BROKEN WINDOW THEORY DISCREDITED AS AN INSTRUMENT OF PRIVILEGE! IS IT YOUR PRIORITY TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS, OR TO STIGMATIZE! HAVE YOU EVEN TRIED TO CONTACT THE OWNER?

I'd be glad to if I knew who they were. Any info? I'll make a call. Or do u just want to pick an Internet fight?

City of Oakland Public Works Department referred this issue to CODE ENFORCEMENT, service request # 560461.Please contact that department to follow-up, see “Other Helpful Links” at:
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PWA/Connect/ReportaProblem/index.htm#Links.

Here are some important City of Oakland contact points:

Abandoned Autos: (510) 777-8622 (abandoned vehicles on the public street after 3 days)

Animal Control (510) 535-5602 (live animals); (510) 535-4888 (dead animals)

Code Enforcement: (510) 238-3381 (blighted private properties, deteriorated buildings, inoperable vehicles on private property)

Drug Hotline: (510) 238-3784 (tips); (510) 777-3211 (in progress)

Parking Citations (800) 500-6484 (parking citation assistance center, pay or appeal a citation); (510) 238-3099 (enforcement)

Prostitution Hotline: (510) 238-2373 (tips); (510) 777-3211 (in progress)

Thank you.

P.S. I live in this neighborhood and the graffiti has increased significantly over the last few month, because it's not being addressed regularly. If that's not the broken window theory at work, I don't know what is. If you'd like to meet in person to discuss, let me know. I'm in the neighborhood and I'm only looking to improve things.

Sorry for the all-caps response; I hope you appreciate the gentle ribbing (mimicking your own presentation) that was thereby intended. I'm currently dealing with a similar situation elsewhere, where I haven't yet fully investigated the ownership issue -- whether that info can be found online (or whether it requires a visit to the County Clerk's office. I'll gladly update you on that question if you wish, and would appreciate if you'd do the same.

I'm not looking to pick an internet fight, but some philosophical differences are clearly involved here. You evidently believe that the homeless are subhuman and should be made to disappear (either by exterminating or incarcerating them, or by having their lives managed by a social-service bureaucracy), and that drug users belong in jail. (How about placing garbage and recycling bins, or even syringe-disposal receptacles, where the homeless congregate?)

Your immediate response to the graffiti here is, again, that it's a policing issue -- as if, once again, it's beneath you to engage personally with (or acknowledge the full-fledged humanity of) the human beings involved.

I'm a homeowner in the area, and am indeed concerned with both the value of my property and the quality of my life. Nonetheless, Oakland is a complicated place where people have a diverse range of norms. The goal ought to be to enable all of us to coexist, and to eliminate those conditions that are truly offensive, rather than to pick fights and attempt to eliminate each other.

Whoa! "Subhuman?" talk about words being put in my mouth. I never even remotely hinted at that. Of course they're not subhuman. They also can't live under 880, doing drugs, with human excrement everywhere, and starting fires whose smoke pours into local homes (my best friend lives on Webster and this happens). There's got to be a middle ground solution. I've contacted property owners before about graffiti (place next to DelMonte meat for example). Sadly, many don't act minus a summons - hence SCF. Be glad to discuss more in person. Out of town Mon-Thu, back Fri.

PS: I own a condo at 8 Orchids, 7th & Broadway. The "similar situation" that concerns me is eliminating the graffiti on the adjacent building that abuts the Salvation Army parking lot. As for ownership issues, here's what I've found on a quick lookup. If I go to the Assessor's Office to look up the owner there, I'll look up the owner of the property that concerns you, too (and will add it in a subsequent comment), if you'll provide the address here.

Alameda County Property Ownership Information

Ownership information is available free of charge by visiting our public records section during normal business hours. Public records are located in the County Administration Building, 1221 Oak Street, Room 245, Oakland. Directions to our office

Ownership information for a limited number of parcels may be obtained by calling (510) 272-3787. Property ownership is also available in writing for a fee. Please call (510) 272-3787 for further information.

We are often asked why ownership information is not posted on our website since property ownership is part of the assessment roll which by law is a public document. With the introduction of the Internet, government is faced with the issue of balancing public information requirements with the privacy rights of individuals. The Assessor is legally prohibited from posting the home address of any elected or appointed official, including safety officers and retired officials, on the Internet. As the cost and effort to continuously update this information is prohibitive, we do not display the names of any property owner on our website.

PPS: There may indeed be other solutions to the smoke, garbage, drug, and excrement issues. (Ever heard of porta-potties?) How far are you willing to go in finding "middle ground"?

According to Assessor's records (checked 6-8 months ago) owner of the building with the graffiti is "Fourth & Franklin LLC" which has a PO Box in Lafayette, CA. Might check with tenants to get a name and contact information for the owner or property manager.

Owner of the adjacent parking lot is Caltrans, which leases it to someone with a phone number on a sign on the fence.

One of JLID's early promises was to identify and make contact with absentee property owners about graffiti problems like this. Because everything is on private (& state) property, finding solutions may be challenging if owner and/or tenants are not cooperative. But someone should try!

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