The City of Oakland failed to meet an application deadline for state funding to tackle rising retail theft. Four more businesses were burglarized in Oakland's Montclair neighborhood Friday morning.
"This outcome is unacceptable," the City of Oakland said in a statement. "The city and department are reviewing everything that happened to ensure it does not happen again, and will take appropriate action."
The jewelry store across La Salle Avenue was also hit with burglars stealing an estimated $15,000, the owner said.Councilmember Janani Ramachandran represents Montclair and toldFriday she was upset by the increasing crime and inability for the city to provide more resources. By comparison, San Francisco was awarded $17 million, with a large part of the grant supporting proactive policing operations to battle organized retail crime and catalytic converter theft.
"Oakland is not on an island," said Swafford. "We need this broader community to recognize the challenges we’re facing, the strain on the resources and to be there as partners."