Crime-ridden Oakland missed out on millions of dollars in grant funding meant to address rising retail thefts because its liberal leaders failed to meet the grant’s application deadline, prompting intense pushback from the deep-blue city’s residents.
When California last week announced the recipients of $267 million in state funds to help cities and counties fight organized retail crime, Oakland was not included on the list. That’s because the city’s government, led by self-described progressive mayor Sheng Thao, missed the deadline to submit its application. While Thao’s government in a Thursday statement vowed to review “everything that happened” and “take appropriate action,” the city’s residents did not respond kindly to the mistake.
“Everyone else turned their homework in on time but, when it gets to Oakland, the excuse is, metaphorically, the dog ate our homework,” community leader Seneca Scott told the city’s CBS affiliate. “It’s not a joking matter. We are in a very dangerous and precarious time for Oakland neighbors and business. … This is an inexcusable missed opportunity.”
The city government’s snafu comes as Oakland experiences a rise in theft, burglaries, robberies, and violent crime. The crisis has prompted some popular businesses, including one downtown restaurant that served Oakland residents for nearly four decades, to leave the city. Oakland’s NAACP chapter, meanwhile, is calling for a state of emergency to combat violent crime, arguing that local leaders such as Thao and George Soros-backed district attorney Pamela Price have created a “heyday for Oakland criminals.”
“Residents now know that help will not come when danger confronts them,” the chapter said in a July letter. “Worse, criminals know that too.”
Oakland’s mayoral office did not return a request for comment. As of July, homicides in the city are up 37 percent compared with 2019, while robberies and car break-ins are up 30 percent and 40 percent, respectively, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Vehicle thefts have also more than doubled.
The ongoing crisis led many Oakland business owners and community leaders to condemn the city’s failure to take advantage of crime-fighting grant money. 7-Eleven franchisee Ravi Kakkar, whose store was robbed three times in less than a month, urged Thao and other liberal leaders to take a stronger action. Bishop Bob Jackson, senior pastor at Oakland’s Acts Full Gospel Church, had a harsher message.
“You just had to do it in a timely manner,” Jackson said. “And because public safety does not seem to be a priority for the leaders in this city, it was not done.”
Price, who has presided over Oakland’s crime surge since 2022 after taking $130,000 in campaign cash from Soros four years prior, is not the only Soros-backed prosecutor in California who’s taking heat for rising retail crime. Los Angeles County district attorney George Gascón is also facing criticism from fellow liberals as repeat offenders commit viral smash-and-grab robberies at high-end retailers across the area.
“We are f—ing terrified because these start out as low-level crimes, but it has gradually exploded,” one former Gascón supporter told the New York Post. ”These criminals are not getting prosecuted and they know it. It’s off the rails.”
Crime-ridden Oakland recently suffered another blow as it missed out on millions of dollars in grant funding meant to address rising retail thefts. The reason for this missed opportunity? The city’s liberal leaders failed to meet the grant’s application deadline, fueling intense pushback from the residents of this deep-blue city.
Last week, when California announced the recipients of $267 million in state funds to combat organized retail crime, Oakland was conspicuously absent from the list. The city’s government, led by self-described progressive mayor Sheng Thao, had missed the deadline to submit the application. Although Thao’s government expressed intentions to review the situation and take appropriate action, the residents of Oakland did not take the news well.
“It’s disheartening to see that Oakland’s leaders failed to meet the application deadline while others responsibly turned in their applications on time. This is not a laughing matter, as we find ourselves in a very dangerous and precarious time for Oakland neighbors and businesses,” said community leader Seneca Scott in an interview with the city’s CBS affiliate. “This missed opportunity is inexcusable.”
The city government’s mishap occurred amidst a rise in theft, burglaries, robberies, and violent crime in Oakland. The situation has already forced some popular businesses, such as a downtown restaurant that had served Oakland residents for nearly four decades, to close their doors. The local chapter of the NAACP in Oakland has even gone so far as to call for a state of emergency to combat violent crime. They argue that local leaders, including Mayor Thao and district attorney Pamela Price, who has received support from George Soros, have inadvertently created an environment that emboldens criminals.
“The residents of Oakland now understand that help will not arrive promptly when danger confronts them,” stated a letter released by the NAACP chapter in July. “Even worse, this sense of impunity has also empowered the criminals in our city.”
Despite these concerns and criticisms, Oakland’s mayoral office has declined to comment on the matter. As of July, the city has seen a 37 percent increase in homicides compared to 2019, with robberies and car break-ins up by 30 percent and 40 percent, respectively, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Additionally, vehicle thefts have also surged in the area.
The frustration felt by residents of crime-ridden Oakland is palpable. It is clear that urgent action is needed to address the growing crime problem in the city, and residents are starting to question the effectiveness of their left-wing leaders. As Oakland grapples with these challenges, it remains to be seen how the city’s government will respond and whether they can regain the trust of their disillusioned constituents.
