A series of break-ins in Oakland’s Montclair Village left local business owners losing several thousand dollars Friday morning.
Eric Kim, owner of EM Deli & Catering, saw the break-in on his security cameras around 5 a.m. Friday and said he called police immediately. When he arrived at the store, the robbers had disappeared.
Kim said three burglars took $5,000 in cash and caused a few thousand dollars worth of damage to his door, cash register and point-of-sale system. Reza Arian, owner of the jewelry box across the street, KTVU said The thieves stole an estimated $15,000 from the jewelry store. Kim said he believed two restaurants on the street were also targeted.
Oakland Police responded to 1,334 reports of commercial burglary last year — up 76% from 2021 and 56% higher than the five-year average. According to police department data. Ministry representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
Just last week, the city lost potential millions in grant money to combat retail theft. Cities like San Francisco, which received $17.3 million from the statewide program, plan to use the money to better fund policing and prosecution as more and more businesses fall victim to break-ins.
Examining the surveillance footage, Kim said he could see the thieves loitering around the area for approximately thirty minutes before the alleged crime occurred, seemingly unafraid of being caught by police.
“It’s frustrating,” Kim said. “It’s made me really tired. It’s getting worse everywhere in Auckland at the moment.”
Contact Megan Van Munce: Megan.Munce@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @meganfanmunce
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