In 2023, there were over 13,000 smash-and-grab car burglaries in Oakland, a 23% increase from the year before. The crime is prevalent throughout the Bay Area, where it is known as “bipping.” The burglaries happen quickly and often go unreported, making them difficult to combat. Businesses, especially in downtown Oakland, are also victims, as frequent car break-ins have prompted prospective customers to avoid the city for shopping and dining. In an attempt to reclaim the city and encourage customers to return,…
Every Sunday for the last six weeks, Craig Morris has walked through Oakland streets populated by drug users to St. Mary’s Center, the shelter, soup kitchen and transitional housing provider that pulled him from the brink. There, Morris, who is 60 years old, painted a canvas as part of the Sacred Storytelling Art Project, a program created by St. Mary’s and the Center for ArtEsteem to uplift older Oaklanders. Morris and 11 others worked on self-portraits depicting some difficult aspect…