Full Notification

In a collaborative effort today, over 600 citizens were greeted by a network of Oakland Police Department Neighborhood Services Coordinators, volunteers, Safety Ambassadors, Police Services Technicians and officers to spread awareness and safety tips with the question, “Are you smart with your phone?”

The project, created in light of continuing trends of thefts and street robberies where community members are most commonly targeted for their smartphones, was designed to increase awareness – and caution – in areas where thefts and robberies most commonly occur. In addition to enforcement efforts by Oakland police, flyers were handed out by team members as they canvassed the first selected spot, BART stations and AC Transit bus stops along Broadway near 12th and 14th Streets.

The Oakland Police Department recently announced a number of arrests and firearm recoveries in connection to ongoing street robberies, but our efforts can be maximized when the public is mindful of the trend and steps they can take to increase their safety:

Some tips include:

Be Prepared
- Register your phone and other devices
- Keep a detailed description of your devices, including serial number, make and model in a safe place for reporting purposes
- Password protect your phone
- Install a tracking application

Prevention
- Don’t lend your phone to strangers
- Avoid talking on your phone while walking down the sidewalk or sitting in your car
- Earphones decrease your awareness of your surroundings, and may make you a target

Report
- 911 or (510) 777-3211 for emergency, or (510) 777-3333 for non-emergency

These outreach efforts will continue in other areas of the City, in addition to becoming the topics of Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council and Neighborhood Watch meetings.