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Old 05-22-2013, 11:45 AM
 
39 posts, read 84,295 times
Reputation: 54

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Natural510 View Post
By "Oakland fanboys" of course you mean "Oakland residents", which you are not. Please leave the advice to those who actually know the city, rather than falsehoods such as "anywhere in Oakland is pretty bad".
Unfortunately I am a resident of Oakland and I also work here, but not a fanboy. My advice was to tell OP to do his own due dilligence backed up with actual data. And by the term "anywhere" meaning the thugs in Oakland are targetting the nicer neighborhoods as well.

There is no use arguing with the fanboys. It's akin to having an intellectual debate on evolution between a protestant and an atheist.
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Old 05-22-2013, 11:51 AM
 
Location: San Jose, CA
7,688 posts, read 29,165,242 times
Reputation: 3631
East Oakland, and particularly the Deep East Oakland area between 70th, 98th, International and Bancroft, is a working to middle-class, suburban-styled area that has a seriously bad criminal element. It comes partly from the younger residents of the area and partly from outsiders who do their business there or target the residents. You won't see anything during the day in even the worst areas, but those folks you'll see walking or hanging around all day will stay locked inside after dark.
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Old 05-22-2013, 12:34 PM
 
Location: Corona the I.E.
10,137 posts, read 17,492,058 times
Reputation: 9140
Quote:
Originally Posted by ssmaster View Post
the only white guy at a rave sounds more than a little off. i have been to raves in downtown detroit in the late 90's and they were overwhelmingly young white people in a city 80% AA.
it's just not a scene where you would be the only white guy.
There were plenty of white people at the rave, I was referring to driving around Oakland and then stopping at a streetlight and looking around. Even the Saturday afternoon I drove there to read up on Malcolm X I was getting ugly stares at stop lights.

But hey it's all good. It's obvious the majority of this thread are in denial or work for Oakland Chamber of Commerce. My bad for giving honest feedback when what was wanted was evidence to support it's undergone a transformation like Flavas video shows.
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Old 05-22-2013, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,903,213 times
Reputation: 28563
I don't feel like a walking robbery target when I am out and about in Oakland.


I am on my phone, please forgive the typos.
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Old 05-22-2013, 01:25 PM
 
Location: East Bay Area
1,986 posts, read 3,601,801 times
Reputation: 911
Quote:
Originally Posted by asnboy1084 View Post
My advice to OP is don't lull yourself into a false sense of security or listen to the Oakland Fan Boys of this forum, do your own research.

http://www.crimemapping.com/
Every big city that volunteered to put their crime statistics on that map is painted with crimes all over their jurisdiction. Thanks for showing the similarities between Oakland and other big cities that present a false sense of security.
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Old 05-22-2013, 05:21 PM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,704,357 times
Reputation: 23268
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140 View Post
I used to work in the field in Oakland into the early 90s, and having gone back several times since, find the same areas to be the worst. Brookfield Village, Sobrante Park, and around 73rd and MacArthur.

BTW, did they change the name of Alvingroom Ct. to EC Reems Ct. or did I forget where it was?
We were just talking about how much Brookfield has improved... mostly all homeowners and the riff raff has moved on...

My high school teacher lived at Alvingroom and he would host study sessions... never gave it a thought.

I'm the fourth generation living in Oakland and my observation is all the people I know do not fear their neighbors... they do fear being a victim of random crime.

Just yesterday a 50 year old man was in front of his modest home washing his car mid-day...

He was targeted by a group driving by that parked their car and attempted to rob him at gun point and shot him... either for not having anything or not being quick enough... he died.

This is what the real problem is...

The interim Archbishop of the Oakland Catholic Diocese has been here on assignment for 9 months with no previous East Bay or Oakland experience... he said it was the most pleasant surprise of his entire life... he would regularly walk Lake Merritt and surrounding areas...

His quote is Oakland is not a city of violent people... it does have a very small violent element that preys upon Oakland residents...

Many times I have hosted foreign co-workers who were amazed how much Oakland has to offer and how well we all get along... time and time again I have been asked why all the bad press.

