Oakland, California's International Airport a crime neighborhood
Crime near the airport is terrible. And that’s not unique to Oakland
Over the weekend, representatives for In-N-Out Burger announced the company was closing a profitable restaurant in Oakland due to “ongoing issues with crime.” The restaurant is located near Hegenberger Road, one of the main routes to and from the Oakland International Airport.
This was disappointing news for many Oaklanders, but it probably wasn’t surprising to local officials who have long been aware of public safety problems at In-N-Out and the neighborhood around the airport.
In April 2023, Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan informed Councilmember Treva Reid that “violence and larceny” was a major problem near OAK Airport, which the port owns and operates.
“In the last several months, we have also received complaints and reports of assaults and larceny targeting passengers at In & Out Burger (8300 Oakport St.), several gas stations near the airport, and at the Starbucks at 8450-D Edgewater Dr. off of Hegenberger Rd.,” Wan wrote in the letter. “These incidents continue to cause fear and distress among airport users.”
Wan also cited reports about thieves targeting cars parked outside the Starbucks on 98th Avenue, and masked thieves who ransacked rental cars parked at businesses at the Airport Plaza. Wan added that rental car companies at the airport responded to these incidents by removing vehicle identification barcodes from their cars so they don’t stand out as rental cars.
Wan expressed hope that the airport would be able to participate in “constructive solutions” with city officials to improve the safety of travelers.
Reid, whose district includes the airport, said Oakland leaders took steps last year to support the beleaguered business corridors connecting the city to the airport, and it did lead to a reduction in crime toward the end of 2023. But Reid added that losing In-N-Out is a painful reminder that local stakeholders need to do more.
“You can’t feel good, there’s nothing to feel good about when you’re getting calls about businesses closing and businesses getting robbed,” Reid told The Oaklandside on Monday, adding that she was en route to meet with a merchant near the airport to address their concerns about public safety. “Oakland will not be able to solve alone the challenges that we are bearing in this part of the district and city.”
The news about In-N-Out has made international headlines, and some insist that it’s symbolic of a larger failure by city officials to get a handle on crime. The coverage also carries implications for Oakalnd’s airport, which is currently planning a major expansion to accommodate more passengers.
We looked at available crime statistics and examined the safety situation around the airport to try to better understand what is going on.
How bad is crime around the Oakland airport?
As we’ve previously reported, 2023 was a bad year for crime in Oakland. Compared to 2022, the city saw a 23% increase in burglaries, a 45% increase in vehicle thefts, and a 38% uptick in robberies. Homicides and shootings didn’t really increase from 2022 to 2023, but this isn’t good news given that both increased starting in early 2020. A $360 million shortfall in the city’s coffers forced Oakland officials to impose service cuts to all departments. The Oakland police avoided cuts, but staffing has been mostly stagnant due to the enormous extra costs that would be required to hold additional police academies and fill more full-time officer positions.
Treva Reid, who has represented Council District 7 since 2021, said the crime trends around the airport are nothing new.
“It’s a highly trafficked area, it’s a major gateway into the city, and it’s a major transit corridor,” Reid said.
Oakland Airport is at the southern end of the city in City Council District 7, which is overseen by Reid.
The data for criminal activity around the Oakland airport is spotty for reasons we’ll get to in a moment. However, available data suggest that the commercial corridors to the airport have been a magnet for crime for years.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, OPD has logged 1,335 incidents since 2019 near the In-N-Out on 8300 Oakport Street, which the publication says is more than any other location in Oakland. The majority of the incidents—1,174—involve car break-ins.
When it comes to policing, Oakland is divided into six geographic “areas.” The airport is currently located in Area 6. Prior to 2021, OPD split the city into just five areas with the airport located in Area 5. Within each area are several smaller “beats” that officers patrol. The part of Hegenberger Road where In-N-Out is located is part of Police Beat 31, which also includes the airport. Historically, Beat 31 has suffered from high levels of property crime: in 2015, OPD reported that it accounted for 72% of auto burglaries in the broader police area. OPD’s year-end crime report for Area 5 showed there were 1,292 car break-ins in 2015, therefore there were roughly 930 break-ins in Beat 31, or about 2.5 per day.
OPD produces quarterly reports about crime trends for Oakland City Council. But these reports are inconsistent in how they present information, which makes it challenging to track how narrower geographic areas are being affected by crime. However, in 2022, the department reported that Beat 31, which includes Hegenberger, accounted for over three-quarters of all burglaries in that police area.
