14,000 Cars Abandoned on Oakland Streets in Six Months: 2023 Report
Oakland, California is currently facing a major issue with abandoned vehicles. Within a time frame of six months in 2023, approximately 14,000 cars were reported as abandoned and the problem has significantly worsened in 2024. The city now faces a shortage of storage space for these cars, resulting in them being stacked on top of each other. This situation has left residents feeling irritated and exasperated with the abundance of abandoned cars.
Cars are scattered all over the city streets, hindering entry to residences, commercial establishments, and educational institutions, and also taking up a considerable amount of parking area. During a ride with Oakland councilman Noel Gallo, ABC 7 News Bay Area discovered almost 50 deserted vehicles within half an hour, each in different degrees of dilapidation. A significant number of the cars had been stolen and stripped of their parts, while some had fallen prey to break-in incidents.
Based on a recent update from ABC 7, the Oakland Police Department will only intervene in situations where a vehicle is obstructing entry to a residential property. Any other abandoned vehicles will be handled by the Oakland Department of Transportation, although this process may be lengthy.
The town is burdened by numerous derelict automobiles, forcing it to shell out close to $1 million each year for storage expenses. One particular lot houses over 2,000 cars. However, there may be some respite on the horizon as council members have approved a larger budget to tackle this problem. This includes hiring multiple tow companies and utilizing parking lots owned by the California Department of Transportation. Moreover, the city has plans to recruit 15 additional parking control technicians who will begin patrolling the streets within the current year.
Source: ABC 7 News Bay Area
