Violent Crime Drops In Oakland, Gang Programs And Neighborhood Groups Credited
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Successful gang interventions and an improving economy are among changes Oakland city officials are attributing for a dip in violent crime, according to city officials.
Shootings are down by 35 percent this year compared to last year; homicides dropped by 18 percent, with 30 counted as of May 19; and robberies fell by 38 percent with just over a thousand on record so far this year.
Oakland recorded more robberies than any other major American city for the last couple of years, but now armed robberies are about half of what they were a year ago.
Police and city leaders credit greater neighborhood involvement and improved police work for the decline in crime as more residents are hire private security patrols and install cameras. Programs like Ceasefire, heavily touted by Mayor Jean Quan, are seen as the primary reason for fewer shootings and killings, while criminal task forces are likely responsible for the drop in robberies, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
But with warmer weather around the corner, experts warn a summer spike could eliminate any progress made so far.