NEWS WITH SARA DONCHEY ON CBS NEWS BAY AREA . >> HELLO, I AM SARA DONCHEY. IMAGINE LIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOO THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS, FILLED WITH BURNED-OUT AND ABANDONED CARS, MANY OF THEM STOLEN. THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN PARTS O OAKLAND AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WAN TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SOME ARE AFRAID OF RETALIATION JUST FOR TRYING TO CLEAN UP THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. JULIETTE GOODRIC IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT. SHE TALKED WITH A MAN WHO IS SO UPSET THAT HE SAID HE IS GOING TO FIX THIS HIMSELF. >> WE DID VISIT PARTS OF OAKLAN THAT LOOKED LIKE A LITERAL JUNKYARD WHEN YOU WALKED UP AND DOWN. THIS WAS ALONG THE RAILROAD. THEY TELL ME THEY JUS STARTED A NEW PROGRAM TO CLEAN UP THE MESS, BUT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME. >> IT IS GETTING WORSE BY THE DAY. YOU CAN TALK TO SOME OF TH NEIGHBORS. THIS IS JUST ONE SECTION. LOOK AT THIS! >> Reporter: KEN HOUSTON WALKS US THROUGH PARTS OF OAKLAND AND SAYS THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF THE ABANDONED CARS AND ILLEGAL DUMPING HE SEES ON A DAILY BASIS. HE SAYS IT IS ON THE RISE. >> THIS IS A NEWER CAR! Z 71, THAT'S NEW! YOU HAVE THIS OVER HERE. THESE CARS HAVE NOT BEEN HERE, BUT LET ME TAKE YOU DOWN HERE, THESE CARS THAT ARE BURNE UP AND HAVE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS >> HE SAYS HE IS ALSO AWARE OF MAJOR ISSUE, NEIGHBORS WHO WORK IN FEAR. >> THE NEIGHBORS ARE HOSTAGE I THEIR OWN HOMES BECAUSE THEY AR SCARED TO REPORT IT BECAUSE OF RETALIATION. THIS YOUNG LADY DOWN HERE, A PERSON SAID IF YOU REPORT ME, I AM GOING TO BURN DOWN YOUR HOUSE WITH YOUR KIDS IN IT. DON'T GET MAD AT ME BECAUSE I RANG IT TWICE! >> Reporter: NEIGHBORS LIKE GABBY NAPOLI WHO HAVE LIVED HER FOR YEARS AND HAVE DEALT WITH THE BLIGHT RIGHT IN HER OWN FRONT YARD. >> IT IS PRETTY SAD. >> Reporter: SAD BECAUSE EVEN A SHE TRIES TO SECURE HER HOME SHE IS WORRIED ABOUT CARS BEING SET ON FIRE. >> THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW TIMES THAT IT HAPPENS THAT NIGH AND MY HOUSE WILL SHAKE AND WE THINK IT IS AN EARTHQUAKE AND I IS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON FIRE AND HAVE TO COME OUT HERE AND WATER DOWN MY HOUSE AND THE YARD. >> SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE START LIVING IN THEM. >> WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEAN THIS UP? >> UNION PACIFIC. THE RAILROAD. THIS IS THE RAILROAD'S RESPONSIBILITY. >> SO HOW DO YOU ALL WORK TOGETHER IF EVERYONE IS IN CHARGE OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS? >> WHEN WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE THI WAS ALL MOUNTAINS OF TRASH. >> IT IS DEPRESSING. IF YOU LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WOULDN'T YOU BE EMBARRASSED FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO COME BY? WE MIGHT BE. >> Reporter: THE CITY CANNOT TO A VEHICLE IF SOMEONE IS LIVING IN IT, BUT THEY CAN TELL A VEHICLE THAT HAS BEEN STOLEN AN STRIPPED AND LEFT ON THE STREET SHAWN L SMITH IS WITH THE VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT UNIT. >> YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY ACTUALLY STOLE ALL THE EMISSIONS OUT AND THAT IS HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR. >> Reporter: THE CITY LAUNCHED THE ENFORCEMENT UNIT TWO MONTHS AGO. TECHNICIANS ARE ASSIGNED T A SPECIFIC AREA TO FOCUS ON ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND TOE THE OUT. >> AND I HAD TACO BELL. >> Reporter: OFTEN TIMES IT IS NEIGHBORS REPORTING STOLEN OR ABANDONED VEHICLES. THIS UNIT HANDLES THOSE CALLS AND OPD NOW FOCUSES SOLELY ON PUBLIC SAFETY >> THERE ARE CASES WHERE WE SEE PEOPLE BUMPING CARS AND TRYING TO REACH OPD IMMEDIATELY AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL TAKE ONE DRIVER OFF THE STREET . BUT BASICALLY WE ARE JUST HERE FOR RECOVERY. IF I CAME BACK THREE OR FOUR DAYS LATER IT WOULD BE SOMEONE LIVING IN IT. THEN I CAN'T TAKE IT BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME SOMEONE'S HOME. >> Reporter: FOR KEN HOUSTON IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THEY DID CONTACT TH OWNER, SARAH, THEY WILL HAVE TO PICK IT UP AND CONTACT THE OWNER, YOU GET THE IDEA. >> HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO CALL? >> Reporter: THE
