The city of Oakland suffered through three high-profile murders and reports of dozens of people in caravans robbing stores in the last week.
Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong vowed to do something about the rising wave of crime in a news conference Tuesday, beginning first with a two-minute moment of silence for the 127 fatalities in the city this past year.
One of the recent killings, of KRON station security guard Kevin Nishita was particularly devastating. "Kevin Nishita lost his life over the weekend," said Armstrong. Nishita was an armed guard for Star Protection Agency and a former police officer. "He was loved by many."
A surveillance photo of the vehicle thought to be involved with the crime has since been released, a 2004 to 2008 white Acura TL, four doors with a sunroof and no license plates.
The police department and the Crime Stoppers of Oakland are now offering a $32,500 reward for information anyone with information about the crime.
"To our news crews, that cover us in the city of Oakland, we’re going to do everything we can to continue to make Oakland a safe place for you to cover news," said Armstrong. The police department will meet with local stations to discuss the issue further, he added.
Armstrong also called attention to another homicide over the weekend of Eric Davis, who was following suspects involved in car burglaries on Grand Avenue. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information on this case.
The vehicle involved in that incident is reportedly a black four-door Toyota RAV4 that may have a rear passenger-side window missing.
The Chief also addressed the spate of robberies being conducted by people in caravans. In response, OPD has deployed teams in areas throughout the city "We were prepared and we will be prepared moving forward," said Armstrong.
What is concerning is the amount of firepower the department continues to see caravan passengers carrying throughout the city, he said. Officers continue to get shot at when responding to these crime scenes, he said.
It’s made even more difficult by the lack of resources and low staffing amongst the department, said Armstrong.
"I think it’s clear today, as we sit with 676 officers currently at the department, that is currently the smallest staff that we’ve had in several years," he said. Last year, the department had 740 officers.
On Monday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced intentions to redirect resources cut from the police department’s budget back to hiring more officers in the wake of the recent violence.
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