Target, Walgreens make drastic changes due to increase in San Francisco thefts

[Klaralven]

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- According to the California Retailer's Association three cities in our state are among the top 10 in the country when it comes to organized retail crime--Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.

Already we are seeing the negative impact it is having in San Francisco with stores permanently shutting down or closing early. It has become one of the most pressing issues in our city today.

Target has now acknowledged that San Francisco is the only city in America where they have decided to close some stores early because of the escalating retail crime.

For more than a month, we've been experiencing a significant and alarming rise in theft and security incidents at our San Francisco Stores, similar to reports from other retailers in the area.

Target isn't the only store in San Francisco to make changes because of the continuous shoplifting. After 10 p.m. the 7-Eleven on Drumm St. in the Financial District only does business through a metal door. But first you have to ring the bell to let them know you're outside.

"This window was installed like two to three months ago because it was not safe. Sometimes they would break that glass of the door," explained Manager Bobby Singh.

https://abc7news.com/target-hours-san-francisco-walgreens-closing-sf-crime-near-me/10854900/

[at140]

1. I will not leave my heart in San Francisco

any more.

[YoshidaYui]

15. i will always love my city

AND THOUGH we are having hard times, i blame it on Trump and the Republicans for making all our lives difficult. FUCK YOU REPUBS.

[Sympthsical]

74. We're Democrats here

Honestly, this is on us. Republicans didn't manage this one.

[YoshidaYui]

88. Republicans didn't manage this one??

where were you these last four years???

[YoshidaYui]

16. i will always love my city

AND THOUGH we are having hard times, i blame it on Trump and the Republicans for making all our lives difficult.

[Raine]

34. If you did it would probably be stolen, seems they will take anything and

everything. I always loved SF snd would go there regularly but now I have no desire to go and at this point doubt I ever will.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

2. Here we go again...

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Is-shoplifting-rising-in-San-Francisco-Here-s-16272907.php

On June 14, KGO television reporter Lyanne Melendez posted a video from a San Francisco Walgreens. The video showed a man shoving items into a garbage bag and biking out of the store without paying for them, as customers and a security guard looked on.

(snip)

But has there actually been a surge in shoplifting in San Francisco? Data from the San Francisco Police Department suggests these reports may be overblown. According to the data, overall shoplifting incidents reported to the police are below their levels before the start of the pandemic. And before that, shoplifting rates had been decreasing more or less steadily since the 1980s.

The Chronicle analyzed Police Department incident report data from January 2018 through April 2021. We looked at how overall numbers of shoplifting incidents and commercial robberies changed from month to month over that period.

The data shows that shoplifting rates dipped at the start of the pandemic, when many stores shut down, and have since recovered to just below pre-pandemic levels. The city saw 710 reported shoplifting incidents in the first four months of 2021, down from 933 during the same period in 2019.

Shoplifting declined in San Francisco during the pandemic largely because many stores closed temporarily or permanently. A recent survey of 22 large U.S. retailers found that while overall shoplifting apprehensions declined by about 41% from 2019 to 2020, “essential” retailers that didn’t close stores saw apprehensions increase by 8%. This survey suggests it’s possible that chain stores like Walgreens and CVS in San Francisco have seen shoplifting incidents increase. But public data does not indicate an overall spike in shoplifting in the city.

[Klaralven]

4. It appears that lots of shoplifting is not reported to the police

Why would it be reported when nothing effective is done to stop it?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

8. then how do we know there's an increase

[quakerboy]

25. Why would a retailer want to throw good money after bad

They already lost the money they spent on the items stolen

Now they are going to pay employees to waste time dealing with LE that are going to write some notes in a book, leave, and do nothing about it?

Especially in a city where plenty of employees are from demographics who undergo stress having to deal with LE who are UNSAFE to be in contact with?

[meadowlander]

30. Businesses track their own "shrinkage"

even if they don't report it to the police. The police aren't going to respond to a complaint that a business lost $5K more this month than the same month last year if they don't bother to (or can't) track the individual incidents but the business can see the trend.

[Renew Deal]

38. You assume you need to know.

[LiberatedUSA]

50. Aren't you one of the regulars involved in the gun control debate on here?

I would think you would see the similarity in not all successful self defense uses with a gun getting reported in the same way not all theft gets reported.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

51. I would not call that one of my top topics, no.

[LiberatedUSA]

52. My apologies.

I probably mixed up your name with a similar one. It happens.

[Dream Girl]

6. Retailers are not bothering to report it cuz nothing will happen.

This does not mean anything. If there wasn’t crazy levels of shoplifting, stores wouldn’t be leaving the city. They are losing a ton of money making these stores unprofitable. Than SF Bd. Of Supe for ruining my beautiful city!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

9. Chains announced they were closing stores before "crazy levels of shoplifting" were scare-reported

in the media. Two to three years ago.

