San Francisco Drivers Fed Up With Broken Car Windows Fight Back With Polite Notes
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco is seeing a spike in car break-ins and some drivers are taking on a new strategy.
They're posting notes that say things like "nothing of value inside" or "nothing in the car, don't waste your time."
Another one says, "I have nothing inside my car. No need to break in. Have a nice day."
Car break-ins are up 70 percent in the city over the past three years. Window replacement companies say they are getting 100 new calls every single morning.
Ground zero for the big jump in auto break-ins is the hip South Of Market neighborhood, where the building boom has come with a crime spike.
"A lot more people working in the South of Market area. So there are a lot more cars," said Albie Esparza of SFPD.
Prosecutors say getting convictions on those crimes can be tough.
"You really have to be able to prove the case," said Alex Bastian of the District Attorney's Office. "As in someone saw the case, or circumstantial evidence where someone has broken into a car and still has glass on them."
