Quan's 'wrong note' on lock-picking class ON THE EAST BAY

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan gave the state of the city speech at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan gave the state of the city speech at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Quan's 'wrong note' on lock-picking class 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

In her State of the City speech Wednesday night, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan mentioned that violent crime was not the city's only problem - and she is correct. Burglaries of cars, homes and businesses skyrocketed from 8,797 in 2011 to 12,549 in 2012.

That's an average of 34 burglaries a day - or one every 42 minutes.

So, Oakland resident Noah Garber was plumb flabbergasted when he saw what Quan's weekly newsletter was advertising this weekend: a class on how to pick locks.

"For reasons that cannot be explained, and defy logic, there is a class this weekend on lock picking," Garber wrote in an e-mail. "Given the uncontrollable crime in Oakland, we are beyond ourselves that Oakland can advertise an event on lock-picking. It's akin to teaching a class on making IEDs in Iraq."

The link from Quan's newsletter takes readers to the details of the "Introduction to Lockpicking" class: "Have you always wanted to know how to pick a lock? In many cases, opening a lock without a key is easier than you think!" The class costs $40 and is open to ages 10 to 101.

Students are told to bring their lock-picking tools - and that if they don't have any, they can buy some from the teacher to take with them when they leave. The online brochure shows photos of a person picking a dead bolt and a table full of different kinds of locks - including a few handcuffs.

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan was not pleased.

"I'm in shock that people would provide a class to teach people a skill to violate the law," Jordan said. "It's unconscionable."

Lock-pick instructor Michael Fitzhugh is a member of TOOOL (The Open Organisation of Lockpickers), a Dutch outfit that teaches and holds national and international lock-picking events annually. In their world, lock picking is done for sport and bragging rights. But, he says, it's also a useful tool if you lock yourself out of your home.

Jordan has a more conventional solution to that problem: "Call a locksmith!"

Fitzhugh, who has no need for a locksmith, said that on only one occasion has he had to dismiss a student whose reasons for taking the class sounded a bit suspicious.

"I once asked someone to leave because he was asking about how to pick a door lock for a particular kind of lock," Fitzhugh said. "He was an activist who wanted to learn how to break into foreclosed and abandoned homes. I told him we're not a political group and don't support breaking and entering."

It is unlikely that the 20 people who signed up for the Saturday class in Oakland are taking it to enhance their professional skills, but it's hard to envision lock picking as something that qualifies as a quiet family-night activity.

"We're out to teach people a hobby skill they can enjoy at home or without a group," Fitzhugh said.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've never been so bored at home, or with friends, that I considered picking a front-door lock to pass the time.

And considering the variety of offerings at the weekend workshop, which include the fundamentals of drawing, making ice cream and using Adobe photo shop, lock picking doesn't fit.

Ironically, the same newsletter advises Oakland residents to fight back against burglaries by locking their doors.

By midday Wednesday, Quan issued a statement apologizing for what she described as an oversight in the newsletter, which is sent via e-mail to thousands of subscribers.

"I've heard from people who are upset about the lock-picking-class item. I understand their reaction, and I apologize. The class is part of a do-it-yourself, garage-science sort of event, and those are popular in our creative community, but it strikes the wrong note when we're doing everything we can to bring down crime," Quan said.

In Oakland, people are justifiably jumpy about crime, and when the mayor "strikes the wrong note," everybody in town winces.