Dashcam footage shows brazen smash-and-grab thieves breaking into parked car and snatching bags in crime-ridden San Fran
- Viral video shows 'smash-and-grab' thieves steal bags from parked cars
- The brazen thefts were caught on amateur video in San Francisco and Oakland
- San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced rewards of up to $100,000
- Bay Area has been hit by spate of organized car break-ins, according to officials
- Seattle couple visiting San Francisco had backpacks, laptop stolen from car
- Clinton Kane, an Aussie singer, was visiting San Francisco last week to film video
- Kane said he was held at gunpoint and had $30K worth of equipment stolen
- In a one-year period, there was 753% jump in car break-ins in Central District
- Viral videos showing brazen thefts in San Francisco have sparked outrage
Two unidentified individuals wearing hooded jackets were caught on amateur video during a brazen ‘smash-and-grab’ spree on cars in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Video posted to social media on Wednesday shows the two thieves driving along streets in residential areas of San Francisco and Oakland.
They emerge from their Audi A6 sedan and smash the windows of parked cars nearby. The two are then seen stealing bags and items that were left in the vehicles.
San Francisco has been hit hard by a spate of what officials are calling organized car break-ins. Between May 2020 and May 2021, there was a 753 percent increase in the car break-ins in the city's Central District, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
The Central District includes several of the city's most popular tourist hotspots, including Fisherman's Wharf and Chinatown. Visitors from out of town are warned not to keep their belongings in the car for fear it will be stolen.
Mayor London Breed on Tuesday announced that the city would offer rewards of up to $100,000 to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the mastermind of what officials say is an organized criminal effort.
San Francisco's reputation has taken a hit amid embarrassing videos of shoplifting mobs targeting drug stores and high-end department stores, including Neiman Marcus. Earlier this week, Walgreens announced it was closing five of its stores in the city because of rampant shoplifting.
The city's woke DA Chesa Boudin has been accused of being too soft on crime, and faces a recall effort from locals who say say the ultra-rich area has become too dangerous to live in.
Two unidentified individuals wearing hooded jackets were caught on amateur video during a brazen ‘smash-and-grab’ spree in the San Francisco Bay Area
Video posted to social media on Wednesday shows the two thieves driving along streets in residential areas of San Francisco and Oakland
'The criminals are committing these acts in broad daylight in this city,' Breed told KGO-TV of the smash and grab Audi gang on Tuesday.
Breed was speaking at a news conference at the Aquatic Park, near Fisherman’s Wharf.
Just four blocks away, a Seattle couple visiting the San Francisco Bay Area was victimized by smash-and-grabbers who stole their valuables from their car.
'We both had our backpacks, he had his work laptop in there,' said Anna Przybylowicz.
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Breed said that the rampant crime was causing damage to San Francisco's reputation.
'It is embarrassing for our city,' she added.
The cash rewards would come from private donors in the tourism and hospitality industry, Breed said at a Tuesday news conference where she was joined by San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.
The fund has about $225,000 so far and will pay for information leading to the arrest and conviction of 'high-level leaders of organized auto burglary fencing operations,' according to a statement from Breed's office.
Authorities have said they believe fewer than a dozen auto burglary crews are responsible for most of the smash-and-grabs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
But news reports and viral video of break-ins have reinforced the perception of San Francisco as lawless and lenient.
They emerge from their Audi sedan and smash the windows of parked cars nearby
The two are then seen stealing bags and items that were left in the vehicles
The image above shows one of the thieves reaching into a vehicle to steal an item
Last month, Breed and Scott announced the city would dedicate more police to combat retail shoplifting and make reporting of shoplifting cases easier.
Breed’s office said that auto burglaries reported to police have declined since 2017, when the city recorded about 31,400.
More than 15,000 auto burglaries have been reported this year, but 2021 is on track to fall below the nearly 26,000 auto burglaries reported in 2019, according to her office.
'These break-ins hurt our residents, especially working families who do not have the time or money to deal with the effects, as well as visitors to our city whose experiences are too often tarnished after an otherwise positive experience,' Breed said.
Last week, Australian singer Clinton Kane posted on social media that robbers made off with more than $30,000 worth of camera equipment after they broke into his SUV, which was parked on the street while he and his crew dined nearby.
They rushed over when they heard glass breaking and the robbers pointed guns at them.
San Francisco has been hit hard by a spate of what officials are calling organized car break-ins. Between May 2020 and May 2021, there was a 753 percent increase in the car break-ins in the city's Central District
'They all pulled guns on us, it was two and two of my mates,' he told KGO-TV.
'It was very weird, it was very scary having a gun held to my face.
'I had so much adrenaline and confusions and shock and fear...I peed my pants. Not actually but in my head I was.'
