What's Really Happening in Oakland

Elisa Uribe — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:13:00 GMT

About a month ago I attended an event with fellow Realtors where Libby Schaff, the city council member of District 4 discussed a few topics I wanted to share.

One topic that came up was crime. It’s sad we have a lot of crime in our city but what makes it worse is the need for reporters on TV to sensationalize the story or for their bosses to pull a story when there is good news. Like the day Libby was asked about the robberies at a local grocery store and when the police caught the suspects, the story was pulled and never aired. All people knew about the robbery was a crime had been committed but not the end result.

A lot of home owners have decided to install a security camera in their home. I have been told they sell for about $500 and I’m sure there are many makes and models which include some that will take photos and send the photo to your cell phone or computers.

Regarding liquor licenses in the City of Oakland, it turns out state law trumps city laws so unless there is a problem liquor store, it can’t just be shut down and if there is a problem, it’s not going to be shut down overnight but it can happen eventually. So what does that mean? If you live in an area where a liquor store is a problem, documentation and calling the police department to keep them informed about events that concern you is important. Meanwhile liquor stores are asked to cooperate and not sell 40 oz or fortified wine.

The City of Oakland is also working on zoning changes to include more urban gardens in areas where it’s not so easy to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.

Another great comment I heard was Oakland Tech High School has a few female seniors who are graduating and going to MIT ! Enrollment went up to two hundred people and Tony Smith is the Superintendent that will be there for another four years.

More school news is Montera Middle School received a distinguished school award for the most improved school for the last six years.

Public Works has a number to call if you want those potholes fixed. Call 510-615-5566, the email address is pwacallcenter@oaklandnet.com They have a tracking and accountability system so you can also call for sidewalks lifted by trees, graffiti on buildings, or burned light bulbs.

Getting back to crime, if there is a burglary in progress when you call the police department it’s coded as a priority one and an officer should arrive quickly. If you get home from work or play to find your house burglarized, then there isn’t the rush for the police to arrive as quickly but they will show up. The police force is looking it using sworn civilians and how they would be trained in order to help out with the back end part of crime prevention. The sad news is our crime labs are backed up. If the police start to see patterns, they will start to patrol and area more frequently but if you want to know what’s happened in an area you should go to www.crimewatch.com.

Being a local Realtor, what happens in our city is important to me. If you have any interest in learning more about the process of buying a home , selling your current resident or making it a rental property, I would encourage you to contact me at www.rockridgedigs.com.

About a month ago I attended an event with fellow Realtors where Libby Schaff, the city council member of District 4 discussed a few topics I wanted to share.

The City of Oakland is also working on zoning changes to include more urban gardens in areas where it’s not so easy to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.

More school news is Montera Middle School received a distinguished school award for the most improved school for the last six years.