[Dream Girl]

11. Deny it if you must. It's happening.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. Stores are making drastic changes. Lying about the reasons hurts the community.

[Renew Deal]

39. It also hurts business.

Why would they lie about it and hurt themselves? That defies logic.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

47. You're absolutely right; companies do not hurt themselves. They spent a lot of money against Prop 47

and are spending now to get it overturned. They'd be fine seeing the DA go, too. Pushing a story of rising uncontrollable crime helps do just that.

[Renew Deal]

48. So it's a conspiracy.

That makes more sense.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

49. Nah, just businesses doing what businesses do: Acting in their own self-interests.

[MichMan]

91. Yep, retailers that make money by selling stuff cutting their hours and losing sales

Makes perfect sense

[WhiskeyGrinder]

93. If they thought they could make money by staying open, they would.

[JI7]

14. 7-11s are owned by small business owners. Often immigrants.

Having to close affects their personal income. So for them to limit things this way it has to be really bad.

[Zeitghost]

85. Stores announce closures

Stores announce closures all the time. They close underperformers and open new ones. That's not what is going on here. There is a problem in the city of SFO and anybody who lives there or who has visited regularly over the years knows it and sees it.

[Elessar Zappa]

10. San Francisco is still

one of the most desired places to live in. Check out the rent if you don’t believe me.

[Klaralven]

13. Year over year house prices are up, but nowhere as much as some other Bay Area counties

https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/san-francisco-real-estate-market/

[Sympthsical]

17. And that chart is why I bought in North Bay

Of course, it’s changing now. Things are getting pricey. 18% increase in my valuation in 18 months.

Tech is on the run to the burbs. Covid is messing with everything.

[MichMan]

32. When you can go shopping and just take what you want. I'm not surprised

Makes the cost of living much more appealing

[Hangingon]

89. Detroit

We might look at what has happened to Detroit. Many stores closed.

[MichMan]

90. Detroit never fully recovered after the 1967 riots

No one ever goes there for shopping; mainly just sporting events or concerts

[twin_ghost]

29. overall shoplifting incidents reported to the police

Merchants are no longer reporting shoplifting and out right theft from their stores any more.

[msongs]

3. unfortunately it's not actual theft until the perp leaves the premises. riding a bike around a store

with a filled trash bag is probably not actually a crime...yet

[Renew Deal]

41. What's your point?

He did leave the store.

“The video showed a man shoving items into a garbage bag and biking out of the store without paying for them,“

[former9thward]

5. If the authorities are just going to ignore the problem

then they should just shut down the stores and leave the city.

[Dream Girl]

7. That's what is happening

[Sympthsical]

19. Stores don't bother anymore

I’ve shared this story before. I’ve a tenant that works at Safeway. Every few days, a man comes in, puts a case of beer in a cart, and walks out.

The store does nothing. The police do nothing.

The DAs won’t prosecute. The police won’t investigate. So the stores stopped bothering.

That’s why the stat pedants (as in this thread) are so disingenuous. “We’ll, the stats say . . .” Well, the people who actually live and work here say a lot different.

People have an agenda when they downplay this. Bored. SF is going through a very bad period. People are fleeing.

[Orrex]

26. Well, they must be reporting it to someone

Is every store simply eating the loss of thousands and thousands of dollars' worth of theft? That seems unlikely in the extreme. Are they submitting insurance claims for the losses?

They no doubt have a certain threshold that they're allowed to write off, and no doubt they cozy up to that threshold every chance they get. Why wouldn't they? Every small business owner I ever worked for has done it, so it would be preposterous to imagine that big box retailers don't do the same, all in the name of "smart business practice."

So it seems to me that this purported increase in unreported shoplifting is eating into the amount that they're comfortably able to write off each month or quarter or whatever, and that hurts somebody's bonus.

And, sure. Let's dismiss as "stat pedants" anyone who's reluctant to accept on faith the claims of union-busting, worker-exploiting, tax-evading mega-corporations. Whyever would such bastions of commercial morality lie to us?

[MichMan]

35. You sound like Kramer on Seinfeld about "writing it off"

"Is every store simply eating the loss of thousands and thousands of dollars' worth of theft? That seems unlikely in the extreme. "

Yes.

You think they buy insurance that allows them to get reimbursed for shoplifting up to a certain amount? If that was the case, the insurance would cost more than the shoplifting claims, unless you think insurance companies are going to lose money on the policy.

If so, why not let employees take whatever they want too?

Inventory shortages, either external or internal, are impossible to completely eliminate, but are usually covered by charging more for goods to honest customers. At some point, you hit a breaking point where it becomes untenable.

[Orrex]

55. Funny that small businesses know how to work the system

yet these multi-billion dollar international mega-corporations have no strategy beyond shrugging dramatically and closing up shop.