Kane, whose hit song I Guess I'm In Love has been streamed more than 100 million times, was visiting San Francisco to film a music video. He joked that he would not be returning to the city, though he insisted he would come back to perform a concert in December.
But he says he doesn't plan on bringing anything expensive.
San Francisco motorists and tourists face constant warnings to hide belongings in car trunks and to park in staffed lots when possible.
San Francisco mayor London Breed claims Walgreens is only shutting five stores to cut costs - but pharmacy chain says it spends nearly FIFTY TIMES as much on security at stores in that city compared to anywhere else
- San Francisco elected officials are claiming that Walgreens is using shoplifting as a false narrative to close stores for cost efficiency reasons
- Walgreens announced Friday that it is closing another five of its stores in San Francisco and cited constant shoplifting as the reason
- The pharmacy says it pays nearly 50 times as much on security at its city stores, which are targeted five times more than elsewhere in the country
- Viral videos taken throughout the summer show shoplifters brazenly sauntering out of stores with armfuls of stolen goods
- Walgreens closed 17 stores in the past five years due to rising shoplifting cases, leaving 53 stores still open
- The surge in shoplifting arose after a local law downgraded the theft of property less than $950 in value from a felony charge to a misdemeanor in 2014
- Critics say that city officials are not proposing effective ways to curb such crime
San Francisco mayor London Breed has disputed Walgreen's claims it needs to shutter five stores in the city because its soft laws on shoplifting have led to rampant theft, claiming that the big chain was simply trying to slash costs and increase profits - and that retail theft was an easy scapegoat.
Mayor London Breed told reporters last week that she thinks 'there are other factors that come into play' and San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston tweeted that the pharmacy chain has 'long-planned to close hundreds of locations.'
The national chain has closed 17 of its 70 San Francisco locations in the past two years and cited the shelf raiders, who have swiped every kind of product not behind lock and key.
But the pharmacy chain insists that San Francisco's rampant crime is to blame, revealing it spends 46 times as much on security at its city stores, which face five times as many shoplifting incidents compared with those elsewhere in the country.
San Francisco elected officials, including Mayor London Breed (pictured above), are claiming that Walgreens is using shoplifting as a false narrative to close stores for cost efficiency reasons
Walgreens announced Friday that it is closing another five of its stores in San Francisco and cited constant shoplifting as the reason. One of the stores closing, pictured above, was subject of a viral video showing a man filling a garbage bag full of goods as security guards watched and let him go
Shoplifting incidents occurred at irregular levels across the five locations that are closing, according to data compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle and obtained from the San Francisco Police Department
Walgreens officials have cited 'organized retail crime' - in which the thieves sell the swiped merchandise outside the stores - as a main reason for the most recent closures.
Asked to provide the Daily Mail with an explanation for the closings, a Walgreens spokesperson referred back to a statement sent to media outlets Friday, which read, 'Due to ongoing organized retail crime, we have made the difficult decision to close five stores across San Francisco. Each store will transfer prescriptions to a nearby Walgreens location within a mile radius and we expect to place the stores' team members in other nearby locations.'
The statement continues, 'Organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco. Retail theft across our San Francisco stores has continued to increase in the past few months to five times our chain average. During this time to help combat this issue, we increased our investments in security measures in stores across the city to 46 times our chain average in an effort to provide a safe environment.'
Shoplifting incidents occurred at irregular levels across the five locations that are closing, according to data compiled by the San Francisco Chronicle and obtained from the San Francisco Police Department.
San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston tweeted that the pharmacy chain has 'long-planned to close hundreds of locations'
One closing store, on Ocean Avenue, only reported seven shoplifting incidents this year and a total of 23 since 2018. Another closing store, on Gough Street, was hit by shoplifters 45 times so far this year alone and 85 times since 2018. The same store went a full year in 2019 without any incidents, the data shows. However, not all shoplifting incidents are reported to police.
Walgreens has 53 stores across San Francisco as of now, compared to only 22 CVS stores. Mayor London Breed noted that the chain could be moving to consolidate space, but it using the shoplifting narrative to avoid pushback for closing certain stores that some say are a staple of their community.
'They are saying (shoplifting is) the primary reason, but I also think when a place is not generating revenue, and when they're saturated — S.F. has a lot of Walgreens locations all over the city — so I do think that there are other factors that come into play,' Mayor London Breed told reporters last week.
Walgreens told shareholders four years ago that it planned to close 600 stores nationwide and ended up closing 769, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Illinois-based company said in a 2019 U.S. Security and Exchange Commission filing that it would shutter 200 stores, or fewer than 3 percent of its 10,000 U.S. locations in a cost-saving measures projected to save $1.5 billion in annual expenses by 2022.
