SFNext: Theft, car break-ins continue to plague San Francisco residents, businesses
SAN FRANCISCO -- A comprehensive survey found more than half of all San Francisco residents have been a victim of theft or larceny. Many of these crimes include a staggering number of car break-ins - especially where tourists like to gather.
Some small business owners and workers are urging city officials to put the brakes on it.
"Like who wants to go on vacation and be on edge worrying about getting their stuff stolen?" said Marcus Smith, who manages a successful bike rental store in Fisherman's Wharf.
Smith's business is not bustling like it once did. The pandemic has dealt an enduring blow, but so, too, has the threat of crime.
"It's hard to attribute it to car break-ins, but I'm sure that it's not helping," said Smith.
Smith doesn't just work in San Francisco. He also lives in the city and says he is very disappointed by what he sees as the city's apparent lack of response.
"I haven't seen any kind of task force. I haven't seen any kind of police presence," said Smith.
Nearby vendors share Smith's observations. They told KPIX 5 how they have grown weary of the promises, pledges, and tough talk by city officials.
"You need to community ambassadors, you need everybody on the ground just to give them a presence that, hey, you know, we out here. But yeah, it's a continuous problem," said one employee.
A couple of miles away at a barber shop in Polk Gulch, the owners are also concerned about crime. They recounted having to work in an area where endless drug dealing surrounds them.
"For the businesses, it does affect, like, traffic, right?" recounted one customer. "Less tourists, less people willing to go into certain areas and support certain businesses."
It made some wonder why even bother to live here
"People are pissed off that they have to pay so much rent or whatever. It's not a cheap place to live", commented another customer. "And they have to deal with such a high amount of just dirty streets, homelessness, all that."
Smith can only work and wait to see whether the threats of crime will eventually drive tourists away to another destination, far away from San Francisco.
"It's like there's nothing being done to stop it. If anything does happen, it's just a loss," Smith said with resignation in his voice.
Saturday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 pm. KPIX 5 will present "SFNext: Searching for Solutions" a special project created by the San Francisco Chronicle. Hosted by Juliette Goodrich, the program will show how regular citizens are seeking innovative solutions to some of the persistent problems that bedevil San Francisco.
