Ironically, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s city-owned SUV was stolen from City Hall on Presidents Day after a thief broke into her office and took the keys while the building was closed. The vehicle, a Ford Expedition, was used for official events and was recovered about 24 hours later in Vallejo.
For context, the police arrested suspect Logan Tell DeSilva, 29, on charges including burglary and auto theft. The Oakland Police Officers Association highlighted understaffing and defunding issues, with Singer noting the mayor became a crime victim amid out-of-control crime. Lee emphasized public safety as a priority and cited recent police funding increases toward reaching 700 officers
In any case, Sam Singer, the spokesperson for the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, explained, “We know that someone jimmied open the mayor’s office, they stole the keys to her car, they went to the City Hall parking lot, they stole the car. This occurred on Monday,” adding “She reported it, her staff reported it.”
Adding more context on social media, the Oakland Police Department stated, “This afternoon, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) arrested a suspect in connection with [the] theft of a city-owned vehicle. This is an active ongoing investigation. No additional details are being released at this time.”
Reacting to the embarrassing situation, Barbara Lee claimed, “No one in Oakland should have to worry about their car being stolen, whether they’re a resident, a city worker, or the Mayor. Public safety is a priority across our entire city.”
“As with criminal cases such as this, the Oakland Police Department is actively investigating, and we cannot comment further at this time,” Lee whined, “No one in Oakland should have to worry about their car being stolen, whether they’re a resident, a city worker, or the Mayor. Public safety is a priority across our entire city.”
However, Singer declared, “Crime in Oakland continues to be out of control because there are not enough police officers, and the mayor herself has now become a victim.” This aligns with years of statements from law enforcement criticising the pro-crime policies of the far-left state.
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Speaking last year, Huy Nguyen, the president of the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, told the media, “The operational strength is about 530, so realistically, we’re down 300 police officers plus in our city just to be at a baseline.”
Likewise, in an official statement last year, the Oakland Police Officers Association stated that the city’s new budget will “result in further defunding in the Oakland Police Department and increase the danger of crime for residents and businesses.”
Reacting to the situation on social media, a popular post read, “Last year, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee chastised President Trump for daring to talk about Oakland’s rampant crime problem. ‘It’s fear mongering and not fact.’ Last week the Mayors office was broken into and she had her SUV stolen. Trump was right again!”
Watch Oakland pizzeria owners have to fight off robbers with nothing more than a bin in their crime-overrun city that makes it very difficult for law-abiding citizens like them to get or use a firearm: