Police in Oakland rounded up dozens of abandoned vehicles following feedback the department got in August during National Night Out, the department said Tuesday.

Officers received complaints about urban blight and launched a sweep of East Oakland, collecting 60 abandoned and stolen vehicles, police said.

Beginning Monday, tow operations were carried out in the 300 and 1400 blocks of 105th Avenue, the 1300 block of 104th Avenue, the 1300 block of 102nd Avenue and the 600 block of Hegenberger Road.

Police said the vehicles were linked to violent crime, narcotics activity and the dismantling of unregistered cars left on public streets.

In total, 41 abandoned vehicles were towed, two stolen vehicles were recovered, and more than 20 additional vehicles were tagged for towing, the department said.

“Several residents shared that, for the first time in months, they were able to park in front of their homes after the vehicles were removed,” OPD said.

To report abandoned vehicles in Oakland, email the city or call 510-777-8538.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.