{"id":424829,"date":"2026-08-05T21:32:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/424829\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T21:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:32:13","slug":"at-national-night-out-oakland-residents-say-safetys-improved-but-they-differ-on-surveillance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/424829\/","title":{"rendered":"At National Night Out, Oakland residents say safety\u2019s improved but they differ on surveillance"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the first Tuesday in August, hundreds of Oakland neighborhoods temporarily close their streets to traffic for National Night Out. The annual block parties give neighbors a chance to gather over food and drinks while connecting with city leaders, police officers, and firefighters. This year, Oakland registered 175 block parties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One of National Night Out\u2019s primary goals is to strengthen neighborhood relationships and improve public safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s event came at a time when Oakland\u2019s seen significant improvements in public safety. The Oakland Police Department\u2019s latest crime data<\/a> shows violent crime \u2014 including homicides, rapes, assaults, and robberies \u2014 is down 18% compared with the same point last year. Most categories of property crime have also fallen by double-digit percentages over the past year.<\/p>\n

The Oaklandside visited two gatherings \u2014 one in the Oakland Hills and one in West Oakland \u2014 to ask residents how their neighborhoods have changed, whether they feel safer, and what they\u2019d still like to see from the city. Although some people disagreed about the city\u2019s approaches to fighting crime, neighbors at both parties credited community connections for an increased sense of safety.<\/p>\n

Hoover-Foster<\/p>\n

\"\"Jaylei, 5, pets her neighbor\u2019s dog Panchito during National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

On 34th Street, the neighborhood\u2019s first National Night Out party was in full swing.<\/p>\n

Kids rode dirt bikes up and down the block while barbecue smoke drifted through the air and Stevie Wonder\u2019s \u201cSir Duke\u201d played from a loudspeaker. Children crowded around Panchito, a friendly 14-year-old Chihuahua mix. He wasn\u2019t the only animal attracting attention \u2014 at one point, a family walked out with a pet goat on a leash, drawing laughter from the crowd. About 50 neighbors attended.<\/p>\n

\"\"Eastman and her colleagues with the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, a union representing Kaiser Permanente employees, canvass during National Night Out. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Fay Eastman and Iowayna Pe\u00f1a organized for months to host the block party. They created flyers, knocked on every door, and collected neighbors\u2019 email addresses to stay connected. Eastman hopes to launch a quarterly neighborhood newsletter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love that our block is so multicultural \u2014 all ages, all backgrounds,\u201d said Eastman, who has lived on 34th Street for 15 years.<\/p>\n

She pointed to neighbors across the street \u2014 a Yemeni family that has lived on the block since 1994 \u2014 grilling food together. Many of the neighborhood\u2019s other residents are Black families who have lived in West Oakland for generations.<\/p>\n

\"\"Mo, who has lived on 34th Street since 1994, starts up the grill for his block\u2019s National Night Out party. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Pe\u00f1a, who has lived on the block for four years, hopes to see the neighborhood continue to grow. She envisions the overgrown, litter-strewn park at 34th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way becoming a community gathering space with a playground. She also wants to see more small businesses opening along MLK and existing shops thriving.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to see a grocery store, a pharmacy, more retail, and a gym here,\u201d Pe\u00f1a said. \u201cThere are a lot of homeowners and renters alike who want to help the city, but the city can do a better job of coming out and meeting us where we\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Families on 34th Street serve roasted chicken and veggie stew for National Night Out. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Eastman said the neighborhood once felt much more dangerous, particularly during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A night-shift health care worker at Kaiser Permanente, she recalled coming home one day to find every car on her block with slashed tires. Car break-ins, commonly known as \u201cbippings,\u201d were also more frequent. When she first moved to the neighborhood, hearing gunshots at night wasn\u2019t unusual, she said.<\/p>\n

Today, Eastman and Pe\u00f1a say they feel much safer.<\/p>\n

They credit stronger community engagement, along with programs like MACRO<\/a>, Oakland\u2019s non-police response for nonemergency and nonviolent calls. But they both oppose another way the city tries to tackle crime: Flock Safety cameras. They cited privacy and civil liberties concerns, and would like to see them removed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know El Cerrito got theirs taken down<\/a>. How can we do that here?\u201d Eastman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all craving community post-pandemic, so we\u2019re finding each other, going outside, and talking to each other,\u201d said Pe\u00f1a, a former San Francisco educator.<\/p>\n

Lincoln Highlands<\/p>\n

\"\"Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee chats with Gloria Saito, one of the organizers for Frye Street\u2019s National Night Out party on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

On Frye Street, a short walk from Oakland\u2019s Mormon temple, about 40 neighbors gathered for a lively potluck.<\/p>\n

A small table held name tags, markers, and a neighborhood listserv sign-up sheet. Across the street, residents filled their plates with hot dogs, burgers, pasta salad, and chocolate chip cookies. A kids\u2019 area featured bubble-blowing and an impromptu soccer game. Neighborhood dogs \u2014 including Jim Morrison, a 14-year-old rescue from the streets of Los Angeles \u2014 greeted one another while their owners chatted. At around 5:45 p.m., Mayor Barbara Lee stopped by to meet with residents.<\/p>\n

\"\"A sign welcomes neighbors to Frye Street\u2019s National Night Out block party. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

It was the third year Gloria Saito and her husband, Richard Otter, had organized the neighborhood\u2019s National Night Out gathering. The couple has lived in Lincoln Highlands for 35 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the one time of the year where we bring everybody together,\u201d said Saito, a former director of UC Berkeley\u2019s counseling center.<\/p>\n

\"\"National Night Out attendees indulge in savory and sweet treats brought to Frye Street\u2019s block party. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Although the neighborhood is generally quiet, Saito said residents have dealt with catalytic converter thefts and home break-ins, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Saito said she isn\u2019t sure what\u2019s driving the improvement in Oakland\u2019s crime rates. On her block, however, she believes neighborhood design and strong social ties might be helping. She said she\u2019d like to see more data on Oakland\u2019s Flock Safety cameras but generally supports them as a crime deterrent.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jim Morrison, a 14-year-old dog, greets his neighbors on Frye Street during National Night Out. Credit: Roselyn Romero\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\u201cIt helps when people are looking out for each other,\u201d Saito added. \u201cWhenever anything happens in the neighborhood, people will post it on the neighborhood listserv.\u201d<\/p>\n

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