The Oakland NAACP released a statement Thursday calling for state and local elected leaders to declare a “state of emergency” as a result of increasing violent crime in the California city.
The statement, written by Oakland NAACP president Cynthia Adams and Bishop Bob Jackson of Acts Full Gospel Church, blasted soft-on-crime local officials as well as left-wing activism for the surge in crime.
“Failed leadership, including the movement to defund the police, our District Attorney’s unwillingness to charge and prosecute people who murder and commit life threatening serious crimes, and the proliferation of anti-police rhetoric have created a heyday for Oakland criminals,” Adams and Jackson wrote.
Adams and Jackson also said that African Americans were disproportionately affected by crime and criticized misguided attempts to alleviate racism by refusing to prosecute violent offenders.
“There is nothing compassionate or progressive about allowing criminal behavior to fester and rob Oakland residents of their basic rights to public safety. It is not racist or unkind to want to be safe from crime,” the statement read.
Adams and Jackson called on city and state officials to devote additional resources, including police officers, to resolve the problem:
“We are in crisis and elected leaders must declare a state of emergency and bring resources together from the city, the county, and the state to end the crisis.”
The statement comes amid a spike in crime in the Bay Area. In neighboring San Francisco, Mayor London Breed was forced to flee a speech on combating violent crime after someone threw a brick in the crowd.
Several big-name brands like Nordstrom and Saks OFF 5th and hotel chains have left the area due to concerns about public safety.
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