Summary

Supers/Fonts: Friday

Oakland, CA

Story Location: Oakland

State/Province: California

Shot Date: 09/15/2023

URL: https://abc7news.com/oakland-misses-ca-grant-money-deadline-organized-retail-theft-businesses-crime/13784860/

Notes and Restrictions:

Newsource Notes:

Story Description:
Elements:
PKG: vo of Oakland city streets, sot CHP commissioner, vo zoom meeting, vo san francisco streets, sot SF DA, vo police department signs, graphic Oakland City Statement, graphic NAACP statement, sot grocery store owner, vo inside store with locked cages holding items


Wire/StoryDescription:
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The City of Oakland has lost the chance to receive millions of dollars to help fight retail crime in the city. The reason why? Because city officials missed a deadline to apply for a special state grant.

"We need every nickel and dime that we can get. But by us not applying - I can't believe we would miss that opportunity," said Noel Gallo.

Oakland City Councilmember Noel Gallo says the city is currently suffering through multiple crises.

The worst, he says, he's ever seen in his lifetime.

"By the city administration making excuses that we didn't apply on time or submit the proper paperwork - that's just an excuse that the residents and businesses are not going to accept," Gallo said.

State officials say Oakland blamed their late application on a technical issue.

A spokesperson for the city says they are reviewing everything that went wrong to try and prevent something like this from happening again.

Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas says they're also actively exploring other grants and partnerships.

"We are incredibly committed to getting the resources that we need. And we do have a strong proposal that we can shop around to other partners to get the resources that Oakland's business community needs," she said.


Whatever the reason, the failure is little comfort to many business owners in the city.

"It is very frustrating, upsetting. Especially during this very difficult time for our small businesses," said Carl Chan.

VIDEO: Thieves in SUV hook chain to Oakland store gate, drive away to yank it open


EMBED <>MORE VIDEOS
Video shows thieves in an SUV hooking a chain to an Oakland store gate, then driving away to yank it open in a break-in.

Chan is a community leader in Oakland's Chinatown. He says many in this community believe the Oakland Police Department would have greatly benefited from the extra cash.

Chan introduced us to Shirley, who works at a nearby restaurant. She spoke to us with the help of Chan's translation and said crime has gotten so bad in this area that her restaurant closes hours early.

"They are so afraid. The employees are afraid, and so they are having a tough time and making a tough decision," said Shirley Zhong.

Some city leaders say they're going to petition Governor Newsom's office to try and get Oakland some of the money it missed out on.

A plan Chan supports, and one he hopes isn't too little too late.

"When we're hearing other cities are getting millions and millions of dollars, and we missed out? Are you kidding me?"

Station Notes/Scripts:
[[***kristen/FULLSCREEN***]]

IT'S THE LARGEST SINGLE INVESTMENT TO FIGHT RETAIL CRIME IN California history.

267 MILLION DOLLARS will go to 55 cities and counties across the state...

San Francisco is getting just over 17-million ...

While the city of oakland ... is getting nothing.

[[***larry/VO***]]

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Both cities ... like many others have been struggling with retail theft.

And today the city of Oakland is facing backlash from community groups and merchants because of the mistake... that cost them a chance at millions of dollars in state grants.

Here's ABC7 News reporter Anser Hassan.

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((CG: 05-12 Sean Duryee ))

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((CG: 27-40 brooke jenkins ))

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LOCATION: OAKLAND



BANNER: Community Reaction to Oakland missed deadline






CGs:



CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee



SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins



David Larson, Owner, Piedmont Grocery









[[ANCHOR]]



The city of Oakland likely forfeited millions of dollars to fight retail crime... because it missed a state deadline. And now the backlash from community groups and merchants. The Oakland branch of the NAACP is calling for accountability and will hold a news conference on Monday.



ABC7 News reporter Anser Hassan has more.









[[TAKE PKG]]



TRACK 1





Bringing in the CHP to fight retail theft works says CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. .







SOT 1 CG: CHPCommissioner Sean Duryee



DUB z 126 since 2019, the chps organized retail crime task force, has recovered over $30.7 million dollars in stolen merchandise. 133






TRACK 2



On Thursday...Governor announced the states largest-ever single investment to combat organized retail crime. Grants totaling more than $267 million dollars. $17 million will go to san Francisco.






SOT 2 CG: SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins



S8 105 will allow for my office to have one fully decidicated prosecutor, as well as a fully dedicated investigator assigned to investigate repeat, group retail offenders ins an Francisco. 117







TRACK 3



But one California city that wont be getting state funding. Oakland.



Thats because the city missed the application deadline.



In a statement to ABC7 News... the city explains that the Oakland police department and other community partners submitted their materials on time... to Oaklands economic and workforce development department or E-W-D-D.





[[TAKE FULLS CREEN - EWDD]]



QUOTE - Unfortunately E-W-D-D did not timely complete the submission. Obviously this outcome is unacceptable. The City and department are reviewing everything that happened to ensure it does not happen again.






TRACK 4



The Oakland branch of the NAACP responded to the missed deadline with a statement that reads in part...





[[TAKE FULL SCREEN - NAACP]]



We are shocked, perplexed, and furious that the City of Oakland forfeited millions of dollars in crime prevention funding by missing a state grant deadline. This was an epic failure. Our elected officials and government staff dropped the ball because they were not focused. And they must be held accountable!






SOT 3 CG: David Larson, Owner, Piedmont Grocery



27 this is our monument to changing social values, that we have had to put in because the shop lifting is just horrendous. 36







TRACK 5



David Larson is the owner of piedmont grocery which has been open since 1956. The high end liquor now locked up due to theft. He says he is frustrated the city missed out possibly millions of dollars tackle retail crime.






SOT 4 CG: David Larson, Owner, Piedmont Grocery



334 I am just surprised that they didnt have it better organized. But other areas from the city are indicative that some lack of direction. 345






TRACK 6



Officials says they will be looking at other grants to fight retail crime. And the CHP says Oakland will likely still benefit from work in other bay area cities.






SOT 5 - CG: CHPCommissioner Sean Duryee



S8 CHP 704 we will be working together with all the allied agencies in the bay area, and that will benefit the community of oakland, whether or not they were awarded a grant or not. We currently are doing organized retail crime effort in the city of Oakland. And so that wont change. 719






TRACK 7



In Oak- ah- abc7 news.



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