Friends and Crocker Neighbors

– 2020 was not the year any of us expected, and we hope that all of our neighbors and families have been healthy and will keep healthy in 2021. The impact of the pandemic throughout the nation has been incalculable, ranging from the loss of in-person education for our children to the masks and distance between friends and even within our own families. We are all hoping to rebuild communities and friendships soon. Godspeed to that.

  Unfortunately, during the pandemic, crime has increased in almost all major U.S. cities including Oakland. The Safer Crocker organization is aware of that risk during these unprecedented times, so we are writing with an update and to ask for your new or continued help going forward.

  Why Support Safer Crocker:

• A recent local newspaper featured an article describing the “overwhelming violence” in Oakland as the year ended. Oakland police datasets confirm that violent crime increased last year by more than 30 percent. Our neighborhood has a lower rate of reported crime than others in Oakland, but we have not been immune from this trend.

• As we prepared this update, a resident in the center of our neighborhood was followed home by car in the middle of the day and then robbed inside his own home. Our neighborhood crime map from the past two months is below.

• Keeping a neighborhood safe takes the effort and commitment of everyone in the community. Every safety measure matters. Those measures include situational awareness, home alert systems and cameras, secure locks and gates, and also security patrols. Studies confirm that security patrols deter criminals and result in decreased rates of local crime.

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AND . . . Safer Crocker security patrols are funded by volunteer supporters in our Lakeshore Home neighborhood for the sole purpose of creating a secure and safe community. You have likely seen the dark gray security vehicles with the IGI emblem on our streets keeping an eye out for suspicious activity and also providing spot transport and vacation home watch to participant donors. The patrol passes by each home approximately five times daily.

 

Intervention Group (IGI) security note: ‘Since implementation of IGI patrols, criminal activity has substantially decreased. IGI also positions patrol cars to limit speeding as much as possible. Increasing calls have been received for security response after 8:00 pm. These calls included reports of unwanted/unknown/suspicious persons or vehicles in the area or attempts of vehicle break-ins. IGI offers 24/7 dispatch to Crocker Highlands residents within the patrol borders. Oakland has [recently] experienced increased crime throughout the City including home invasions, vehicle thefts and assault in violent manners.’

 

As always, the patrols depend entirely on the support of our neighbors. Us. We suggest a monthly donation of 30 dollars but always welcome whatever amount members can donate. We hope to grow to provide security patrols every hour of the week, but currently we receive donations from only about 12% (a decrease from the previous 14% participation) of the LHA members who fund 72 hours of security patrols weekly. If we double our supporters, we could have 24/7 coverage in our neighborhood.

 

Information about Safer Crocker and the IGI security patrol service is available on the website: www.safercrockerhighlands.org. You may make a recurring or one time donation directly from the website or contact us by email: safercrockerhighlands@gmail.com . To report suspicious activity to the patrol, call 1-877-272-8765.

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