Thieves steal computers from Oakland Boys and Girls Club

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Boys and Girls Club of Oakland is dealing with a major setback after thousands of dollars’ worth of technology was stolen from them in a burglary on Wednesday. The organization said it relied on the stolen computers for the kids' development and playtime.

The staff at the Boys and Girls Club located on International Boulevard said the kids already have a laundry list of obstacles. For many of them, the tech lab is their only access to a computer outside of school, and this break-in hurts the non-profit’s ability to serve East Oakland youth. 

In the 70 years the Boys and Girls Club has been open on International, staff said this is the biggest setback they’ve ever experienced.

The staff said an alarm went off at around 8 a.m., and Bay Alarm alerted the police two minutes later, but police did not respond.

Later in the afternoon, when branch manager Darnell McCollouch arrived at the facility, he said he found eight computers, three TVs, a laptop, a PlayStation set, video games and $700 worth of Halloween candy for a party – swiped.

"They came in, I think they quickly took what they can and left without doing too much serious damage," said McCollouch.

McCollouch said they called police at around 1 p.m., who came to take a report about an hour later.

He said the thieves came in from the back of the building. "These things are heavy, you really had to have some strength to get these off," he said while showing KTVU the back gate that had been damaged.

It took more than a year to raise the money for the computer lab and in less than a year, everything was stolen. 

"I just played games and did art on the computers," said club member Yesir, 9. 

The three locations for the Boys and Girls Club in Oakland operate a safe haven for the community, keeping hundreds of kids away from the dangers on the streets.

Staff said between 30 and 40 kids come through the club on International each day. That number doubles in the summer.

"The impact goes more than just taking away computers and candy and smart phones, it’s robbing them of their sense of safety, personal safety," said the club’s SMART Moves Director Kristy Lively, who creates prevention and education programs for the members. 

McCollouch said it was difficult to see the kids’ faces after they realized the computers were taken. "This was a bummer because they were really upset when this closed down."

"I really almost cried when I got home," said club member Malai, 9.

Despite the loss, the staff kept smiles on their faces with a Halloween party. McCollouch said the candy that was stolen was replaced by family donations.

Now, the non-profit is asking for the community’s help to get new tech equipment and make repairs to the fence and locks.

The organization is also working on ways to increase security.  

It’s raising $15,000 in a campaign on GoFundMe.