The leafy East Bay city of Antioch is in the grip of an escalating gang war after the police force collapsed under a Democratic city council and “fairness-minded” mayor.
Crime was already on the rise at every major point when a weekend of unprecedented gun violence left one dead, the city centre emptied and business owners feared for their future.
The number of police officers has dropped from 115 to 76 over the past four years under Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, who was elected despite opposition from the local police union.
In addition, the city has become a magnet for “Chinese criminal gangs” that supply drugs to the rest of the state, with more than 60 illegal marijuana dens discovered in the past two years.
“Antioch is the old Oakland now,” said local bar owner Tony Loinab. “Over 200 shots fired in Antioch in one week, how many people were shot? Three or four? In one week, not in one year, one week!”
Progressive Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe has admitted his city in California’s desirable East Bay area is now in the grip of gang warfare
Businesses were cleaning up Sunday morning after “multiple people” were shot when bullets were fired in a Rite Aid parking lot on E 18th Street
Nestled between national parks on the banks of the San Joaquin River, the city has long been a sought-after retreat for those seeking refuge from the chaos of the West Coast, with the average home price here being twice the national average at $588,000.
However, the latest wave of violence has angered city authorities for allowing the gang war to rage.
It appears to have started with the murder of 21-year-old Elijah Scales on September 3 near Sycamore, west of the city.
At 12:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, a man was killed and an 18-year-old was seriously injured after eight shootings in five days at Cavalla Road and Sunset Drive.
And “multiple people” were shot, police said Sunday morning as bullets sprayed across the Rite Aid parking lot on E 18th Street.
“I was working with one of my employees and we heard a shot,” Loinab said. Kron4.com.
‘I didn’t think it was one shot, but then there was boom, boom, like six shots.
“I look and I see police officers, ambulances, fire trucks. I walked over. Apparently a lady was shot and a young gentleman.”
Mayor Hernandez-Thorpe admitted that his city is now dealing with “unprecedented levels of gun violence” and that it is “an act of retaliation.”
“These gangs have no respect for human life, they have no respect for law enforcement, they have no respect for you and me,” he said.
Local bar owner Tony Loinab fears the city has become the new Oakland
After a clean-up under the previous mayor, homeless camps have sprung up again in the city
Crime was already on the rise at all major points before a weekend of unprecedented violence
An April drug bust at a luxury five-bedroom, two-story home in Antioch found hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of illegal cannabis in the home alone (pictured)
Critics, however, blame him for the erosion of the police force, leaving officers struggling to survive amid rising crime everywhere.
The 43-year-old, who has a master’s degree in women’s studies, calls himself a “motivational speaker” and an “equity conscious leader” (sic) on his LinkedIn page.
Bullet holes riddled storefronts on E 18th Street Sunday morning
He has indicated that he wants to recruit more agents and is offering new hires a $30,000 signing bonus.
But he was criticized by the Antioch Police Officers’ Association as “the leader in the effort to defund the Antioch Police Department, which would have a devastating impact on our efforts to combat crime in our community” ahead of his 2020 election.
“Mr. Thorpe’s vision for the future of Antioch will result in increased crime, homelessness and further degradation of our city,” they wrote.
After a cleanup under the previous mayor in 2018, homeless camps have sprung up again in the city. In addition, the number of murders in the first six months of the year rose by a third compared to the same period last year.
The number of robberies increased by 12 percent, the number of thefts by 40 percent and the number of car thefts by 65 percent.
While crime rates fell across the country, there was also a rise in burglaries, vandalism and assaults.
“Who in their right mind would want to work for a police department under the sitting mayor and city council majority?” demanded local blogger Mike Burkholder of Contracosta.news‘Not much, and it shows.
‘And people are really wondering why crime is increasing when the city as a whole has four times the national average vacancy rate?
Sandwiched between the San Joaquin River and a trio of beautiful national parks, the California city of Antioch (pictured above) seems like a peaceful part of the state’s East Bay region
“The majority council has sabotaged the police department by defunding the police department. This has only harmed residents, businesses, and even the school district.
“It just comes down to the city council, which has set the tone of the city, and a culture of anti-police rhetoric.
‘People want stability, not a circus where anything can happen at any time.’
Residents cleaning up after the latest shooting feared the city was heading in the same direction as its crime-ridden neighbors Oakland and San Francisco.
“Look at this,” Loinab said, looking around his empty bar on Sunday.
“It’s football Sunday. Raiders are playing, Niners are playing. I’ve got six customers. This bar should be full. ‘And people are scared, honestly. We put our hard-earned money into it. We’re not getting any appreciation, no help.’