OAKLAND, CA - In Oakland, California. where major retailers such as Target, Walgreens, and Denny's have already closed their doors due to non-existent prosecution of criminals, the community has rallied in anger around the latest casualty: In-and-Out Burger. The fast-food chain announced that the location on Hegenberger Road is closing after the number of break-ins jumped precipitously, according to local outlet KTVU.
As reported by the local Fox affiliate, In-N-Out is the latest business to announce its impending closure in Oakland where many have shuttered permanently after they were unable to secure insurance coverage owing to the enormous increase in burglaries, robberies, break-ins, and other violent crimes.
President of the Small Merchant Chamber of Commerce Ali Albeisry, himself the owner of several markets in the city, told the outlet "We need solutions now, we need things to be done now." Albeisry's organization of 320 businesses- about 90 percent of which are located in the Oakland city limits- have all been subject to the same increases in crime. One of those businesses, Hemo’s Spot Juice Bar Café in East Oakland, was broken into Monday he said.
"His loss is probably almost $3,000 to $4,000, if not more," said Albeisry. "I told him not to call his insurance because as soon as he calls his insurance to file a claim, then the insurance company just will not renew his policy. This is the problem we are suffering right now."
The restaurant closure is of historic proportion according to The Associated Press, as it will be the first in the chain's 75-year history. The company told AP that the move comes despite it taking "repeated steps to create safer conditions our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized," per a statement from chief operating officer Denny Warnick.
The independent media outlet reported, "Video captures car burglars reportedly confronting and robbing a security guard at gunpoint while casually breaking into cars and stealing luggage from unsuspecting victims at In-N-Out in Oakland, California."
Warnick's statement continued, "We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California, due to ongoing issues with crime. 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. Our last day of business in Oakland will be Sunday, March 24, 2024.
"Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates - we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment."
Employees who spoke with CBS affiliate KPIX told the outlet they've seen armed robberies of customers at the location. In-N-Out worker Daisy Nunez-Valenzuela said, "It's terrifying, because it also puts us in danger."
She said that the thieves stay away while police are patrolling the area, but they're only there for a few hours each day. "[The thieves] look around all the time, and then they see P.D. leaves for a second, and that's when they take the chance," she explained.
Councilwoman Treva Reid, whose constituency covers the area, told CBS she's been calling upon the city council and Mayor Sheng Thao to take action. "We're in a state of emergency. We're in a state of emergency. Should it have to take a declaration to deliver (services) when we're living this. My district has been in crisis."
As previously reported by Law Enforcement Today, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (whose office covers Oakland) is facing a well-funded recall effort for her soft-on-crime policies, and refusal to use sentencing enhancements or prosecute juvenile offenders as adults. A leaked document from Price's office in March of 2023 revealed that under the radical DA "almost all felonies, including those that are serious or violent, will now be probation eligible."
As reported by the local Fox affiliate, In-N-Out is the latest business to announce its impending closure in Oakland where many have shuttered permanently after they were unable to secure insurance coverage owing to the enormous increase in burglaries, robberies, break-ins, and other violent crimes.
President of the Small Merchant Chamber of Commerce Ali Albeisry, himself the owner of several markets in the city, told the outlet "We need solutions now, we need things to be done now." Albeisry's organization of 320 businesses- about 90 percent of which are located in the Oakland city limits- have all been subject to the same increases in crime. One of those businesses, Hemo’s Spot Juice Bar Café in East Oakland, was broken into Monday he said.
"His loss is probably almost $3,000 to $4,000, if not more," said Albeisry. "I told him not to call his insurance because as soon as he calls his insurance to file a claim, then the insurance company just will not renew his policy. This is the problem we are suffering right now."
The restaurant closure is of historic proportion according to The Associated Press, as it will be the first in the chain's 75-year history. The company told AP that the move comes despite it taking "repeated steps to create safer conditions our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized," per a statement from chief operating officer Denny Warnick.
"We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates leave us no alternative,” Warnick said. The San Francisco Chronicle noted that police have logged 1,335 incidents in the vicinity of the In-N-Out restaurant since 2019.
Bay Area State of Mind shared video footage of a robbery at gunpoint alleged to be at the Oakland In-N-Out on Jan. 26th.
The independent media outlet reported, "Video captures car burglars reportedly confronting and robbing a security guard at gunpoint while casually breaking into cars and stealing luggage from unsuspecting victims at In-N-Out in Oakland, California."
Warnick's statement continued, "We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California, due to ongoing issues with crime. 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. Our last day of business in Oakland will be Sunday, March 24, 2024.
"Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates - we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment."
Employees who spoke with CBS affiliate KPIX told the outlet they've seen armed robberies of customers at the location. In-N-Out worker Daisy Nunez-Valenzuela said, "It's terrifying, because it also puts us in danger."
She said that the thieves stay away while police are patrolling the area, but they're only there for a few hours each day. "[The thieves] look around all the time, and then they see P.D. leaves for a second, and that's when they take the chance," she explained.
Councilwoman Treva Reid, whose constituency covers the area, told CBS she's been calling upon the city council and Mayor Sheng Thao to take action. "We're in a state of emergency. We're in a state of emergency. Should it have to take a declaration to deliver (services) when we're living this. My district has been in crisis."
As previously reported by Law Enforcement Today, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (whose office covers Oakland) is facing a well-funded recall effort for her soft-on-crime policies, and refusal to use sentencing enhancements or prosecute juvenile offenders as adults. A leaked document from Price's office in March of 2023 revealed that under the radical DA "almost all felonies, including those that are serious or violent, will now be probation eligible."
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Comments
2024-02-14T19:05-0500 | Comment by: Brian
13/60 trending upward FBI UCR….voting has consequences so now you live with it.
2024-02-15T13:59-0500 | Comment by: Laurence
The stupid voters who elect the criminal-favoring politicians are responsible for this situation. Defund the Police, encourage crime.
2024-02-20T13:42-0500 | Comment by: Chris
You must ask yourselves, did I vote for this? If no you should then ask others, did you vote for this? If no, the next question is, then who voted for this? If the answer is nobody, then you can thank fraudulent, rigged elections. If you won't take steps to fix the problem then you should prepare to be destroyed by it.