There is ample recent data for Area 6, and it indicates that property crimes dipped at the start of the pandemic while violent crime grew immediately.
In 2019, Area 6 had 1,010 incidents of larceny. That number dropped to 775 in 2020, then rose to 1,367 in 2022 and 1,585 in 2023. Between 2019 and 2020, burglaries in Area 6 dropped from 1,980 to 919. Then, they exploded: In 2021, there were 1,330; in 2022, there were 2,582; and in 2023, there were 2,846 burglaries. Last year was also 47% higher than the five-year average for Area 6. Auto burglaries in Area 6 last year were 54% higher than the five-year average. By comparison, burglaries and auto burglaries for Oakland as a city were up 32% versus the five year average.
According to a city staff report in October 2023, commercial burglaries in Area 6 had increased by 124% since 2021, and by 59% since 2017.
It’s hard to know why burglaries in particular have increased so much starting in 2021, but it may have a lot to do with pandemic policies. In early 2020, public health orders closed down travel and some businesses. According to a Public Policy Institute of California study, this led to less crime. When public health orders were lifted, when travelers returned to the skies and people started flocking back to businesses like restaurants in large numbers, areas like Hegenberger Road and other spots near OAK became bustling centers of activity. People involved in burglaries, car thefts, and robberies may have seen this rebound in traffic as an easy opportunity.
Crime does appear to be worse on Hegenberger and around the airport right now compared to past years, but it’s difficult to get consistent historical data for Area 6 because it hasn’t existed very long. Oakland previously had five geographic police districts. In 2021, then Chief LeRonne Armstrong announced OPD would add a sixth area to better service East Oakland, which accounted for 60% of calls for service.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and the Oakland Airport also analyze data about crimes occurring on airport property. Airport officials said data from 2023 won’t be available until March. But in a report for 2022, which was released last September, the port’s Aviation Security Manager Douglas Mansel informed stakeholders that “most crimes are trending downward,” with the exception of catalytic converter thefts.
According to a crime analysis by the sheriff’s office, there were 36 incidents in 2022 where vehicles were reported stolen from airport property. The airport’s worst year for stolen cars was 2017 when 130 were taken from its lots. Car break-ins appear to be rare at the airport: there were just eight in 2022.
Crime appears to be common around airports and at gas stations and convenience stores across the nation
Although OAK doesn’t see a lot of crime on airport property, the crime problem around the airport, especially at nearby gas stations and other shops, appears to fit a broader pattern seen at many other airports in the U.S.
Airports and busy areas around them are attractive targets for criminals because travelers frequently carry cash, electronics, and expensive luggage. Thieves can easily target travelers when they stop at the restaurants and gas stations a couple of minutes away from OAK on Hegenberger. San Francisco faces a similar problem: Car rental companies have warned travelers about break-ins, and there have been numerous reports and videos documenting thieves stealing luggage from cars parked at popular tourist destinations. According to a 2011 USA Today study, neighborhoods near airports were on average four times more dangerous than other neighborhoods.
Other cities have reported serious problems with robberies and thefts on airport property. For example, 689 cars were stolen from the Denver International Airport last year, which is a 74% increase over 2022, and a 610% increase over 2020.
Last June, Houston police arrested and charged a ring of people who were allegedly stealing cars from terminal garages at Houston’s airports. Local media reported that between 2022 and 2023, over 800 vehicles were stolen from two airports. Roughly 700 were taken from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, making it the top area in Houston for stolen cars.
Two Philadelphia police officers were shot–one fatally–while trying to stop people from stealing a car at an airport parking garage last October. The police had issued warnings for several months about armed car thieves in airport parking lots. As of October 2023, 112 cars had been stolen from the Philadelphia airport, which represented an increase of 5,500% from the same period in 2019.
A lot of recent news coverage around the Oakland airport has also focused on the seemingly staggering number of robberies and burglaries taking place at an infamous gas station on Hegenberger Road. According to SFGATE, there were 271 auto burglaries at this gas station in 2023, and police speculated that it might be a popular target because of its proximity to I-880.
A 2022 report by C-Store Dive, a convenience store industry trade publication, found that gas stations and convenience stores accounted for 5% of all violent crimes that occurred in the United States in 2021, making them one of the top kinds of places where robberies happen. These stores attract criminals because they’re typically small and not well-staffed. They also draw large numbers of visitors who themselves are easy targets.
