Just how bad is crime in Oakland, California?
Crime is so bad in Oakland, California that the FBI raided Mayor Sheng Thao’s home, in June of this year, remaining inside over two hours, and three other business locations associated with her family.
Crime is so bad in Oakland that when city officials claim crime is down 33%, that’s only because among other things 97% of car break-ins aren’t included in the report.
Crime is so bad in Oakland that a retail theft ring was so successful that it was forced to rent warehouse space to store all the stolen goods.
Crime is so bad in Oakland that a flash mob of over 100 looted a gas station and the police didn’t show up.
Crime is so bad in Oakland that the Oakland Hilton, located near the city’s airport for 56 years, has closed. The Hilton joins Denny's, In-N-Out Burger, Black Bear Diner, two Starbucks, and a Subway which closed earlier.
Crime is so bad in Oakland that a city council candidate had her donations stolen in broad daylight on a city street and, you guessed it, police didn’t show up.
Finally, crime is so bad in "The Athens of the Pacific," that recently during a rescue firefighters had their Jaws of Life stolen from the scene.
The Los Angeles Times reports, "Firefighters had brought out the tool during the call. After they used it, fire officials discovered the equipment had been taken, according to a spokesperson with the Oakland Police Department."
As Matt Reigle of OutKick.com observed, "Sure, people steal baby formula, razors, and catalytic converters, but it takes a special kind of degenerate criminal to wander away with the Jaws of Life."
The Jaws weighs about 50 lbs. and can be operated by one person.
You don’t even have to wear the funny hat or be draped in a firefighter’s bunker coat to use it. The problem is what does one do with a Jaws of Life after stealing it?
Even in a hotbed of crime like Oakland the opportunities appear limited.
What if our thief was planning on using the Jaws to open locked shop doors, detach ATM (pressure) units, or open the plastic packaging on a set of batteries the Jaws require for a support system? You don’t just squeeze the Jaws like a pair of scissors.
The Jaws of Life are a hydraulically operated system and without the hoses and pump it’s 50 lbs. of useless.
What’s also useless in Oakland are the mayor and district attorney.
That’s why Mayor Sheng Thao and Dist. Atty. Pamela Price are both facing recall elections from an electorate that is fed up and fired up.
We can only hope that both efforts are successful.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker's bureau. Read Michael Reagan's Reports — More Here.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now With Added Humor!)" Read Michael Shannon's Reports — More Here.