5
0

San Francisco's shoplifting epidemic gets out of control


 invite response                
2021 May 21, 10:05am   3,757 views  105 comments

by Eric Holder   ➕follow (5)   💰tip   ignore  

Soon after moving to San Francisco in 2016, I walked into a Walgreens in North Beach to buy an electric toothbrush.

As I was paying for it, a man walked into the store, grabbed a handful of beef jerky and walked out. I looked over at an employee, who shrugged. Then I went to Safeway next door for some groceries and I saw a man stuffing three bottles of wine into a backpack and walking casually toward the exit. On his way out he bagged some snacks. I asked the Safeway clerk about the thefts.

“I’m new to San Francisco,” I said. “Is it optional to pay for things here?”

Five years later, the shoplifting epidemic in San Francisco has only worsened.

At a board of supervisors hearing last week, representatives from Walgreens said that thefts at its stores in San Francisco were four times the chain’s national average, and that it had closed 17 stores, largely because the scale of thefts had made business untenable.

Brendan Dugan, the director of the retail crime division at CVS Health, called San Francisco “one of the epicenters of organized retail crime” and said employees were instructed not to pursue suspected thieves because encounters had become too dangerous.

“We’ve had incidents where our security officers are assaulted on a pretty regular basis in San Francisco,” Dugan said.

The retail executives and police officers emphasized the role of organized crime in the thefts. And they told the supervisors that Proposition 47, the 2014 ballot measure that reclassified nonviolent thefts as misdemeanors if the stolen goods are worth less than $950, had emboldened thieves.

“The one trend we are seeing is more violence and escalating — and much more bold,” said Commander Raj Vaswani, the head of the investigations bureau at the San Francisco Police Department. “We see a lot of repeat offenders.”

San Francisco has suffered in a variety of ways during the pandemic. The city has had twice as many fatal drug overdoses as coronavirus deaths. Tents of legions of homeless people lined sidewalks during the lockdowns. But the hearing last week focused on something much more prosaic: One of the richest cities in America is struggling with sticky fingers.



https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/San-Francisco-s-Shoplifting-Surge-16193767.php

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Comments 1 - 40 of 105       Last »     Search these comments

1   Eric Holder   2021 May 21, 10:07am  

Stupid libby fuck pretends it's a mystery:

The hearing did not answer a crucial question: Why San Francisco? If the problem stems in part from a change in California law, why aren’t other cities in the state seeing similar spikes in shoplifting?


It's because the policies you support attract the worst human garbage, you moron.
2   Misc   2021 May 21, 11:45am  

Maybe the Deplorables should strike back and start dining at the French Laundry, and simply not pay.

Most people can't consume $950 worth of food and wine, however overpriced.

Once the elites places of business start folding up, they will change things.
3   Ceffer   2021 May 21, 11:51am  

"Maybe the Deplorables should strike back and start dining at the French Laundry, and simply not pay."

I wonder if that was the place billionaire in laws took my dirt poor girl friend and me years ago in the day in San Francisco because I was related to my sister. No price menus etc. I didn't 'get it', and my brother in law's brother made a pass at my girl friend.
4   Misc   2021 May 21, 11:54am  

It was also the place Newsom dined just before forbidding the peasants from eating out.
5   Eric Holder   2021 May 21, 12:21pm  

Misc says
It was also the place Newsom dined just before forbidding the peasants from eating out.


Just after, actually.
6   Patrick   2021 May 21, 1:03pm  

I used to have coffee at a cafe on Market Street and 3rd in SF each morning before work. I would sit at a table and watch the homeless walk in, rifle through the wrapped sandwiches, pick one, and walk out.

They are out of business now of course.
7   Ceffer   2021 May 21, 1:14pm  

True. $950 pilferage per day per homeless creep finishes off the destruction of businesses that Covid began.
8   RWSGFY   2021 May 21, 1:16pm  

Patrick says
I used to have coffee at a cafe on Market Street and 3rd in SF each morning before work. I would sit at a table and watch the homeless walk in, rifle through the wrapped sandwiches, pick one, and walk out.

They are out of business now of course.


I watched a bum walk out of Super Duper Burger joint with a huge jar of pickles. Not a single person, including employees, batted an eye.
9   EBGuy   2021 May 21, 1:33pm  

What's hilarious is that, of course, the local media plays a role as well. Look at the title of this article:
'Out of control': Organized crime drives S.F. shoplifting, closing 17 Walgreens in five years
Professional shoplifters can work the system by stealing items under the threshold from one store and hitting several retailers in the same day. To prosecute, the district attorney has pursued aggregated charges for multiple petty theft incidents by the same person, such as a recent case of stolen scooters. Police said a person could also be charged with possession of stolen property worth more than $950.
Like the problem is the mafia...
10   Booger   2021 May 21, 1:47pm  

You could make a nice living stealing just under $950 per trip and selling on eBay.
11   Eric Holder   2021 May 21, 2:00pm  

HunterTits says
EBGuy says
Police said a person could also be charged with possession of stolen property worth more than $950.


