SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Brazen shoplifting in San Francisco has forced more than a dozen Walgreens drug stores to close over the last five years thanks to a law that legalizes shoplifting of up to $950 worth of goods.
Last year, burglaries increased in most San Francisco neighborhoods. https://t.co/rwLs1gAppN
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) May 14, 2021
The City Council passed Prop 47, which is the ordinance that prevents police officers from arresting or even stopping anyone who steals less than $950 worth of goods.
Now, organized gangs of thieves gather together and run into a store as a group to grab everything and anything they can carry out of the store knowing full well that the police nor the store owners can do a thing to stop them.
According to reports, authorities stated that criminal gangs are responsible for the vast majority of thefts, which are of course causing businesses millions of dollars in losses. District 11 Supervisor for CVS, Ahsha Safai, said in a statement:
“85 percent of their loss is committed by organized criminal activity. That to me was just shocking.”
Safai added:
“They will rob about maybe $1,000-$2,000 worth of goods from each store from 10 stores or more in a single day.”
Reportedly, 17 Walgreens stores have closed over the last five years because of shoplifting. San Francisco has become one of the epicenters for organized retail crime in the United States and the repeated closures of these stores hurt Walgreens’ neighbors. Safai said:
“It impacts everyone. Impacts seniors, impacts families, impacts the small businesses in the area. It’s bad all the way around.”
Safai added that the theft is completely out of control and local residents are afraid to enter the store because of the gangs roaming the aisles. Safai said:
“This has been uncontrolled. Individuals are scared to enter these shops. Seniors, folks with disabilities, kids. It’s simply taking place overtly. We aren’t able to simply as a metropolis throw up our arms and say that is OK. We now have to provide you with options.”
By Jenna Curren
