Kaiser Permanente advised employees in its downtown Oakland, California, location to stay inside during breaks in the wake of the city’s recent crime surges.
The city’s largest private employer issued a memo that warned employers not to walk to lunch and instead get food delivered after a series of employee robberies. The memo also advised employees who do not work at the Oakland location to conduct remote meetings or have them somewhere else.
“Those recommendations remain in place for now. Kaiser Permanente is committed to ensuring the safety and security of our employees and physicians across all of our locations,” the company said in a statement to Fox KTVU.
In 2023, violent crime in the city is up 21%, and burglary is up 23% since 2022, according to the Oakland Police Department crime report.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao told the outlet that the city was making progress in addressing its crime problems.
“There are more police officers and safety ambassadors on the street than anytime in the past two years. At the end of last year, Oakland experienced significant reductions in property crime in business districts across the city. Oakland will remain vigilant and work collaboratively to ensure this downward trend continues and that more resources are brought to the table,” Thao said in the statement.
In-N-Out Burger made headlines earlier this month after it announced it would close its only Oakland location due to rampant crime, making it the first time the company would close any of its fast food restaurants in its 75 years of existence.
The city’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People asked Oakland officials last year to declare a state of emergency in response to the upsurge in crime and halt efforts to defund the police, the Center Square reported.
“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,” the NAACP wrote in a letter to city officials. “Our 911 system does not work. Residents now know that help will not come when danger confronts them.”
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Oakland does not have a permanent police chief since Thao fired LeRonne Armstrong for misconduct problems early last year, the outlet reported.
Other large companies have also taken safety precautions in response to robberies and violent crime. Health insurance provider Blue Shields and Clorox have reportedly hired security to escort employees to transportation services in the city to ensure their safety.