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Business owners in Auckland’s Fruitvale neighborhood say crime remains a major challenge, despite recent police promises to increase patrols.
Dominic Prado opened the restaurant “Tacos El Ultimo Baile” in the Fruitvale area in 2022. But as foot traffic in the area dwindles, the business now relies on taco trucks and pop-up stores to survive.
“2023 was a disaster,” Prado said.
He believes customers are afraid to visit Auckland because of crime.
“They want more police, they really want more police. They want more patrols,” Prado said.
A Fruitvale business owner showed KPIX the gun he started carrying about two months ago after two robberies broke into his store in 2023.
“When you go to work in the morning, you don’t know if you’re going to get back to your family. You might get killed or shot. It’s very, very bad,” said the owner, who declined to be interviewed. Due to safety concerns, please reveal his name.
Last Tuesday, an employee at MSM Jewelry Exchanging gunfire with two robbers.
Monique Ramos, owner of Latinos Express, said: “Even if they knock down doors and break windows, all of our neighbors are getting robbed. Our store doesn’t have an ATM anymore. They stole all the ATMs from the store.”
Oakland Police announced that violent crime in Area 4, which includes the Fruitvale neighborhood, increased by 31% in 2023 compared to 2022. The police department announced in November that it would step up patrols in the area.
Some people are urging the mayor to declare a state of emergency, but Prado is not convinced that will stop crime.
”[Bringing in the National Guard is] “It’s not going to go away,” Prado said. “It may be a temporary solution. But are we better off as a community in the long run?”
Apart from increasing the number of police officers, Prime Minister Prado wants more intervention programs. He said he turned his life around after serving time for robbery in the late ’90s. He agrees with the mayor’s strategy to expand Operation Ceasefire, which provides services and assistance to gang members and at-risk individuals.
“We want the ceasefire to build capacity and give children something to join and give them something to live for before they give up their lives,” Prado said.
He admits it will be an uphill battle in the new year. He wants customers to support them.
“Some of us can’t make it, some of us have already quit, some of us want to shut down. So if you care about the fabric of the Latino community in Oakland and the East Bay, They’re going to come down and support us and be a part of what we’re doing,” Prado said.
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