KTVU is latest Oakland crime victim

Jan 11, 2013 - 0 Comments

Jan. 11, 2013 SFGate

The media have fallen victim to crime in Oakland once again.

A KTVU-TV camera operator left her news van on the 3300 block of Market Street in West Oakland shortly before noon Thursday to cover a mural unveiling — and when she did, thieves made off with two laptops worth a couple thousand each, cables, equipment and her purse.

A few hours later, someone called the Oakland station to report finding the stolen loot — minus the woman’s wallet and laptops — discarded on the street several blocks away.

The incident is the latest in a rash of break-ins of news vehicles and armed robberies of members of the news media in Oakland, often in broad daylight.

All the Bay Area’s major television outlets have fallen victim to either auto burglars or robbers. TV cameras are worth as much as $60,000 apiece, and tripods are about $7,000. There’s speculation among reporters that the gear is being sold on the black market.

It’s gotten so bad that at least a couple of stations have hired armed security guards to accompany news crews when they do stories in the city.

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