Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao is hosting the first of a series of town hall meetings on Friday.
According to the city, the meetings are meant for the community to express their concerns directly with the mayor regarding issues around the city.
Hector Batista, a business representative of Alley Piano Bar, said he hopes Thao takes this seriously.
“The only thing we can do at this point is just take more steps to protect ourselves and the business,” he said.
Last month, Alley Piano Bar was broken into, and suspects stole an ATM and cash register.
The town hall will be the first of five, where community members will also meet the city’s public safety leaders. The event, hosted at Beth Eden Baptist Church, is expected to draw in business owners and residents.
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Pamela Drake of the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club said the community needs to feel supported and reassured.
“People need to feel reassured,” she said. “They need to know what steps are being taken, [that] there are steps being taken.”
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But it’s something Batista said he’s not sure will happen.
“A lot of small businesses [are] skeptical,” he said. Adding he’s in the same boat “until I see results.”
The Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment.