Some cities have seen a massive spike in crimes targeting convenience stores and gas stations in recent years. For example, in February 2022, the Baltimore Police Department reported convenience store robberies exploded by 514% compared to the previous year, while gas station robberies increased by 160%.
What is being done to improve safety around the Oakland airport?
The city has taken some recent steps to beef up security in the Hegenberger area.
OPD deployed two walking officers who patrol two business corridors with a mandate to focus on shopping centers and gas stations. During the holiday season, OPD also partnered with the port and airport to hire a dedicated security team, which placed one guard at the Chevron and the Starbucks location on 98th Avenue and a second to oversee the parking lots at the Edgewater shopping center. That contract for extra service paid for by the port ended on Jan. 14. OPD has also stationed three “eye-in-the-sky” cameras in the area.
Last year the city allocated $1 million to pay for safety ambassadors in a handful of commercial corridors, which included Hegenberger, downtown, and Fruitvale. A report by the Economic and Workforce Development Department noted that Area 6 has seen some of the highest increases in burglaries and that the increase in commercial crime has harmed some of the leading employment sectors in East Oakland, which include car rental agencies, gas stations, and hospitality.
Mayor Sheng Thao obtained a $1.2 million loan from the state last year to install 300 new automated license plate readers throughout Oakland, although it’s unclear when they will be placed. Reid told The Oaklandside she and former Councilmember Loren Taylor secured funding from business partners to place 20 surveillance cameras in East Oakland commercial corridors. Reid said she’s working with the city to get them installed.
Whether any of this is helping isn’t clear. According to OPD, Beat 31x, which includes parts of Hegenberger and 98th Avenue, saw a big drop in auto burglaries and theft in the second half of 2023. But robberies increased and commercial burglaries didn’t change.
Businesses that fold in Oakland frequently cite crime as a reason. Last year, the Old Town Vietnamese restaurant Le Cheval announced it was closing after 36 years and the owners blamed an increase in car break-ins. The co-owners of the Mexican restaurant Calavera, which closed its doors earlier this month, complained that Oakland leaders haven’t done enough to reduce crime.
It’s not always clear to what extent crime is to blame for a closure. In the case of Calavera, local media mostly omitted reference to Calavera being forced to settle a major wage theft case brought by 263 workers. “To say dining there is a disappointment does not go far enough,” a San Francisco Chronicle restaurant reviewer wrote about Calavera’s “dreadful” offerings.
The same is true for businesses near the airport. In 2016, Walmart closed two of its Bay Area stores, including one near Hegenberger Road. At the time, Walmart blamed customers for not frequently patronizing the stores, but local officials speculated that a recent increase in Oakland’s minimum wage may have prompted the departure. In 2023, the fried-chicken franchise Raising Cane’s announced it was ending in-person dining at its restaurant on Edgewater Drive near the airport, with management citing car break-ins and robberies in the neighborhood.
Reid has repeatedly urged her colleagues to invest more deeply in her district, which she says suffers from historic neglect and disinvestment. At a public safety meeting at Genesis Worship Church last September, Reid pointed out that East Oakland doesn’t have business improvement districts. These entities are set up by businesses and funded by local property owners to pay for additional improvements, such as surveillance cameras, graffiti cleanup, and community safety ambassadors. East Oakland has business corridors, but no BIDs.
Reid said she’s been working to start a BID in District 7, but it’s only in the early stages. Reid added that officials from the city of Oakland, the port, and regional law enforcement agencies have been having conversations about how to adopt a stronger regional approach to public safety issues.
At the same meeting, Reid said her district had lost over 500 businesses when she came into office in 2021. The Oaklandside wasn’t immediately able to obtain data on business licenses for the city, but the loss of hundreds of local firms would represent a hit to District 7.
Darwin BondGraham contributed to this report
Oakland residents comment on crime in the Hegenberger corridor as police presence increases
cbsnews.comThere was an increased police presence in Oakland's Hegenberger corridor on Wednesday as the city said it would redouble safety efforts in the area.
It comes after In-N-Out announced it would close its only Oakland location, which is in the corridor.
An employee who works at Wing Stop near the airport spoke with KPIX 5. She didn't want to give her name or show her face on camera, but said she doesn't think crime has decreased in the last few months.
