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Oakland Mayor's Newsletter Includes Promotion For Lock-Picking Class

OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Oakland Mayor Jean Quan surprised residents with a recent newsletter which included a promotion for a class on how to pick locks.

The class is geared toward people who misplace their keys, but that didn't go over well with readers, according to an article in the Oakland Tribune.

"How could she do possibly do that in this climate? What's next? The fundamentals of armed robbery," one reader responded.

An Oakland resident posted a letter written to Quan asking that the class be cancelled.

The mayor responded Wednesday, acknowledging in a written statement that the listing struck a bad chord in a city struggling with crime.

"I've heard from people who are upset about the lock picking class item," she wrote.

"I understand their reaction, and I apologize."

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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