San Francisco: Crime and No Punishment

Crime was a major issue in last year’s midterm elections, but it wasn’t enough to bring about the red wave that many anticipated. However, it appears the situation is worsening, especially in cities run by Democrats.

San Francisco has had more than its share of crime as illegal activity has skyrocketed across the nation. This problem was on full display when two CNN reporters were robbed for the second time while delivering a report on the issue.

CNN Reporters Experience San Francisco’s Crime Problem

CNN’s Kyung Lah and Jason Kravarik, senior national correspondent and senior producer respectively, were robbed in San Francisco while covering a story on crime in the city. Lah expressed frustration on Twitter after their car was looted while they were inside City Hall. Lah tweeted: “Got robbed. Again.”

She and Kravarik had hired personal security to guard their rental car and crew car. However, the suspects managed to steal their possessions within four seconds. Their security guard tried to catch the criminals, but he only managed to capture a photo of their getaway car. Lah warned tourists that hiring security is not enough to keep their possessions safe in San Francisco. Kravarik tweeted that the criminals in San Francisco are “on another level.”

Lah’s bag was eventually recovered, but her identification and passport were gone. She noted that crime is so rampant in San Francisco that even Southwest Airlines employees are “very used to” flyers having their IDs stolen. Last March, a TV news reporter also was robbed at gunpoint while covering a story on robberies in San Francisco.

Criminals in San Francisco have gone so far as to target photographers doing engagement photoshoots, stealing their equipment outside the Palace of Fine Arts. Several Walgreens locations in San Francisco have shut down due to “organized retail crime,” also known as “smash and grab” operations.

Lah described San Francisco as a “beautiful city” but advised tourists that their belongings are not safe. “But if you do visit this city, know that even with hired security watching your car, it is not enough,” she cautioned.

Impact of Crime on San Francisco’s Small Businesses

Small businesses in San Francisco are facing repeated vandalism and break-ins, leading some merchants to question if it’s even feasible to remain in the city. Several business owners told reporters how the crime wave is affecting their ability to operate.

Josie Li, owner of La Boutique salon on Polk Street, told KPIX that she has been robbed four times in one year. She estimates that the losses and repairs have totaled upward of $40,000. Li said that her insurance claims have become so frequent she worries her carrier might start to question whether they’re legitimate.

Each time, thieves have pilfered electronics, cash, and beauty products, and Li’s mailbox has been repeatedly pried open. “It’s been shocking, but also not only traumatic but just surprising in one of the greatest, expensive cities you would think that it would be able to sustain the business,” Li said.

In January, the salon’s cell phone was stolen. Tracking technology showed it was about half a mile away near Van Ness and Geary. “When the police arrived, it was already a couple of hours after I found the incident and by then the phone was already turned off,” she said. Like many small business owners in San Francisco, Li is struggling to entice customers to patronize her establishment.

According to SFPD crime data, burglaries in the Northern District, which includes Polk Gulch, have increased by more than 30% this year compared to the same period last year.

“This is almost a national joke at this point for our city and it’s like we are trying to bring it up, we’re making this place as lively as possible,” Li said. “We as business owners now have to be out here fending for ourselves, which is dangerous.”

Mayor London Breed recently introduced a $27 million budget supplement to ensure continued police presence and expand the hiring of community ambassadors in business areas. But so far, it has done nothing to curb the soaring crime taking place in the city. SFPD currently has a staffing shortage of 541 officers.

“The situation in The Mission is terrible,” lamented community leader Roberto Hernandez during an interview with CBS News. “It’s sad. I remember 21 years ago when I came to live here, and The Mission was so pretty, but now everything is ugly, sad, dirty. We don’t feel safe walking around here. Actually, we just park the car, eat and quickly jump into the car and leave,” Hernandez said.

Folks like Hernandez have declared a state of emergency and have a clear message for city leaders. “We as a community feel that we’re being neglected, totally, because why is it that in Union Square when they began to rob 5k dollars purses [at] Gucci, all of a sudden the City came in and cleaned the streets and got rid of all the elements and brought in security … how can’t they do that here. It’s pretty simple,” he said.

Who Is to Blame?

Throughout last year, Republicans and even some Democrats pointed the finger at soft-on-crime policies espoused by district attorneys, many of whom had their campaigns funded by ultra-left-wing billionaire George Soros. Many of these officials have allowed violent felons to be released on bail, only to further victimize their communities. They have also chosen not to prosecute certain crimes.

“Instead of prioritizing public safety, Soros’ prosecutors focus on social issues such as racial equity, economic inequality, and the rights of undocumented immigrants,” according to Pat Nolan in a piece for RealClearPolicy. “By misusing ‘prosecutorial discretion’ to selectively enforce laws, Soros DAs choose which crimes to charge (and not charge) based on how they fit into their woke worldview. And in doing so, they violate their oath of office to faithfully execute the laws. This is what they consider ‘criminal justice reform.’”

The article went on to report that voters have been rejecting Soros’ prosecutors and their radical criminal justice policies. “In the last few months, voters have thrown out two of Soros’s ‘reform prosecutors,’ Marilyn Mosby of Baltimore and Chesa Boudin of San Francisco,” Nolan wrote.

However, many like-minded prosecutors remain in their positions. Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon has survived two recall attempts so far. But residents of the city appear to be losing their patience. Americans continue to bear the brunt of the heightened crime rates occurring nationally. From 2019 to 2021, murders in San Francisco jumped by 37%. In New York, they increased by 53%, and in Philadelphia 58%.

The crime problem is unlikely to go away as long as law enforcement is stymied in efforts to apprehend criminals. When bad actors know they won’t be punished for their crimes, they have no reason to not continue their illegal activities. But nothing can be done until voters step up and repudiate officials who do not prioritize their safety.