The Oakland Assaulters Repeatedly Make Plays in that Hotspot - But Refs Say They are Powerless to Stop Them
'We are f***ed,' an exasperated police officer candidly declares as he patrols a Chevron gas station in Oakland, California, during the morning rush.
The spot is one of three gas stations that surround Oakland Airport and which have become notorious for vehicle thefts. Within a single square mile, cops claim criminals strike a dozen times or more per day, every day, mainly targeting victims who are headed to and from the airport.
But the officer, who's picked up an overtime shift to keep watch and act as a deterrent, wasn't just referring to the theft epidemic when he made the strikingly blunt assessment.
He was referring, in his words, to the 'restrictive' policies passed by city and state lawmakers which mean police officers can't even pursue the thieves because smash-and-grab theft is a 'nonviolent crime'.
'We can't do a car chase on nonviolent crime,' he told DailyMail.com from the seat of his police cruiser. 'I can go behind the cars and try and turn on my lights, but why would they stop?'
Suspects are aware of these policies and it means if they flee at speed, police often won't even follow. This cop is simply there to try and prevent crimes taking place.
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 an 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.
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