Bay Area

Homicides in Oakland Fall by 33% in 2024, While Violent Crime Drops by 19%, Says OPD Crime Report

The Oakland Police Department’s most recent crime report indicates that homicides in Oakland are down by 33% compared with the same time last year. Throughout Oakland, 67 homicides occurred so far this year, while at the same point in 2023, there were 100 homicides. The number of violent crimes has declined by 19% in the city in 2024 compared to last year. “This is not an accident,” said Mayor Sheng Thao, who was quoted in Oaklandside, speaking at a press conference. “This is by design. We have reversed a four-year trend of higher crime and more homicides.”

Published

1 year ago

November 3, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County courthouse. Courtesy photo.

By Ken Epstein

Oakland has seen a “huge drop” in the numbers of homicides and violent crimes, including aggravated assaults, rapes, and robberies, according to journalists reporting on a new police report.

The number of violent crimes has declined by 19% in the city in 2024 compared to last year.

“This is not an accident,” said Mayor Sheng Thao, who was quoted in Oaklandside, speaking at a press conference. “This is by design. We have reversed a four-year trend of higher crime and more homicides.”

Local reporters point to the magnitude of the decline in crime.

Jaime Omar Yassin, a popular independent online reporter published in the Oakland Observer, wrote on X: “Going into (the) election, Oakland hasn’t had a murder in three weeks, only one murder in the entire month. It’s a staggering nearly 50 murders fewer than the City had under the leadership of (D.A.) O’Malley, (OPD Chief) Armstrong, and (Mayor) Schaaf in late October 2021. On track to have lowest homicides in five years.”

Also writing on X, journalist Ali Winston, a co-author of the book, “The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption, and Cover-up in Oakland,” said:

“Oakland hasn’t seen a commensurate drop in homicides in modern history. When we wrote ‘RIDERS,’ Darwin (BondGraham) and I pored over decades of Oakland crime statistics. This is a huge drop, way beyond the standard deviation.”

While many Oakland residents welcome the news of the drop in crime, some of those who support the recalls of elected officials and seek reasons to portray the city negatively are unwilling to recognize improvements in public safety.

Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb said he was deeply concerned that the San Francisco Chronicle has been unwilling to publish the OPD’s latest statistics showing a 33% reduction in Oakland homicides and instead continues to report old statistics that fit a narrative of a failing city.

“It’s upsetting to see a major newspaper that will not report about Oakland accurately and honestly,” he said.

This week, the city was awarded a $2 million grant from Vice President Kamala Harris’ Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Thao said the grant will help the city expand its Ceasefire program, significantly reducing homicides this year.

Ceasefire provides life coaches for people who are in immediate danger of being a perpetrator or victim of a violent crime to break the cycle of retaliation and victimization. The program was discontinued during former Mayor Libby Schaaf’s administration.

“We’re thankful for the significant investment in a strategy that is working in the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP), finally being recognized as critical to Oakland’s long-term strategic, comprehensive approach to community health and safety,” said DVP Chief Holly Joshi.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.