Oakland Construction Workers Robbed On Job Sites
OAKLAND (KCBS) - Construction workers have been robbed at several job sites in East Oakland in recent weeks, sometimes at gunpoint, police said Thursday.
Most of the robberies have targeted private contractors remodeling houses, but police have not determined whether the incidents were carried out by the same people, said Oakland Police Department spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson.
"Investigators are looking at each case and trying to see if there's a link—is this separate individuals, groups, or is there some type of networking that's occurring," Watson said.
Oakland Construction Workers Robbed On Job Sites
The criminals approach the workers and demand money, as happened Wednesday at a home in the 1400 block of 70th Ave.
"Most of the reports are occurring in East Oakland. We know we have a lot of construction sites in that particular area," Watson said.
In addition to increased patrols, Watson said members of the department's Neighborhood Services Division have been reaching to contractors working in East Oakland to advise them of the risks of carrying large amounts of cash.
In some cases, Watson said police have also had access to neighborhood surveillance footage as they try to identify suspects.
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