The location's doors will permanently close on March 24, 2024
COO: 'Our customers and associates are regularly victimized'
The location will close after 18 years of service
(NewsNation) — In-N-Out Burger is closing its only Oakland, California, location come March, citing crime issues, according to a statement by Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick.
“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,” Warnick said in the release, first reported by Dion Lim with KGO-TV San Francisco.
The Oakland location’s doors are scheduled to close permanently on March 24, 2024.
Despite the closure, the company has offered employees working at the location to relocate to a nearby location or to receive a severance package. Plus, Warnick said the company will continue to support the local community’s charitable organizations after the store closes.
This location has been open to the public for 18 years, and sales at the store remained busy and profitable. Regardless, the company said it would not put anyone at risk due to increased crime.
Crime has been an increasingly major issue in Oakland. Residents have been frustrated and community leaders have demanded answers after the city missed an opportunity to receive millions of dollars in state crime-fighting funds last fall.
Cities and counties across California have been receiving funds from the state to address ongoing retail theft problems. The city of San Francisco received about $17 million to combat the issue.
However, the city of Oakland received no funding, and the reason for this is quite simple: City officials missed the deadline to apply for the special state grant. Officials attributed the oversight to a technical issue.
Business owners expressed to NewsNation that when they become victims of crime and call 911, they often find themselves on hold for more than 30 minutes.
In some cases, police officers don’t even arrive promptly, which has led many businesses in Oakland to make difficult decisions. Some are closing their stores early to avoid being open at night, while others are closing down completely to prioritize the safety of their employees.
However, when it comes to addressing crime in the city, Oakland faces numerous issues. One significant issue is that the Oakland Police Department is severely understaffed, lacking enough officers to effectively patrol the city.