Supervisor Dean Preston posted a series of tweets Friday, following national media coverage about the closure of the five San Francisco stores, in which he wrote, 'Walgreens has announced it will be closing its 300 Gough store in my district, citing organized retail theft. This store serves important needs of neighborhood residents. Media reports have accepted without analysis Walgreens' assertion that it's closing due to retail theft.'
The surge in shoplifting arose after a local law downgraded the theft of property less than $950 in value from a felony charge to a misdemeanor in 2014, meaning security guards don't risk trying to apprehend perpetrators
He referenced the 2019 SEC filing from the company and asked, 'So is Walgreens closing stores because of theft or because of a pre-existing business plan to cut costs and increase profits by consolidating stores and shifting customers to online purchases?'
Preston added that his office is 'seeking further clarity on the reasons for the announced closures and whether there is a path to keeping the 300 Gough store open. We thank community members for reaching out and emphasizing their desire for a pharmacy in the neighborhood.'
Preston said to the San Francisco Chronicle, 'Two things are true: Walgreens has experienced retail theft, and Walgreens has long planned to close stores. We do not know which factor or factors led to the decision to close 300 Gough and other San Francisco stores.'
The Walgreens locations that will be closing include: 2550 Ocean Avenue, on November 8, 4645 Mission Street, on November 11, 745 Clement Street, on November 15, 300 Gough Street on November 15, and 3400 Cesar Chavez Street on November 17.
Viral videos taken throughout the summer have shown shoplifters brazenly sauntering out of stores with armfuls of stolen goods as witnesses watch in shock.
Shoplifting has been a problem in the Democrat-run state since 2014 - following the passage of Proposition 47, a ballot referendum known as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act - that downgraded the theft of property worth less than $950 in value from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Cases have jumped during the pandemic as store staff and security guards choose not to pursue the thieves. Larceny and theft remain the most common crimes committed in San Francisco, increasing by about 8 percent from last year. There were 21,842 cases reported through October 10 of this year, compared with 20,254 cases during the same time through 2020.
City and Walgreens officials have cited a reason for the closures as a spike in 'organized retail crime,' in which the thieves sell the stolen merchandise on the same streets as the stores from which they pilfered
Walgreens has closed 17 San Francisco locations due to shoplifting cases, where theft in the pharmaceutical chain's 53 remaining stores is four times the average for stores elsewhere in the country, according to the San Francisco Chronicle
The Walgreens at 3400 Cesar Chavez Street will be closing on November 17
Each of the five stores that are closing will transfer prescription information to another store in close proximity and the chain intends to relocate employees from closing stores to other nearby ones.
Ahsha Safai, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, posted a series of tweets following news of the upcoming closures, writing, '@Walgreens will be closing 5 additional stores in San Francisco - including the one located at 4645 Mission St in the Excelsior.'
'I am completely devastated by this news - this Walgreens is less than a mile from seven schools and has been a staple for seniors, families and children for decades. This closure will significantly impact this community.'
Safai told the SFGate that the Mission Street store recently added an off-duty police officer as a store security guard, but it was 'too little, too late.'
'This is a sad day for San Francisco,' Safai said. 'We can't continue to let these anchor institutions close that so many people rely on.'
Ahsha Safai, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, recently introduced legislation aimed at curbing the shoplifting by allowing deputies to provide security services at retail stores and commercial districts
Another closing location – at 300 Gough Street – was the subject of a viral video in June that showed a thief heaping armfuls of Walgreens products into a trash bag, then riding his bike through the store with the stolen goods while the security guard and bystanders looked on.
The suspect, Jean Lugo-Romero, 40, was arrested shortly after and remains in jail. He had previously robbed the same store on May 29, 30, 31 and June 1 – in addition to CVS stores throughout the city – but the chains declined to prosecute.
About two weeks ago, Safai introduced legislation allowing deputies to provide security services at retail stores and commercial districts. They would be off-duty and paid overtime by the retailers or business districts, without support from the city.
San Francisco police officers already have the opportunity to earn additional income as private security guards while off duty, under what's called the 10B program in the city's code. Safai's legislation would extend this to include sheriff's deputies, through a 10A administrative amendment to the city's code.
Following news of the closures, Safai tweeted, 'This is exactly why we need more presence on our commercial corridors and an expansion of the '10A' program to reduce and deter commercial retail theft.'
He added, 'The City needs to act with a sense of urgency to reduce and deter the number of incidents of commercial retail theft. That is exactly what the '10A' legislation aims achieve as we approach the holiday season.'
