Well, I wonder how many more places with high crime will start doing this?
AKLAND (KPIX 5) – Oakland’s crime problems have gotten so bad that some people aren’t even bothering to call the cops anymore; instead,
they’re trying to solve and prevent crimes themselves.
KPIX 5 cameras caught up with a half dozen neighbors in East Oakland’s Arcadia Park neighborhood Monday as they walked the streets on the lookout
for crime. The vigilance has never seemed more necessary than now; 25 homes in the neighborhood have been burglarized over the last two months
alone.
In a neighborhood that has started to feel like the wild west, people have even started posting “wanted” signs.
“You have to walk around in your house with a gun to feel safe here,” said Alaska Tarvins of the Arcadia Park Board of Directors.
Over the weekend, one home was burglarized twice in a 24 hour period, once while a resident’s nephew was inside.
“He was on with 911 when those men tried to kick into his room. That was very frightening,” said the woman, identified only as Inca.
Now, Arcadia park neighbors are taking the detective work into their own hands.
KPIX 5 found a woman who identified herself as L.E. patrolling her neighborhood by car. She said she recently chased down a couple of robbers
herself.
“There was an armed robbery in progress and the owner yelled ‘help me’ and I ended up going after them,” L.E. recalled.
The people who live in the area are nothing if not gutsy, but they need help. A plan to gate their community has been stalled. With the police force
stretched painfully thin, they may be forced to follow other Oakland neighborhoods and hire private guards.
“We don’t have a choice. Either die or we hire some security ourselves, because we can’t depend on the police department,” said
Tarvins.
It seems the citizens of Oakland are fed up with the lack of assistance from their local police, they decided to police neighborhoods themselves.
After about 25 break ins, and cops not responding quickly enough.
Oakland's police force has been stretched thin, leaving these people to police the streets. But what implications will arise from this if other
people start doing it, will the government and local agencies see these people as a threat? Or is this a legit stance that these citizens are taking?
Should more residents be in charge of policing the neighborhoods?
This could lead to a lot of problems, or it could be a good solution.. I don't know if it's a good idea to let any random people claim to be
"police for the community". There would have to be some organization for sure. So is this another sign of the times ahead?
Link CBS Local