Oakland Has More Robberies Than Any City In America

On the heels of the Oakland Police Department's worst week in recent years comes more disheartening news -- the East Bay city has more robberies than any other place in the nation.

According to an analysis by the Oakland Tribune, one in every 91 residents was the victim of a robbery last year. "That not only was the city's highest robbery rate in two decades, it was the highest of any major American city since 2000," the newspaper's report read.

Oakland's rate is 36 percent higher than America's second most robbery-plagued city, Cleveland, and double that of nearby Richmond. Local police say a demand for black market cellphones has fueled the trend.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan called the situation "completely unacceptable" and is seeking more police to address the issue. But many locals don't think officers are the answer. "The police we have aren't getting these robbers off the streets," Oakland Local noted.

The news of Oakland's troubling robbery rate broke during a particularly tumultuous week for the city's police department. Last Wednesday, Police Chief Howard Jordan abruptly resigned, and just two days later, the interim officer tapped to fill his shoes also stepped down.

Meanwhile, a disturbing report uncovered staggering inefficiencies within the department, including one part-time investigator assigned to handle 10,000 burglaries over the course of a year.

In addition to its soaring robberies, Oakland was recently ranked America's seventh deadliest city, with 33.1 murders for every 100,000 citizens in 2012. A 2011 study deemed it the fourth most dangerous city in the country and the most dangerous city in California.