It was gratifying to see that OPD arrested someone for illegally selling alcohol at Lake Merritt, according to a press release from the department. This surprised me, because OPD has been afraid to intervene in the massive fencing operation going on at the Lake. Finally they’ve done something they should have done long ago.
In my opinion most of the goods that are sold at the Lake, particularly on weekends, are stolen. I also believe that the vendors selling these stolen items don’t have the proper permits for selling at the Lake. As I’ve pointed out before, the permitting process is quite complicated; the bottom line is you need all sorts of permissions, not just from Oakland but from the State of California, to set up a table and conduct a retail operation.
Why, then, wouldn’t Oakland crack down on this blatant open-air market? The answer is obvious. Most of the retailing is by Black people, and Oakland officials are scared to death of offending them by interfering with their illegal operation. The last thing Barbara Lee needs is for Cat Brooks to organize a protest accusing Lee of conducting a witch hunt against poor Black people who are just trying to survive in Oakland. Carroll Fife would be right there by Brooks’ side along with a preacher or two.
This tolerance of illegal activity gets to the root cause of why Oakland is in such moral and financial trouble. Other cities, it seems to me, would demand proof from vendors that they actually purchased the goods they’re selling. Not Oakland! I think I know why, but we need to determine the true facts. When is the last time OPD asked to see receipts for all the stuff sold on weekends by the Lake? Would such a request be honored by the vendors? Look, we have a situation where it appears that thieves are fencing stolen goods on public property, and the police are doing absolutely nothing about it. If these vendors actually have proof they purchased the goods, fine—but they also need to furnish all the necessary permits that allow them to conduct sales activity. If they can’t, they should be rousted—their stolen goods seized and, if possible, returned to the true owners—and they should be charged with all applicable crimes.
This gets to the heart of Oakland’s trouble. People ignore laws they don’t like, and they get away with it. This includes those scofflaws who blast loud music from their cars at all hours of the day and night. You may be unfamiliar with Oakland’s municipal code, chapter 8.18, “Nuisances,” which states “It is unlawful for any person to create or allow to be created any excessive or annoying noise as defined herein.” That includes “excessive and annoying noises” from “any electronic device” issued from cars circling the Lake on any given weekend. Yet when is the last time an OPD officer stopped someone in a low-rider from blasting music at 130 decibels? I’ve never seen it. Have you?
The OPD report also pointed out that “a hostile crowd gathered to protest” the alcohol-seller’s arrest This, too, is typical behavior from the people who want Oakland to be lawless. I don’t know if most of you are aware of it, but Oakland cops are scared to death of being outnumbered by thugs if they try to arrest someone of color. Understandably they don’t want to have two or three officers attacked by an enraged mob of dozens of police haters. I get it, but the alternative is to surrender to the mob and let them get away with anything they want. This is one reason why the rule of law is threatened here. It’s a reason why cops don’t get directly involved in breaking up sideshows. The fact is, our police are intimidated by criminals, and the criminals know it. All they have to do is rally to protect one of their own, and the cops will scatter. This isn’t the rule of law; it’s mobocracy.
I don’t know what it will take to restore law and order to Oakland, but obviously having the police being afraid of criminal mobs is not a step in the right direction. There has to be zero tolerance of these depraved activities, including the brazen sale of stolen goods at Lake Merritt. No wonder honest citizens don’t want to live here. No wonder our homes and condos go unsold no matter how much owners reduce prices. No wonder why so many businesses shut down and leave town; this is a city unable or unwilling to enforce its own laws and protect its citizens!
Why bother to create more and more laws if we don’t allow our cops to enforce them? The criminals will never stop raping our town as long as they know nothing will happen to them. As the police report stated, “After [the alcohol seller’s] arrest, she admitted she knew that her operation was illegal and that she lacked the required permits.” (Police later determined she had “more than 75 outstanding parking citations.”) Why are these people running around free? Why is that woman still allowed to drive? What will happen to her now that she’s been busted? A slap on the wrist?
I want to get tough with these criminals. I want to cause them pain. I want them to realize that if they won’t change their sick behavior, there’s no room for them in Oakland. I don’t care where they go, as long as it’s not here.
Steve Heimoff