Oakland sees drop in violent crime in 2025, city leaders say

OAKLAND, Calif. - The city of Oakland shared new data on Thursday which pointed to a significant reduction in reported crimes for the first half of 2025.

According to city leaders, Oakland is reportedly safer than it was this time last year, and they said stricter enforcement, its Ceasefire program, and community support have contributed to the decrease. 

By the numbers:

The city presented the following data from the first six months of 2025, compared to the first half of 2024:

• Homicides – down 21%
• Aggravated assault – down 18%
• Rape – down 24%
• Robbery – down 41%
• Burglary – down 19%
• Car theft – down 45%
• Larceny – down 17%
• Arson – up 9%

Mayor Barbara Lee, Police Chief Floyd Mitchell, and other city leaders held a press conference on Thursday at OPD headquarters to announce that crime is down across the board, with the exception of arson.

What they're saying:

"These results show we’re on the right track, but our work is far from done," said Mayor Lee.

Acting Assistant Police Chief Anthony Tedesco said after ramping up sideshow enforcement, more than 100 cars have been towed this year for illegal sideshow activity.

Tedesco also said since June, 37 people have been arrested for robberies, including four people who committed 14 crimes involving ramming a car into a business to steal merchandise.

"We know that not everyone reports property crimes and when crimes go unreported, it limits our ability to investigate and identify emerging crime trends," said Chief Mitchell.

Perception vs. Reality

Chief Mitchell acknowledged the numbers don't always align with community perception. 

"We have to talk more about what we're doing because crime is going down, so we have to address the perception and the feeling of crime right now," he said.

The city credits its Ceasefire program, which has "violence interrupters" working in the community to prevent gun violence before it happens.

Mitchell said 911 calls are being answered within 15 seconds 73% of the time, bringing them closer to the state standard of 90%.

Last year, that number was only 50%.

Crime remains ‘a significant issue,’ police union says

Oakland Police Officers Association President Huy Nguyen said even though 911 calls are being answered quicker, there aren’t enough officers to dispatch, so response times are still low, and so is morale.

"Our officers feel defeated when they show up to work and there are that many calls standing," he said. 

The city said it’s funding 678 officer positions this year, and the first police academy in more than a year began on July 21.

But Nguyen said the department is having a hard time retaining young officers, many who’ve left for neighboring cities.

"When you work in a high-crime city, with low staffing, it just makes it very difficult," he said.

Nguyen also said that between 510 and 515 officers are actively working, as many are on leave.

‘Increased prosecution’ preventing repeat offenders from committing crimes, some say

Nguyen said the real impact is at the county level with District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson, who replaced recalled DA Pamela Price earlier this year.

"People are being held accountable today much more than they were before," said Nguyen. "They’re not committing crimes, going into jail and then going back out into the street and committing more crimes."

Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation, shared the same sentiment. 

"She’s willing to prosecute and therefore many of our men and women in uniform are more willing to file charges and book," Chan said.

Chan also said business owners in Chinatown do feel safer, but they fear the perception of danger in Oakland is impacting business as fewer people visit commercial districts. 

"We invite you to come back. I know that some people may not be comfortable, but in reality, we are much safer than before," said Chan.

In a brief phone conversation, DA Jones Dickson told KTVU she hears the community and is making sure victims' rights are protected.