OAKLAND — Crime is getting so bad for some Oakland businesses that they are now having trouble buying and keeping their insurance.
Adding insult to injury, a downtown business has already dropped its company. The owner of Awaken Cafe and Roasting said Farmers Insurance recently stopped renewing his policy after several thefts.
The owner said other big companies won’t insure him either. He had to buy three separate policies from different companies to cover his business.
This created a chilling effect on other burglary victims.
“Two different incidents mean two different claims. Two different deductibles and a more than likely chance that our insurance will go up or, worst-case scenario , they cancel us,” said Dorcia White, co-owner of Everett and Jones BBQ.
White said a thief entered the restaurant Monday morning and again Tuesday morning. He thought it was the same person. The surveillance video from Monday showed that the thief was unable to cut the safe so he returned early the next morning with a larger tool and was able to open the safe.
In total, White estimated, the restaurant suffered losses worth $15,000 but they decided not to submit claims after talking to their insurance broker.
“We’ve been in this building for 24 years and we’ve paid the insurance without a loss. It’s one of those things — damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” White said.
Businesses throughout Oakland and nearby San Francisco have complained about an increase in crime in recent years. In fact, someone vandalized a car parked in front of Everett and Jones BBQ Friday morning even though there was a police patrol car parked a block away.
Crime statistics released by the Oakland police from January 1 to February 5 of this year recorded 132 commercial burglaries which is equivalent to 132 burglaries in the same period in 2022. In the same period in 2021 45 only cases are recorded.
In a press release, Oakland police said they saw a spike in commercial burglaries last week — more than 12 cases in five days. So far, no one has been arrested in those cases.
“When something is taken away from you, even if it’s a small amount, it can really destroy a business,” White said.
