CrimeWatch

OAKLAND (CBS 5 / KCBS / BCN) ― The Guardian Angels are coming to Oakland for the second time in a year to help the city try to deal with its crime problem, including a recent spate of armed takeover robberies at restaurants.
 
The official announcement came just as the city was dealing Wednesday with yet another series of shootings that left one person dead and three others seriously wounded.

At the request of Mayor Ron Dellums and Oakland police, members of the Guardian Angels, with their trademark red berets, were to begin roving patrols on Friday night.

Paul Rose, Dellums' spokesman, said the mayor and Police Chief Wayne Tucker wanted "to make sure that our residents along with our business corridors are safe."

Deploying volunteer safety patrol groups such as the Guardian Angels in selected areas is part of the city's plan to fight crime, Rose said.

"The Guardian Angels are a visible deterrent to crime and also are good witnesses who can notify police of suspicious activity," added Oakland police Sgt. Michael Poirier.

About 20 members of the group will focus on Oakland's commercial districts where armed takeover bandits have robbed eight restaurants and business over the past month.

The Angels will mainly patrol the Grand Lake, Lakeshore and East Lake neighborhoods, along with additional police officers assigned to the areas, said city officials.

Poirier indicated the deployment of the Guardian Angels was open-ended, and they could be in Oakland from one to three months or even longer.

Poirier added that the Guardian Angels "are offering their services at no cost."

The Guardian Angels also came to Oakland in June 2007 to patrol the Grand Lake neighborhood near Lake Merritt, which had been hit by an increase in holdups and break-ins. But that deployment didn't last very long.

Some community members welcomed this latest help from the red berets, but not everyone does. Pamela Drake, director of the Lakeshore Business Improvement District, said she does not think the Guardian Angels' presence will make a difference, and may, in fact, deter business because of their paramilitary attire.

Meantime, Mayor Dellums was at the Oakland Athletic's baseball game Wednesday night for the third annual "Silence the Violence Day with the Oakland's A's" event, which was aimed at helping promote peace and opportunity on the city's streets.

Dellums was one of those who observed a moment of silence at the ballpark to honor those in the community struck down by violence, of which the most recent incidents included two major shootings.
 
A Fremont man was killed about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 800 block of 45th Street. Five hours later, three young people were shot and wounded near a public housing complex in the 900 block of Kirkham Court in West Oakland. 

The mayor said the recent homicides and shootings in Oakland have demonstrated the need to stop violence through job training, community engagement and a comprehensive public safety strategy.

"We must come together as a community to bring peace to our streets, as crime and violence have plagued our neighborhoods for too long," Dellums said Wednesday evening.

He added, "'Silence the Violence' has proven that everyone has a role to play in creating a more peaceful city for our young men and women to grow and prosper."

"If we hope to bring peace to our streets, we must expand opportunities for work, recreation and community involvement for our young people," Dellums concluded.

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