Shoplifting, vandalism, strong-arm robberies, burglaries, and other violent crimes are so out of control in Oakland that multiple corporations — Target, Taco Bell, Denny’s, In-N-Out — are fleeing and unlikely to return.
So it makes sense, in California’s unique way, that city officials are cracking down on a 102-year-old, wheelchair-bound resident who cannot clean the graffiti off his fence fast enough.
On Wednesday, KTVU reported that Oakland is hammering Victor Silva Sr., a city resident for the past 80 years, with a citation carrying an $1,100 fine if the graffiti on his property was not gone by last Tuesday.
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The citation also came with a $1,277 penalty for each time Silva’s property fails an inspection.
Silva told the outlet that he was a former contractor and had handled painting over the street art himself until he got too old to do it. The family, including Silva’s 70-year-old son, try to cover it as best they can.
“Just had a roller and a paintbrush and just painted it. It was very easy because I was a contractor, you know. I’ll be 103 in two months or so. That slowed it up a little bit, you know,” said Silva Sr.
However, their efforts to address the situation are often futile as new graffiti appears shortly after they cover it up.
“This constant cycle of graffiti removal has become a frustrating and time-consuming cycle for the Silva family. Silva Jr. notes that a large utility box up the street from his father’s home had six different types of graffiti painted on it.”
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“Silva Jr. expressed his frustration with the city, mentioning the family’s small business has been victim to three break-ins in the past year,” the report continued. “In one instance, he encountered an intruder inside the premises. Silva Jr. says that each time he dialed 911 for an emergency response, he was put on hold.”
Silva Jr. told the outlet, “So, it’s hard to understand where our tax dollars are going. They can’t answer 911, but they can come out and hassle you about the fence.”
“I would hate to think that there [are] other hundred-year-old people that are being harassed like this. Oakland has to change. The system is not working,” he added.
After the media spotlighted the Silvas’ situation, a city inspector said he would examine the graffiti soon and likely withdraw the elder Silva’s citation.
Local media reported earlier this year that the crime rate in Oakland surged 21% in 2023 compared to 2022. The situation was so dire that left-wing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom dispatched 120 California Highway Patrol troopers to Oakland to try to control the violence.
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