California Restaurants Say They’re Nearing ‘Extinction’ Because of Rampant LawlessnessRestaurateurs say that fear of carjackings and other crime is keeping people from dining out in Oakland
Published 09/19/23
Restaurateurs in Oakland, California, are saying crime rates — and the publicizing of crime rates — are tanking business and contributing to closures.
Fear of theft and carjackings in the area has led to a decrease in diners going out to eat, according to SFGATE, and recent crime statistics show that those fears are not entirely unfounded.
According to the Oakland Police Department's citywide crime data, motor vehicle theft was up 5% in 2022 from 2021, carjackings were up 1% and commercial burglary was up 76%.
While crime has been increasing over the past five years, according to the datasheet, SFGATE points out that some of these rates are still lower than they were pre-pandemic.
Local restaurateurs told the outlet that stories of cars getting broken into and other instances of crime have been a huge topic of conversation on public and social media platforms, and they're saying it's making people steer clear of the area.
One restaurant general manager, Ryan Dixon — who says his restaurant's business is down 25% and his staff has decreased by 20 people — told the outlet that the Bay Area has a terrifying perception of what it's like in Oakland, and said people tell him they don't feel safe coming to visit (or patronize the businesses) from the suburbs.
"We want them to be safe. We want their cars to be safe. We want them to come back. Our biggest problem right now is our lack of revenue because of people not coming," he told SFGATE. "Hyping up the crime here scares more people away."
Some restaurants have been able to take matters into their own hands — one eatery leased a parking lot so diners had somewhere safe to leave their cars — but others can't afford the cost and look to the city to help.
SFGATE reports that government officials have allegedly left the local businesses without aide, and missed a recent deadline to apply for grant money that would help combat organized retail theft.
https://themessenger.com/news/california-restaurants-say-theyre-nearing-extinction-because-of-rampant-lawlessness
