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Oakland residents are seeking to oust the mayor over ‘deplorable’ levels of crime after the city’s only In-N-Out Burger joint was forced to close due to rampant theft.
The In-N-Out, located near a main route to and from the Oakland International Airport, announced it will close its doors in March.
‘Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies,’ COO Denny Warnick said in a statement.
However, some residents are placing the blame on Mayor Sheng Thao.
A group working to recall the mayor released a statement, saying, ‘After missing the deadline to apply for a retail theft grant worth millions of dollars to assist Oakland in battling crime, she has now failed once again to respond to voters as to why she should not be recalled.’
The In-N-Out sits in a square mile with several gas stations that cops say are the targets of around a dozen violent crimes every day
Some residents are placing the blame on Mayor Sheng Thao
In July 2023, months after Thao took office, the Oakland Police Department was forced to issue a public safety advisory citing an uptick in home invasion robberies’
‘Mayor Thao must realize that there is no defense for the indefensible. The current state of Oakland is deplorable, and she is directly at fault,’ Seneca Scott, spokesperson for Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, said on X.
‘Mayor Thao’s evasive behavior regarding her recall is reminiscent of a middle schooler. After missing the deadline to apply for a retail theft grant worth millions of dollars to assist Oakland in battling crime, she has now failed once again to respond to voters as to why she should not be recalled.’
‘Every hour this mayor remains in office, Oakland is less safe,’ Scott added.
In a statement to The Los Angeles Times, Thao responded saying, ‘As mayor, I have prioritized this critical gateway to Oakland and surged police presence and employed technology to deter and respond to criminal behavior.’
She claimed the public safety resources implemented are reducing property crimes along the Hegenberger corridor, but admitted that more change is necessary.
‘I will be working with regional and state leaders to protect this tourist gateway into Oakland,’ she said to the outlet.
A group working to recall the mayor released a statement, saying, ‘After missing the deadline to apply for a retail theft grant worth millions of dollars to assist Oakland in battling crime, she has now failed once again to respond to voters as to why she should not be recalled’
Oakland’s Democrat mayor, Sheng Thao, (pictured), who has been in the role since January 2023, denied that her policies were the sole cause of the rising crime rates
Official crime stats for Oakland which reveal car theft has risen nearly 50 percent across the past year
The In-N-Out sits near Oakland Airport, and has become a perfect target for thieves in the area
Cars near the In-N-Out are often the target of robberies
Oakland’s only In-N-Out Burger restaurant is set to close after 18 years, despite still turning a healthy profit, as customers and staff are ‘unsafe’ due to soaring crime rates, the business said.
The Oakland, California, branch of the 75-year-old company will close its doors in March, because of the crime that has endangered the lives of patrons and staff, the company’s chief operations officer, Denny Warnick, said.
Data from Oakland’s police force earlier this month revealed that robberies had increased by a massive 38 percent from 2022 to 2023, the period when Thao has been in charge.
Warnock wrote in a statement: ‘Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies.’
Workers at the store have the choice of being transferred to another location, or accepting a severance package.
Motor vehicle theft in particular saw a major rise, with the force reporting 44 percent more in 2023 compared with 2022.
Burglaries also jumped 23 percent from the previous year.
The In-N-Out sits in a square mile with several gas stations that cops say are the targets of around a dozen violent crimes every day.
Less than a mile away from the Chevron, a Shell gas station on Hegenberger Road is also plagued by thefts. Around five hundred yards from the Shell, another Chevron is another hotspot. And next to that, the parking lot of the In-N-Out Burger is hit daily.
Police say the criminals, who operate in well-organized groups, follow the same playbook: a spotter keeps watch for targets, usually rentals headed to or from the airport, as they pull up at the gas stations.
They then alert accomplices, who pull up in a vehicle when the targets start to pump fuel. Often, they smash a rear window or pop the trunk of unlocked vehicles before making off with luggage and valuables. The thefts take just seconds.
Motor vehicle theft in particular saw a major rise, with the force reporting 44% more in 2023 compared with 2022
The four stores near Oakland International Airport are major targets for thieves
The spike has earned the Shell the nickname ‘America’s most dangerous gas station.’ The two Chevron sites are also top contenders for the unwanted title.
Online reviews for these gas stations and the In-N-Out are flooded with dozens of complaints from customers who were hit by the crooks.
One shocking video from the In-N-Out parking lot shows a thief smash into a black SUV in broad daylight. The crook leans, feet off the ground, through the vehicle’s rear window and snatches up several items before escaping into a waiting getaway car as more than a dozen onlookers watch.
Another clip from outside the Shell shows a thief deploy exactly the same method to steal a backpack from the trunk. Feet of the ground, he leans into a smashed rear window to scoop up loot before making an escape.
