An NBC Sports crew working on assignment in Oakland, Calif., was robbed at gunpoint Saturday morning, according to a report from The Mercury News.
The crew was on assignment in the Jack London Square area when three armed individuals took a camera from inside the crew’s vehicle, according to Oakland Police Department spokesperson Kim Armstead.
None of the crew members were holding the camera at the time and there were no injuries.
The robbery marks the third incident involving news organizations in Oakland in the last two-and-a-half weeks.
On Dec. 3, a San Francisco Chronicle photographer was robbed at gunpoint in West Oakland.
And on Nov. 24, Kevin Nishita – a security guard and former police officer – was fatally shot during an attempted robbery downtown while he was with a KRON-TV Channel 4 news crew.
As The Hill reports, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf (D) said two weeks ago that her office was drafting a proposal to place before the City Council to increase active police presence and require a larger police force. Schaaf also wants to establish a new police academy class.
“We in Oakland believe in a comprehensive and effective approach to ending gun violence,” Schaaf said late last month.
The spike in crimes is taking place at a time when the police department’s force has fallen to 677 officers, which is reportedly the city’s lowest police staffing level in more than a decade.
So, “Refund The Police” Libby?
Of course, we are sure the armed thieves were just looking for bread… and were otherwise ‘mostly peaceful’ that day.
