Oakland police chief: homicides and shootings lowest since the 1960s

Oakland Police Chief James Beere said Thursday that homicides and shootings in the city are at their lowest levels since the 1960s, KTVU reported.

Why it matters: For decades, Oakland had one of the highest homicide rates in the country. The decline continues a trend the city saw in 2025.

What the chief said

Speaking at the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, Beere said: "This is the lowest amount of homicides and shootings that we've seen since the '60s."

He also said rapes, robberies and burglaries are down by double digits. He credited license plate readers, the return of the Ceasefire violence-reduction strategy, regional cooperation against crime groups that cross city lines, and closer work with the District Attorney's Office.

Beere did not release new year-to-date numbers in the KTVU report. His statement is the department's assessment, not an independent audit.

The 2025 baseline

Oakland had 57 killings in 2025, its fewest since 1967, according to a San Francisco Chronicle analysis. City data counted 67 homicides in 2025, including 57 classified as murder, compared with 82 in 2024 and 125 in 2023, KTVU reported in January.

Sources: KTVU (Oct. 23, 2026); KTVU (2025 crime statistics); San Francisco Chronicle.