But that is much more difficult to prove because they have to a) be able to identify who the perps are, b) find where they live and c) hope the stolen shit is still there when they do show up with their warrant.

They might be able to trace their sales on eBay and nail them. But they still have to prove that the shit they sold on eBay was the same shit that was stolen.


Chesa won't prosecute even if they do. So they don't bother.
12   Ceffer   2021 May 21, 2:17pm  

The 'homeless' son of a neighbor in Santa Cruz (wasn't really homeless as long as she was alive, gave him a room, but all of his 'friends' were homeless) ran the scales. He did a bicycle chop shop, and for a while 'pizza delivery' aka distributing drugs. I haven't seen too much of the pizza delivery stuff any more, I guess the homeless bike guys musta stolen too much of the inventory. It seems the flower vendors are the current cartel distributors.

I haven't heard much yet in Santa Cruz about the $950/day homeless theft subsidy, but I am sure it must be happening.
13   Patrick   2021 May 21, 5:04pm  

Eric Holder says
Chesa won't prosecute even if they do.


It seems like a flaw in the system that the prosecutor can simply ignore crime.
14   Patrick   2021 May 21, 5:30pm  

https://www.theepochtimes.com/crime-ridden-sf-streets-prompts-recall-of-d-a-chesa-boudin-richie-greenberg_3824409.html?utm_source=patrick.net&utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net

It’s recall fever in California, as yet another elected official is on the chopping block. This time, it’s San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin who’s up for recall.


It's a nice thought, but San Franciscans are hopeless, imho.
15   RWSGFY   2021 May 21, 8:52pm  

Patrick says
https://www.theepochtimes.com/crime-ridden-sf-streets-prompts-recall-of-d-a-chesa-boudin-richie-greenberg_3824409.html?utm_source=patrick.net&utm_medium=patrick.net&utm_campaign=patrick.net

It’s recall fever in California, as yet another elected official is on the chopping block. This time, it’s San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin who’s up for recall.


It's a nice thought, but San Franciscans are hopeless, imho.


Sign early, sign often!
16   FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden   2021 May 21, 9:27pm  

950 a day... damn that’s close to 30k a month pure profit. I’m in wrong business.
17   Onvacation   2021 Jun 14, 9:58pm  

Shelfs are getting bare
18   Onvacation   2021 Jun 14, 10:00pm  

He had to bring his bike inside or someone would have stolen it.
19   Patrick   2021 Jun 14, 10:04pm  

This is how San Francisco becomes Detroit.
20   mell   2021 Jun 14, 10:06pm  

Onvacation says
He had to bring his bike inside or someone would have stolen it.


Never left my bike anywhere outside in SF and didnt spend more than $500 on it. Some friends had their nicer bikes stolen 2-3 times a year on avg.
21   HeadSet   2021 Jun 15, 7:11am  

mell says
Onvacation says
He had to bring his bike inside or someone would have stolen it.


Never left my bike anywhere outside in SF and didnt spend more than $500 on it. Some friends had their nicer bikes stolen 2-3 times a year on avg.

Must be a luxury here. I ride my bike pretty much anywhere and never even lock it. Not stolen yet. Same for the other people I know that ride.
22   RC2006   2021 Jun 15, 7:17am  

HeadSet says
Must be a luxury here. I ride my bike pretty much anywhere and never even lock it. Not stolen yet. Same for the other people I know that ride.


Same here, at my kids school not one bike lock and half the kids ride their bike to school. Even when I was a kid in CA every bike had a lock.
23   FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden   2021 Jun 15, 8:05am  

Defund the police, black lives matter, celebrate gay pride, love wins.... results amazing!
24   FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden   2021 Jun 15, 8:28am  

Patrick says
This is how San Francisco becomes Detroit.


Happening in LA too. Takes a while for people here to fucking realize there are real problems that need solutions and not superficial offended posturing. I do feel like CA deserves this.
25   RC2006   2021 Jun 15, 8:43am  

Fortwaynemobile says
Patrick says
This is how San Francisco becomes Detroit.


Happening in LA too. Takes a while for people here to fucking realize there are real problems that need solutions and not superficial offended posturing. I do feel like CA deserves this.


