Alameda police warn of a spike in car break-ins, burglaries, and vandalism

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- While overall crime reports in Alameda dropped by approximately 9% between 2023 and 2024, the city is currently facing spikes in property crimes.

A spate of break-ins and vandalism incidents in Alameda has police asking people to be aware.

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"They got in, couldn't find cash, rummaged through, and then they left," said Leena Lim, the owner of Malaya Tea Room, which is one of nine businesses hit last week.

"I don't know, people are just getting out of control. I don't know what they're looking for because small businesses nowadays, everyone knows we don't keep cash."

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Surveillance video shows the moment thieves broke into one of the other businesses, Doodlecakes. The owners of the bakery say just $10 was taken from the tip jar, but replacing the windows and potentially missing out on business hours does cost.

And it's not just these break-ins that are raising concerns. Alamada police warned on Wednesday that vandalism incidents are up, with vehicles being a target.

"We went from 16 in a two-week period to 21 in a two-week period," said Alameda Police Captain Alan Kuboyama. "It's a very small change, and it might be a very low-level type of crime, but to us it's important to address all types of crime."

Police say the vandalism incidents aren't specific to one area; they are spread throughout the city.

"We have a lot more officers who are allocated to the streets. We have also increased the number of traffic officers to help with our visibility," said Captain Kuboyama.

Police were able to make arrests in the spate of break-ins last week. They say evidence collected at several of the crime scenes linked back to the same car, which they tracked down within hours, along with several suspects.