Burglaries targeting yachts and houseboats in the Oakland-Alameda Estuary have surged, prompting comparisons to the pirate movie "Captain Phillips."
The thieves not only steal valuable items but also sink the ships or discard the remnants of the plundered boats in the Oakland Harbor or along its shorelines. Dan Hill, a resident of the 800-foot waterway, estimates that each attack costs owners thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
The boating community, feeling the impact of these crimes, has discussed arming themselves due to jurisdictional questions and a decline in law enforcement staffing levels. The Alameda side of the estuary is a popular boating area in San Francisco Bay, known for its pleasant weather and beautiful surroundings. However, since the summer, the presence of homeless encampments in and around Oakland has disrupted the lives of residents.
Hill describes the situation, saying, "We're in this little lagoon area, where the water comes in. There's a condo complex, beautiful parks. We started to see homeless people camping out there. That's never happened before. That being said, these guys are finding old abandoned boats, stealing them, and anchoring out illegal boats. And they're taking dinghies and riding around and stealing stuff off people's boats."