More than two-thirds of Oakland voters who are likely to cast a ballot in next year's election feel less safe than they did two years ago, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce.
Over the last two years, some violent crimes, such as homicides, have substantially increased according to Oakland Police Department data through Sunday, while others have not. Overall, crime has decreased nearly 12% from this point two years ago, according to the department's own analysis.
Between Oct. 24-28, FM3 Research surveyed 619 Oakland residents who will likely vote next year. The company said it weighted the results "to reflect the demographic profile of likely November 22 voters," but it didn't provide a demographic breakdown. The chamber didn't respond to KCBS Radio’s email requesting information on the respondents by age, gender, race and political ideology. The poll had a 4% margin of error, according to FM3.
Sixty-eight percent of respondents said they feel less safe than they did in 2019. The number of respondents "extremely" or "very" concerned about crime increased by
The Oakland Police Department tweeted on Monday it has investigated 119 homicides this year, up from 97 through this time in 2020. The department's crime analysis listed 65 homicides through this point in 2019, months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This reality was created by the 'defund the police' majority on the city council, who have abandoned public safety in Oakland," Oakland Police Officers Association President Barry Donelan said in a statement on Monday, referring to the Oakland City Council approving a budget in June, on a 6-2 vote, that redirected over $18 million from Mayor Libby Schaaf's proposed police budget to the city’s department of violence prevention and other social services.
In September, the council voted 6-2 to create a fifth police academy over the next two years. Schaaf proposed increasing the number of police academies to six in her budget. The two-year police budget approved by the city council in June was $9 million more ($674 million) than the previous one.
While gun-related crimes, homicides and carjackings have significantly increased, rapes (35% decrease over this time last year), residential burglaries (22% decrease), commercial burglaries (46% decrease), car thefts (2% decrease) and arson (13% decrease) have not, according to police data. Other cities in California, as well as the rest of the country, have experienced similarly divergent trends during the pandemic.
In all, crime in Oakland is up 1% through this time in 2020, and down 11.6% through this time in 2019.
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