She said every day at least one customer has their car broken into, and her car has been broken into four times since she started working there. She told KPIX there aren't any issues when the police are in the shopping center, but as soon as they drive away, the thieves come back.
The shopping center off Hegenberger Road near the airport is a common spot for travelers to stop and grab a bite to eat on their way to or from the airport. It's also a popular lunch spot for people who work nearby, like Brenden Fong.
"I shouldn't come here anymore, but they've got all the good food places here," he said.
He stops at the shopping center for lunch at least three days a week, and while he's never had any problems with theft, he's seen the issues with crime first-hand.
"It's not uncommon to see people pulling up in cars, smashing windows and grabbing people's bags out of the back. It's like it's a regular thing now," he said.
Ten years ago when the BART Airport Connecter first opened, it was billed as Oakland's gateway to the world and the area around the connector as a major business hub.
"There's probably no place else in the city of Oakland right now where there is economic development that is taking place in this city," said Larry Reid at the time.
He was the Oakland city council member who represented the district.
In the decade that followed, much has changed. The once bustling shopping center is now filled with vacant store-fronts and signs warning unsuspecting visitors about the break-ins.
On Saturday, the British tabloid "Daily Mail" called the area the "Most Dangerous Square Mile in America."
"I would not agree with that. Is it an issue where we've had significant issues with crime and violence, absolutely," said Treva Reid, the current council member for the district.
It is a seat once occupied by her father who was so optimistic about the economic boost the connector would bring.
"My father was excited and thrilled, and he is heartbroken now to hear and to see what has taken place in that corridor. I was at that launch. I was there supportive of what was taking place in this incredible transit hub. I still have that hope as we come through this really difficult and challenging time," said Reid.
Until then, those who often stop in the area say they've figured out a way to make it work.
"You've got to be on your toes for sure. Look out. Keep your head on a swivel. Get lunch and get out. Make it as quick as possible," said John Garcia as he was leaving Chipotle with his lunch.
Oakland, California's only In-N-Out restaurant closing due to crime | Fox Business
Apparently In-N-Out has lost faith in Oakland, although their cups still have bible verses spelling out faith in God:
On the soda cup is John 3:16, which reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
The milkshake cup has Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
A Bay Area In-N-Out Burger location is going to be shutting its doors due to crime.
The restaurant is the only one in Oakland, California. The company told FOX Business that regular car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies of customers and employees led to the decision to shut down.
"We are grateful for the local community, which has supported us for over 18 years, and we recognize that this closure negatively impacts our Associates and their families," Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a statement. "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."
The fast-food company said they have unsuccessfully taken "repeated steps" to deter crime and maximize safety.
This In-N-Out location at 8300 Oakport St, Oakland, California, will close in March due to crime, the company says. (Google Maps / Google Maps)
The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry about crime reports at the business, but data collected by the San Francisco Chronicle shows nine robberies, two commercial burglaries, four domestic violence incidents and 1,174 car break-ins.
A current employee told the newspaper thieves busted open her car windows last year.
A Double-Double burger and french fries are arranged for a photograph at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Costa Mesa, California. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The last day customers can buy burgers, fries and shakes at the Oakport Street location is March 24. It has been operating for 18 years, KRON reports.
Current employees will be able to work at other nearby locations or receive a severance package, In-N-Out said.
In
an aerial view, shipping cranes stand at the Port of Oakland in front
of the San Francisco skyline on
Denny's latest Oakland restaurant closing due to crime in area near airport
A second restaurant is shutting down on Hegenberger Road in Oakland and once again blaming the city's rising crime rate.
Denny's announced on Wednesday it will be closing after more than five decades of doing business in the city.
The location is right near the Coliseum Complex just across the freeway from the In-N-Out that announced earlier this month it was closing.
VIDEO: Community sad with In-N-Out's decision to close Oakland location due to crime
The restaurant is profitable but there was concern for the safety of customers and employees.
It cited car break-ins, robberies and other crimes as reasons for its closure.
Its last day of business will be March 24.
Denny's released the following statement:
"Closing a restaurant location is never an easy decision or one taken lightly. However, the safety and well-being of Denny's team members and valued guests is our top priority."
Remaining restaurants nearby are in Alameda, San Leandro, Union City and San Ramon, according to KTVU Fox 2.
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