Oakland police respond to sideshows, shootings as city looks to shrink police force over budget deficit
Oakland police had a very busy Sunday morning, responding to multiple sideshows, shootings, and a mob of people ransacking a gas station.
This comes as the city is looking to shrink the police force and balance the budget.
"It happens all the time, you hear gunshots," complained Oakland resident Debra Harper, who was not surprised by the Sunday incidents. "This is every weekend. Every single weekend, they do donuts out here, they fight."
Harper said it's become lawless and dangerous. She carries a can of mace just to smoke a cigarette outside of her San Pablo Avenue apartment.
"I carry it for safety, and I've had to use it once," said Harper.
She's learned to sleep through sideshows outside of her unit since it happens so often. The sideshow that happened near her at San Pablo Avenue and 17th Street on Sunday morning didn't even wake her up. And she said she was not surprised that someone set a white BMW sedan on fire as the police were breaking up the sideshow.
"It makes me feel like getting the hell out of Oakland," said Harper. "I'm trying to get out of here, unfortunately. I wish I can live right here comfortably and feel safe, but I don't."
It was one of several sideshows that happened in Oakland on early Sunday morning. At an intersection next to Bishop O'Dowd High School. A driver, spinning donuts, hit a spectator and tossed him into the air. The spectator got up and ran to safety.
"All night long, we were chasing around, trying to deal with it. At one point, a police vehicle was damaged during that. There was also two gunshot victims that were struck by gunfire from the sideshow," said Sgt. Timothy Dolan, vice president of the Oakland Police Officers' Association.
Sgt. Dolan said the two gunshot victims were listed in stable condition.
At 2:30 a.m., a mob of roughly 50 people broke in and ransacked the Coliseum Shell gas station on Hegenberger Road. The gas station owner, Sanjiv Patel, said the clerk who was working alone feared for his life.
"He reached inside the restroom and he locked himself in the restroom and turned off the lights," said Patel.
Patel believed the robbers were probably some of the same people who were doing the sideshows. Police were still investigating that possible connection. Patel said the mob took all the cash, cigarettes, scratcher tickets, and most of the merchandise.
He estimated the loss and damage to be around $50,000.
"It really raises the question is Oakland a third-world country because it's worse than that," said Patel.
Because of a major budget deficit, the city is planning to cut police funding and cancel two academies. That would shrink the already understaffed police force down to 600 officers. Currently, OPD has about 675 officers, according to the police union. The police department is not alone, all city departments will likely see significant cuts to prevent bankruptcy.
"It's very difficult to police with the dwindling numbers. We have to figure out what calls do, we have to take care of first, which ones stand for four or five days. I've been to people's homes and I'm apologizing about taking four days to take their stolen vehicle report. It's embarrassing for me," said Sgt. Dolan.
Harper said residents and businesses are the ones getting hurt.
"You've got to keep the policemen, keep the fire department, cut somewhere else," said Harper.
But city officials said that would be easier said than done. Police and fire make up 75% of the general purpose fund.
City leaders will hold a special council meeting at city hall on Monday to talk about what to cut. Residents are encouraged to attend.