Oakland Mayor Under Fire For Lock-Picking Class Ad in Newsletter

Citizens outraged after ad for lockpicking class appears in mayor's newsletter

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan apologized after she promoted a lock-picking class in her office newsletter, The Associated Press reported.

The Oakland Tribune reported the class is intended for those who lose their keys, but with a 40 percent spike in burglaries last year, the reaction to the listing wasn't a positive one.

"Of all the incredibly unbelievable things I've witnessed in my life, this tops the list," resident Julie Mills said in an online letter to the mayor.

On Wednesday, Quan said more attention needs to be paid to what goes into the 20-page publication.

"I am ultimately responsible for what goes out," the mayor said in a statement. "And I and our editor will do a better job reviewing these listings in the future before sending them."

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