The reality is the numbers don't lie... just as they do not give the full picture either.
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Old 05-22-2013, 05:26 PM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,704,357 times
Reputation: 23268
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nineties Flava View Post
Also, OPD officers generally do not live in Oakland and have no real vested interest in preventing crime in Oakland. At this point they really are just glorified street cleaners... they'll wipe up the blood and scrape you off the concrete but they won't save you. Sometimes they're the ones that shot you.
I think this is sad but true...

At one time I tested to join the force... at the interview I asked about the hire Oakland policy and learned it did not apply to police and fire...

If anything... I think it is of tremendous benefit to have locals with ties to the community on the force... just like it was when I was in grade school... we had several families with Oakland Police or County Sheriffs at my school...

Now, it seems they all commute and some from quite a distance... too many see Oakland as a stepping stone to somewhere else.

12 from my High School class joined OPD... none live in Oakland.
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Old 05-22-2013, 05:31 PM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,704,357 times
Reputation: 23268
Here is a link to the story I mentioned above...

I find it says a lot and is written from the heart...

Archbishop Brunett reflects on his time in Oakland


The Catholic Voice - an online publication of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland

He had heard there was a lot of crime here, and that there was nothing here to see.

"I came from Detroit, where the description of Detroit was similar," he said.

"Sure there's violence here," he said, "but it's not a violent culture."

He learned that stepping out his front door. "Walking around Lake Merritt, I see a lot of families, I see a lot of babies, people that are trying to take care of their health, young and old. I see people who have smiles on their face. Very engaging conversations going on all the time."

"I found Oakland to be the biggest surprise of my life," he said, "because I see it as being a really, really healthy area. They may be short on resources but that doesn't make them poor. They're very strong on the spirit of the people here and the desire to live in a nonviolent society and nonviolent culture. They have tremendous potential. There's nothing they can't do here."
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Old 07-03-2013, 10:44 PM
 
Location: Lower east side of Toronto
10,564 posts, read 12,829,068 times
Reputation: 9400
My friend and I - and my girlfriend made a trek to LA..back in about 1974. We were singer song writers going to check out the American market...We ran out of money and my friend knew this guy who ran a huge undertaking business...He flew us up to San Francisco and all was well..He then gave us a place to live...on Foot Hills Boulevard - in Oak Land...the grave diggers were on strike along with the grounds keepers...so we went to work...It was totally weird...We had no proper bedding so the brought us spare coffin pillows...

Anyway were were both blonde musicians - white as white and we never had a problem in Oakland..no on bothered us- we did business with the locals...drank in the local bar...The last thing that came to mind was that black gangsters were going to snuff us out ............


One afternoon I was drinking a beer - while on a bar stool...an old black man moved over a bit and asked me a question "Are you black"..................... I thought about it and said "YES"...that was it. If you show respect and kindness ...people actually looked out for you...I mention this to people that I lived in Oakland for six months...They thought I was nuts....I don't know what it is like today - But- every person I met was hard working and honest..
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Old 07-03-2013, 10:51 PM
 
Location: Springfield, Ohio
14,690 posts, read 14,665,407 times
Reputation: 15424
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oleg Bach View Post
My friend and I - and my girlfriend made a trek to LA..back in about 1974. We were singer song writers going to check out the American market...We ran out of money and my friend knew this guy who ran a huge undertaking business...He flew us up to San Francisco and all was well..He then gave us a place to live...on Foot Hills Boulevard - in Oak Land...the grave diggers were on strike along with the grounds keepers...so we went to work...It was totally weird...We had no proper bedding so the brought us spare coffin pillows...

Anyway were were both blonde musicians - white as white and we never had a problem in Oakland..no on bothered us- we did business with the locals...drank in the local bar...The last thing that came to mind was that black gangsters were going to snuff us out ............


One afternoon I was drinking a beer - while on a bar stool...an old black man moved over a bit and asked me a question "Are you black"..................... I thought about it and said "YES"...that was it. If you show respect and kindness ...people actually looked out for you...I mention this to people that I lived in Oakland for six months...They thought I was nuts....I don't know what it is like today - But- every person I met was hard working and honest..
Not too much has changed, though many blue-collar jobs which supported Oaklanders back in the 70's are gone and not coming back. Most black Oaklanders have roots in the South, and therefore exhibit Southern hospitality. Oakland can be a very friendly place, especially from the older generation. Of course there are a minority who've given it the reputation for violence and helped coin the term "haters", but they're still a minority.
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