KPIX News CBS Bay Area-Oakland's Violence, Crime Rates Dropping Joe Griffin Interviewed
Oakland Is Seeing Real Progress in Public Safety—Let’s Keep Going
Oakland is making strides—and the numbers prove it.
In a powerful recent interview on KPIX | CBS San Francisco/Bay Area, our Executive Director Joseph Griffin, DrPH, joined reporter Lauren Toms to reflect on a hopeful trend: violent crime is down 29% in the first half of 2025, and homicides have dropped by 21%. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a shift with life-saving implications.
“It’s the Start of Something”
During the interview, Dr. Griffin made it clear:
“We need to invest in finding out what’s working — a united effort. It’s the start of something. For folks who live in #Oakland and want to change the narrative, not only does it show that we want public safety, but we’re working on it. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. What we’re doing is saving lives, so let’s stick with it.”
At Youth ALIVE!, we’ve long believed that public safety is public health—and this progress is the result of years of community-driven, trauma-informed work. We’re seeing what happens when government, community, and frontline leaders unite around healing and prevention.