Councilmember Has ‘Wallet and Keys’ Stolen As He Was Speaking With People About Crime

Emeryville councilmember Kalimah Priforce was addressing shopkeepers about the importance of public safety when he himself became the victim of a crime.

CBS News Bay Area reported that Priforce discovered his wallet and keys were stolen from his bike bag” after the interaction with local business owners in Emeryville.

“A lot of stores that can’t afford private guards need panic buttons, a direct line to the police, so they don’t have to actually pick up the phone [and] call the police dispatch,” he said.

Priforce’s unfortunate experience occurred at the Bay Street mall.

“The thing is, they’re not going to get much from it,” he said, humorously noting his “politician’s budget.”

Priforce conveyed to Fox KTVU the pressing need for the city to bolster its defenses for local businesses.

“Better prepared, better cameras, better surveillance, better ways of being able to protect our local businesses.”

He criticized the city’s priorities, stating, “Unfortunately, we place more emphasis on luxury-rate market apartments in our cities than we do on our public safety.”

Emeryville recently made headlines when “mobs of teens” compelled Bath & Body Works staff to seek refuge “in the stockroom,” as CBS News Bay Area reported. The situation escalated from “about 50 teens in one store” to an incident involving a gunshot and a stabbing.

Bath & Body Works manager Ashleigh Wells expressed her employees’ concerns and lamented the lack of communication from law enforcement.

“Whether it’s the law enforcement, whether it’s the law management, just any communication about what was going on would’ve been great,” Wells said. She further commented on the unprecedented nature of the event, saying, “We’ve never been in a situation that was like yesterday, ever.”

Emeryville Mayor John Bauters expressed gratitude to the local police department for their efforts. “Our ability to do this was made possible through the strong relationships our city and its law enforcement leaders share with our neighboring jurisdictions and partner agencies,” he shared in a statement to Fox News.