Friday, May 24, 2019

The High Cost of Low-level Crime in San Francisco

San Francisco is the nation's leader in property crime.

Many in law enforcement blame the crime wave on Proposition 47, which in 2014 downgraded possession of illegal narcotics for personal use and theft of anything under $950 in value from felonies to misdemeanors.

"A lot of people are ready to leave because the crimes are causing depression," says Susan Dyer Reynolds, editor-in-chief of the Marina Times, an independent community newspaper.

"Navigation centers" for the homeless, says Reynolds, "Are not sober facilities, and people steal and break into cars to feed their habits. Crime will go up. We know this."

"The cost of housing compared to the quality of life is way off. Everyone is talking about it. Crime has been ignored for so long, and it's gotten so huge. Serial repeat offenders have no problem making bail, especially drug dealers, as they see it as the cost of doing business."

Neighbors had come together for an art project, which drew crowds-but also crime rings.

"It looks like hell here, but we are getting those people," says San Francisco Police Department Captain Carl Fabbri, who helms the Tenderloin police station.


https://www.city-journal.org/san-francisco-crime?mod=article_inline

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