Larceny and theft remain the most common crimes committed in San Francisco by a long shot, increasing by about 8 percent with 21,842 cases reported through October 10 of this year as compared to 20,254 cases in the same duration in 2020
There are already 2,000 police officers eligible to pick up the overtime and another 800 deputies would be added under Safai's legislation. Deputies will be able to leave their posts to apprehend thieves and follow them out of the store.
Walgreens closed a location at 790 Van Ness Avenue in October 2020 after losing up to $1,000 in stolen merchandise numerous days in a row, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. That same month, Inside Edition was reporting from the store on the increase in crime when camera crews caught a shoplifter in the act.
A man in a balaclava was seen jumping over the seemingly unmanned cash register counter and stealing an inflatable airbed, Inside Edition said. A woman is then seen holding the store door open for the man who makes a leisurely getaway on an electric scooter.
Walgreens also spends 46 times more on security guards in the city than elsewhere, Jason Cunningham, regional vice president for pharmacy and retail operations in California and Hawaii, said at a hearing on retail crimes held in May by District Attorney Chesa Boudin and Safai.
Many have blamed the surge in crime on progressive criminal reform and what they call Boudin's 'soft-on-crime' approach.
In July, Boudin defended the shoplifter from the viral video at the closing Walgreens on Gough Street and told the New Yorker, 'When I watch that video, I think about five questions that people are not asking that I think they should. Is he drug addicted, mentally ill, desperate? Is he part of a major retail fencing operation? What's driving this behavior and is it in any way representative, because it was presented as something symptomatic?'
Walgreens closed a location at 790 Van Ness Avenue in October 2020 after losing up to $1,000 in stolen merchandise numerous days in a row, according to the San Francisco Chronicle
Boudin was slammed by an Instagram user who posted another viral video of an incident in July when at least ten people stole armfuls of designer goods from luxury department store Neiman Marcus before fleeing without anyone trying to stop them.
'Everyone in the city is tired of this so please sign the recall petition to oust Chesa Boudin now! Crime is legal basically and allowed and tolerated due to policies put in place and supported by all our supervisors and mayor and DA,' Instagram user sfstreets415, whose bio reads, 'Asian photographer and crime reporter,' wrote.
The petition was first launched in March to recall Boudin, who has come under fire in recent years, along with the city's leadership, for allegedly not doing enough to combat San Francisco's shoplifting problem.
In addition to Safai's legislation, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced last month that the city would be bolstering its organized retail crime unit and making it easier to report shoplifters.
She said at a news conference, 'We care about criminal justice reform. We care about second chances. We care about making sure that people are not wrongly accused. But don't take our kindness for weakness, our compassion for weakness.'
The San Francisco Police Department's organized retail crime unit will increase from two to six investigators and an ambassador program of retired officers will increase from eight to 25 cops assigned to high-profile commercial areas.
The department is also established a position for a dedicated retail theft coordinator to work on making it easier for witnesses to report shoplifting.
A video posted to Instagram captures the moment at least 10 people stole loads of designer bags from Neiman Marcus in San Francisco and fled undeterred
Witnesses told KTVU that the store was about to close when the suspects came in and smashed display cases before nabbing the goods and leaving
'We're not going to arrest everybody, although we'd like to,' said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott at the news conference last month. 'But just know that you don't get a free pass when you come to this city and commit those types of crimes.'
San Francisco's public defender, Mano Raju, wrote in a statement to the Associated Press that bulking up on 'failed approaches' won't bring about meaningful change.
He added, 'It may shift the target, but it will not impact financially motivated crime generally. We need to focus our resources to treat the source of the problem.'
Critics also showed skepticism toward Safai's plan to allow police to work as security guards for retailers.
John Crew, a retired police practices expert, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the jobs of police officer and sheriff's deputy are not congruent and there are major training differences.
'Deputy sheriffs in this town play an entirely different role than SFPD,' he said. 'It is not an apples-to-apples comparison. Generally speaking, the San Francisco Sheriff's Department has no experience in street-level enforcement.'
Lt. Tracy McCray, vice president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said the union is also opposed to the legislation and told the news outlet, 'Sheriff's deputies are experts at working in a controlled environment. Those stores are not controlled environments. We go through a lot of training that they don't go through and I don't think their standards are as rigorous as they are in our department.'
In addition to Breed and Preston's claims, another theory is that the San Francisco population has dwindled following the coronavirus pandemic and the pharmacy may have closed five stores due to a drop in demand.
'Since working from home is here to stay, city center retail is going to see lower demand in the long run,' Stanford University economics Professor Nicholas Bloom told the San Francisco Chronicle, citing a study he published in May that shows 15 percent of residents left the city center during the pandemic and have not returned.
He added, 'So this is going to be one of many such store closures. While Walgreens may have publicly blamed this on higher thefts, another factor is there are simply less people in the city center, spending less money.'
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