Oakland business owner frustrated over continued Hegenberger corridor burglaries

An Oakland business owner is frustrated after seeing one of his businesses burglarized over the course of a few months.

Alan Liang’s burger joint on Hegenberger Road in Oakland is one of the last small businesses still operating in the corridor, but a recent robbery is pushing Liang over the edge.

“We small business owners are trying to survive. But, you know, it’s hard dealing with crimes, and it’s hard for us to stay open to conduct business,” Liang said.

Liang said three people barged into his restaurant, Hegenburger, early Monday morning and threatened his cook at gunpoint. The group demanded he empty the cash register and turn over all the money before heading out the front door.

Liang said he’s out hundreds of dollars.

“This is very consistent. You know, we see this on a daily basis. We see robberies, burglaries, we see carjacking on a daily basis,” Liang told CBS News Bay Area.

What happened to Liang’s burger restaurant isn’t an isolated incident. His collision shop and tow shop, located next door, have also been hit within the year.

“We had a car stolen from the towing company out of our impound lots. And then two weeks ago, someone came to the body shop to steal a customer’s vehicle,” Liang said.

 The Hegenberger corridor is a hotspot for criminal activity-especially theft. The weekend before Liang’s business was robbed, the gas station across the street was burglarized. During the summer, police responded to string of 16 burglaries near Hegenberger and Collins Drive.

Ken Houston, the councilman-elect for district 7, said the near-constant crime is killing a vital part of Oakland’s economic integrity.

“This area has deteriorated. It has deteriorated because of leadership, and it’s been forgotten. But they forget that we have the international airport,” Houston said. “Here, we have the auto dealerships. Here we have Amtrak. This is an economic engine.”

Houston said small businesses can’t survive in the Hegenberger corridor’s current climate and need decisive action to ensure that small businesses like Liang’s survive.

“We have to bring back the healthy fear and respect. I continue to say, healthy fear and respect of what? Of law enforcement,” Houston said.

Meanwhile, Liang doesn’t know if he’ll be able to stay in the area. His hope is that a new administration might bring about change.