It's out of control now that Gascon is DA

This is in my old city, it's crazy.

https://scvnews.com/district-attorney-case-rejections-on-the-rise/

26   mell   2021 Jun 15, 9:46am  

Also one of the reasons why I started fighting every single traffic ticket tooth and nail - when you realize the people you pay with your taxpayer money are not working for you but against you, you should not give an inch. Had pretty good results, too, got 50% thrown out on avg. It's low effort for big returns, and even in those cases where it goes all the way to court, after dragging it out as much as possible, by the time you get your court date the point(s) are already half way there to be taken off again. People should do this out of principle, as long as thugs can loot and burn your property and shoplift without repercussions you should withhold any payments as long as possible and make them work to get it if they can. Maybe businesses will stop paying taxes in SF soon like they are withholding now in Baltimore.
27   zzyzzx   2021 Jun 15, 9:58am  

I can't wait for Baltimore City to do this so I can do all my shopping for free!
28   Eric Holder   2021 Jun 15, 10:11am  

zzyzzx says
I can't wait for Baltimore City to do this so I can do all my shopping for free!


Fly out to SF for a week and go on "shopping spree". More than pays for the tickets, hotel room and rental car.
29   mell   2021 Jun 15, 10:22am  

Eric Holder says
zzyzzx says
I can't wait for Baltimore City to do this so I can do all my shopping for free!


Fly out to SF for a week and go on "shopping spree". More than pays for the tickets, hotel room and rental car.


You could actually do that if you have the ballz. Maybe wait til you see a brotha clearing out the aisles, then just partner up with a trash-bag and keep loading up for yourself. There's plenty for everyone ;)
30   Eric Holder   2021 Jun 15, 11:00am  

mell says
You could actually do that if you have the ballz.


My elderly neighbor hasn't paid for a BART ticket for more than a decade. She just walks in and out through the emergency exit. Her reasoning? If brothas are allowed to ride free, why not her? And every East Bay homeowner already pays for BART as a line item on their property tax bill.
32   GNL   2021 Jun 15, 6:16pm  

Fortwaynemobile says
Patrick says
This is how San Francisco becomes Detroit.


Happening in LA too. Takes a while for people here to fucking realize there are real problems that need solutions and not superficial offended posturing. I do feel like CA deserves this.

Without a doubt.
33   Booger   2021 Jun 16, 4:02pm  

Misc says
Most people can't consume $950 worth of food and wine, however overpriced.


They are stealing the stuff that is easiest to sell.
34   Robert Sproul   2021 Jun 16, 4:39pm  

Eric Holder says
My elderly neighbor hasn't paid for a BART ticket for more than a decade. She just walks in and out through the emergency exit.

I think this is what happens as civic values degrade. Resentment grows as people think "why the hell should I pay when all these schmoes are not"? The elites pay no taxes and at the bottom they have a shoplifting free-for-all. The middle will eventually learn to join them.
35   SunnyvaleCA   2021 Jun 16, 4:59pm  

Ceffer says
I wonder if [French Laundry restaurant] was the place billionaire in laws took my dirt poor girl friend and me years ago in the day in San Francisco

That place is in Yountville, CA, which is a good 90 minute drive north from San Francisco. So, if you weren't out in beautiful rural wine country, I'd say that would be a "no."
36   SunnyvaleCA   2021 Jun 16, 5:00pm  

Booger says
You could make a nice living stealing just under $950 per trip and selling on eBay.

Ironically, the buyer on eBay will be arrested for possession of stolen property. The $950 limit only refers to the original robber.
37   SunnyvaleCA   2021 Jun 16, 5:04pm  

I'm sure that the next time "community organizers" complain about the food desert, some clever investigative team at NYT or WaPo will link it to the $950 limit causing all the stores to go out of business. .... nope!
38   Ceffer   2021 Jun 16, 5:09pm  

SunnyvaleCA says
Ironically, the buyer on eBay will be arrested for possession of stolen property. The $950 limit only refers to the original robber.

Darn. I thought it was transferable non-title.
39   Eric Holder   2021 Jun 16, 5:10pm  

SunnyvaleCA says
Booger says
You could make a nice living stealing just under $950 per trip and selling on eBay.

Ironically, the buyer on eBay will be arrested for possession of stolen property. The $950 limit only refers to the original robber.


Who's gonna prosecute?
40   FortwayeAsFuckJoeBiden   2021 Jun 16, 8:09pm  

Really tempted to go do all my equity shopping in SF now.

Comments 1 - 40 of 105       Last »     Search these comments

Please register to comment:

api   best comments   contact   latest images   memes   one year ago   random   suggestions