Crime Drives Oakland’s Top Employer to Tell Workers to Stay in Offices for Lunch

Citing crime and robberies of workers, Kaiser Permanente directed its employees at its downtown Oakland headquarters to stay in their buildings for lunch. Kaiser is the fourth-largest healthcare provider in the United States and the largest private employer in Oakland. Earlier this month In-N-Out announced it would be shutting down its profitable Oakland location due to crime against customers and employees, in its first-ever closure. Crime in Oakland is rapidly on the rise, with violent crime up 21%, robbery up 38%, burglary up 23%, and motor vehicle theft up 45% in 2023 compared to 2022.