After repeated thefts, San Francisco Castro businesses call on city leaders to crack down
Business owners in San Francisco's Castro District gathered Tuesday, calling for city leaders to take action against thieves following repeated break-ins.
Claude Gratianne owns ZGO Perfumery on the corner of Castro and 19th. He says his shop has been the target of burglars four times, with the latest just over a week ago.
"They tried as hard as they could to get through but we have very strong glass," Gratianne told CBS News Bay Area.
Gratianne has done everything to protect his store, installing reinforced glass, security cameras and an alarm system.
He said this time the burglars weren't able to get in and police arrived just as they were speeding off.
"There was a police pursuit. They hit 90 miles an hour through town. It's a miracle that nobody was killed," he said.
Gratianne said he's not sure whether the suspects were arrested.
The entire experience has him exhausted. That's why he came to this community forum hosted by local business owners fed up with all the crime.
The room was packed with people, many sharing their own experiences with crime.
Eduardo Juarez owns La Tortilla on 18th and Castro. His restaurant is right across the street from a Walgreens where an employee stabbed a shoplifter last week.
"You are afraid to come to work because I start every morning early and I have to be very careful because, well I am afraid something will happen," said Juarez.
Both Juarez and Gratianne said they are looking for help from the city and police.
Juarez told CBS News Bay Area that he's reached out to everyone he can think of but hasn't seen any improvement.
"I went to the Castro Police station with a person with the Castro area, the board and they tell me to go to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman but they didn't do anything," said Juarez.
That's why the business owners are now coming together, hoping their collective appeal to the city will do more to get more resources into their neighborhood.
"We do need to stop it. We're willing to take the actions it takes to prosecute the criminals if they're caught. It's a matter of catching them," said Gratianne.
