eluded her predecessors.