With rising crime in Oakland, California, city law enforcement is suggesting that residents use air horns as a security measure to alert neighbors of a potential intruder.
Over the past year, Oakland has witnessed a staggering 41 percent increase in burglaries and 20 percent increase in robberies. According to FBI data from 2019, Oakland ranks as the third-highest city in California for violent crime, surpassing San Diego, despite having a significantly smaller population. San Francisco and Los Angeles are the only cities that report higher incidents of violent crime.
The rise in crime has prompted Oakland resident Toni Bird to follow the police’s suggestions to use air horns and security cameras to ward off intruders. In an interview conducted by CNN, Bird explains that she moved to the city two years ago and took the initiative to purchase three air horns as a personal security measure.
“The types of crime that we’re seeing feel much more violent and the consequences feel much more severe,” Bird shared with CNN. “It feels like the people that are being targeted are people who are vulnerable.”
City organizations, including the NAACP’s Oakland Branch, have publicly called for more proactive steps to address the escalating crime rate. NAACP Oakland Branch President Cynthia Adams, along with pastor Bishop Bob Jackson, wrote a letter that attributed the city’s crime surge to “failed leadership” that has turned it into a “heyday for Oakland criminals.”
“We call on all elected leaders to unite and declare a state of emergency and bring together massive resources to address our public safety crisis,” they stated in the letter.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao acknowledged the pressing need for change.
“We know we need to do more,” Thao conceded.
The city’s suggestion that residents arm themselves with air horns is an example of the absurd lengths some people will go to instead of arming themselves with a firearm. Law enforcement should be informing law-abiding citizens that the best way to defend themselves is to purchase a firearm and learn how to use it. But due to anti-Second Amendment sentiment in the state of California, this is not the case for Oakland residents.
Individuals living in states with extreme gun laws should strongly consider moving to a state that allows them to exercise their rights and properly defend themselves and the people they love.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
