Crime in liberal San Francisco has reached an almost absurd level. A criminal was caught on camera looting a San Francisco Walgreens in broad daylight as employees and security guards watched helplessly. San Francisco is one of a number of leftist cities which have developed extremely lenient policies towards criminals. Crime in all of these liberal cities has been skyrocketing as a result of this tolerant approach.
No consequences for crime
The shoplifter is shown in the video riding his bike into the Walgreens store while carrying a large trash bag, into which he fills with merchandise before riding out again.
Employees and even a security guard can only watch and film as he strips what he wants from the shelves and then calmly passes them on his way out.
A spokesman for Walgreens confirmed that the incident was not an isolated one and that stores in San Francisco have been targeted repeatedly for similar crimes.
The San Francisco District Attorney and police expressed their anger at the video but reported that no arrests have been made in relation to the Walgreens incident, despite the fact that it was all caught on camera.
Shoplifters in San Francisco have evidently concluded, and rightly so, that they can get away with this sort of crime with almost no danger of repercussions.
Police and the District Attorney disagree about who deserves the blame for this surge in brazen crime. Both accused the other of not doing enough to pursue criminals in these cases.
This just happened at the @Walgreens on Gough & Fell Streets in San Francisco. #NoConsequences @chesaboudin pic.twitter.com/uSbnTQQk4J
— Lyanne Melendez (@LyanneMelendez) June 14, 2021
Invitation to loot
Under Proposition 14, which was approved by the people of San Francisco, criminals who steal goods worth less than $950 in total are to be charged with misdemeanors, rather than felonies.
Police and prosecutors are both essentially powerless to put a stop to retail theft crimes under these circumstances.
Criminals in San Francisco are apparently not concerned about receiving a citation and a minor slap on the wrist. The policy essentially tells criminals that they have a free pass to loot as long as they avoid anything too valuable.
Businesses in the city face a crippling amount of crime. In the long-term, this crime wave both frightens away customers and may make staying in San Francisco unprofitable for the targeted businesses.
Locals will suffer most if their neighborhoods are deserted by shops and pharmacies which face too much theft to make sticking around worth it.
Being lenient on crime surely makes liberals feel very righteous and charitable; when the crime comes to their own streets, however, they may not be so enthusiastic.
