Oakland Homicides, Robberies Down So Far In 2016
OAKLAND (KCBS) – While Oakland still struggles with a high overall crime rate, some key numbers are on the decline.
Speaking in front of the Oakland City Council's Public Safety Committee, assistant police chief Paul Figueroa said there have been three homicides compared with 11 this time last year.
"So, we're down significantly on homicides this year. Of course, this year is just beginning," Figueroa said. "We're going to continue our efforts and we hope to see that downward trend continue."
Figueroa said robberies are also down 28 percent so far in 2016.
"When the new officers come online in June, with those extra officers because of calls for service, we are pushing two extra squads out east," Figueroa said.
Some residents at the meeting said there are still neighborhoods that are not getting enough help.
"If this situation happened in Montclair, they would have called the national guard," one woman told the committee.
Figueroa said there were still nearly 11,000 burglaries in Oakland last year.