Auto Thefts Blanket Oakland

Thieves used the blanket to break the car window, muffling the sound of shattering glass. They stole the radio but left the damaged vehicle, along with the blanket and the glass.

In the past three weeks, 28 outright vehicle thefts were reported within 3/4 mile of this spot. From January through May, Oakland was the scene of more than 3,000 vehicle thefts, according to CHP statistics – nearly half the 6,600 for all of Alameda County, even though Oakland has about 28 percent of all county residents.

Thieves out late at night know the odds are almost nil that a police patrol will drive through, stopping to ask how things are going. Oakland needs at least 1,100 police, not the 700-some it has under the present council and mayor.