Surveillance cameras didn't do much to scare away robbers who looted multiple small businesses overnight in Oakland's Temescal Alley.
This alley is part of North Auckland's trendy shopping area. The people who run the store there arrived Friday morning to find broken glass and missing items.
“It's just another day for Oakland business owners,” said a visibly frustrated Liz Thayer.
Sayer's job Friday was not to make and sell custom outerwear and merchandise at her shop, Claflin, Sayre & Co., but to sit and wait for police to respond.
“They got rid of a lot of my store's inventory,” she explained. “Most of it is handmade and takes a lot of time and effort. It's a shame.”
Thayer's store was one of three in the popular East Bay area that were broken into early Friday morning. Surveillance video shows the thieves climbing fences and casually wandering down alleys as they decide which stores to target.
The video showed a clear image of at least one of the suspects. When property manager Danny Paredes was asked how many times his Temescal Alley store had been broken into, he had to think hard.
“I think it's been more than seven times. Police reports have been filed, but nothing has been done,” Paredes said.
Store owners agreed. Thayer was not particularly enthusiastic when police finally arrived during questioning.
“Oh, the police are here now,” she said with an exasperated look on her face.
Police took more than two hours to arrive after the call Friday morning, which is not unusual in Oakland.
“One day I call them and they show up around 4 o'clock,” Paredes said.
But the best the police can do at this point is to take a report. And the best the store owner can do is clean up the mess that was left untouched while waiting for the cops in hopes that they might find crucial evidence.
Luckily for Wes Allen, owner of outdoor clothing and equipment store Understory, it's a close-knit community.
“Everyone supports each other and takes care of each other,” he said.
The owner of Mira Flores Vintage Clothing was out of town, leaving her boyfriend Isaac Starr to deal with the mess.
“In addition to the broken windows, it appears all of our jewelry was stolen as well,” Starr said. “We don’t really know what else is in there yet, so we’ll have to check our inventory.”
To say this intrusion was frustrating is to say it's fair.For these store owners, their attitude is becoming passively accepted.
“This has become part of everyday life for everyone who owns a business in Oakland,” Thayer said with a sigh.
Whether or not to stay in Auckland is increasingly becoming part of the conversation.
“I don't want to cash in my chips yet, but the conversation has taken place,” Starr admitted.
“Maybe. I've lived here ever since I was born,” Thayer said. “I was born and raised in the East Bay, so that's definitely something I consider. So yeah.”
