Contrary to Trump's claims about crime in Oakland, the city saw a drop in violent crime
The decline includes a 21% drop in homicides in the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2024. Both violent crime and property crime decreased — by more than 25% combined — although the exact percentage changes for most crime categories was not yet known because of a lag in reporting, especially for property crime.
The drop in homicides aligned with a national trend: Homicides declined 19% among 68 large cities, including Oakland, during the first half of the year, according to data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
Oakland's decline in homicides also builds on a drop in 2024, when the city recorded 86 homicides, marking a 5-year low that put the city on track with pre-pandemic levels. Violent crime increased 6% overall in 2024, while property crime decreased 27%, according to a Chronicle analysis.
The data offers a different picture than what Trump alluded to Monday when he announced that he will deploy National Guard troops to the streets of Washington, D.C. to combat crime. Trump indicated he might take similar action in other cities. 'We have other cities also that are bad. Very bad,' Trump said, singling out Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Baltimore and Oakland.
'President Trump's characterization of Oakland is wrong and not grounded in facts, but in fear-mongering,' Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said. 'This is not leadership — it's an attempt to score cheap political points by tearing down communities he doesn't understand.'
Lee and other city leaders attributed the declines to both law enforcement and violence prevention efforts, including the city's Ceasefire strategy, which targets individuals who are most likely to get caught up in shootings, a significant driver of homicides. The strategy involves violence interrupters who try to medicate conflicts among gangs and other groups, life coaches who attempt to steer participants away from a life of violence and police officers who make arrests if participants commit crimes. The strategy, which fell apart in recent years, especially during the pandemic, was revived in January 2024 under former mayor Sheng Thao.
'When we address violence from multiple angles, we get the kind of results we're seeing today,' said Lee, who was sworn in May 20.
The mayor also reinforced her commitment to boost the police force's staffing to 700 officers over several years under Measure NN, a parcel tax voters approved in November to fund police, fire and violence prevention services. Currently, the city budgets for 678 officers — and about 650 of the positions are filled.
Lee also said she plans to crack down on sideshows and tow away abandoned cars from city streets.
'These results show that we're on the right track, but our work is far from done,' Lee said.
Police Chief Floyd Mitchell said that in recent weeks, some residents told him they feel safer, a reflection of the positive trends.
But the chief also acknowledged that not everyone reports crimes, particularly property crimes. He urged the public to report all crimes so the department can better identify crime patterns and deploy officers to curb the trends.
He added: 'I understand that if you have been a victim of a crime it may not feel like crime is going down, but please know that our officers remain deeply committed to investigating and solving every case, including yours.'
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