"For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.”  Romans 13:4(a) (ESV).

My name is Abraham Hamilton, III and this is The Hamilton Minute.

Robbers held up a television crew at gunpoint during a live interview with, Guillermo Cespedes, the director of violence prevention in Oakland.

This attempted armed robbery, in broad daylight, typifies the current crime surge in Oakland including a 70% spike in shootings and an 88% spike in car-jackings.

Amidst this crime surge, the Oakland City Council has voted to reduce the police department’s budget by $18.5 million. Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong says the the most vulnerable communities will bear the brunt of the cuts’ impact.