Could the closure of Oakland's only In-N-Out help the city with its crime problem?
The demise of Oakland's only In-N-Out restaurant due to increasing crime could be the last straw for community members — and possibly a blessing in disguise for local leaders who've been pleading for help.
This week, In-N-Out announced that the burger joint near Hegenberger Road, a main route to and from the Oakland International Airport, would close its doors in March.
"Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies," Denny Warnick, chief operating officer for the company, said in a statement.
Some Oakland residents believe the crime problem persists at least in part because of Mayor Sheng Thao.
The group Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, led by a former Alameda County Superior Court judge in June, has faulted the mayor for not declaring a state of emergency on crime, not replacing the police chief she fired in February, and missing the application deadline last year to cities and counties to fight retail thefts.