Have they published hard, audit-ready documentation of their claimed losses? Or have they simply made claims in the media that some are curiously eager to believe?

Or does my reasonable expectation of evidence make me a "stat pedant?"

[Sympthsical]

37. They are actually eating the loss

Unlikely to you. Reality here.

That’s why they’re closing.

[Orrex]

54. I simply don't believe that

I believe that that is their claim, but I don't accept that these multi-billion dollar corporations have no more clever financial mechanism in place than "suck it up."

[JHB]

75. Yes, they have a mechanism. It's called "close locations that don't make their numbers"

What part of "multi-billion dollar corporations" is unclear here? If a location does not send enough money skyward they close it down and "redirect the resources." Wringing what they can from a place and then jettisoning it is what they do.

Why would they spend extra money on something "more clever"? It's not as if the shareholders and executives live in the neighborhood.

[Orrex]

76. I simply don't believe that shoplifting is the cause, that's all

What part of “ I don’t take the statements of union-busting multi-billion dollar corporations of faith” is unclear?

It seems more likely that they fucked up something at the management level and, rather than placing blame where it belongs (and thereby compromising shareholder confidence) they blame the customers.

It’s not as if the shareholders and executives live in that neighborhood, after all.

[Sympthsical]

71. Yes, they're eating the loss.

Maybe it sounds unbelievable to you. I've actually sat there and watched it happen. There's a Starbucks in the store. I've sat there and watched this guy. He's almost locally infamous. I asked, "Why doesn't someone do something?" The workers are instructed to not engage.

The store eats it.

It has nothing to do with politics or ideology. BTW, Safeway is union. It has nothing to do with that. The corporate policy is that the danger/potential lawsuits of engaging with shoplifters isn't worth it.

[Orrex]

77. Then it's a miracle that every store doesn't close nationwide

I accept that shoplifting happens. I don’t believe that It’s the primary reason for a store closing.

[Kingofalldems]

65. Got a link on that?

[Sympthsical]

72. I mean outside of my eyes?

And my tenant who works there in the bakery?

There's no link for personal knowledge.

[Kingofalldems]

66. What do you mean by 'agenda'?

[Sympthsical]

73. The abolish police people

Who also don't seem to actually know what social services do.

They're around.

I don't want to live in their world. No one does.

[lindysalsagal]

18. Unfortunately, we don't support mental illness victims, so

Many migrate to warmer towns like San fran, but little is done to address their needs. The criminal justice system is left to clean up the pieces the rest of us ignore.

[Sympthsical]

20. SF has one of the most generous social service programs in the country

It’s a lot more than just throwing resources at the problem. It’s how those resources are spent. It’s also law enforcement’s tolerance of it. The police stopped bothering because the DA wasn’t bothering.

This is the result.

[JI7]

23. But California does provide help for many. The fact is some people enjoy living in the streets

especially if they are somewhere like los Angeles where the weather is mostly pleasant.

And many of these people are not mentally ill. Like tge ones shoplifting bags full of things. They resell it.

They aren't stealing basic necessities they desperately need for themselves.

[Raine]

36. A large number of them aren't mentally ill, they're just thieves. The news has shown them

selling the stolen items. They steal anything and everything and turn around and sell the stuff in plain sight. There's no incentive to stop them, if they're arrested they're out before the paper work is completed.

[Renew Deal]

43. Trevor Noah has an idea about what to do with people in warm weather climates.

[Snackshack]

21. Wow

How convenient to have a super scary crime story like this suddenly come out with a recall rt around the corner.

Can’t even go shopping anymore these people are stealing wallets and purses rt out of pockets and off counters while riding their bike thru the store..these hoodlums…and Gavins not doing anything…except for adding bike lanes on roads so these hoodlums can get away faster… bad low energy Dems!

[Iggo]

22. Huh?

Ton of claims not backed up by any stats.

Is there an increase? Or are they just tired of it?

Even if it’s just the second one, I don’t blame them. But giving the cops and the DA one week to solve it sounds fun!

[DanieRains]

24. Put The Thieves In Jail

Bingo.

[rockfordfile]

68. I agree

[SpankMe]

27. There's a solution in technology

1. Put an RFID chip on every item, just like a price tag.

2. Each customer must load an account with money, or register a credit card upon entry to the store.

3. When they walk out the door, they walk through a scanner that reads every RFID tag in their cart, in their bags or on their person and bills the pre-loaded account or credit card.

Tough problems call for tough solutions.

Brazen theft is rampant in the whole bay area. Car break-ins are so frequent that cops will not respond. You report it by filling out a form online. I've been a victim of a car break-in in Cupertino. There's a viral video out of a smash and grab of an occupied vehicle in traffic in San Francisco. Ridiculous.

I was born in S.F. and I love the city. But, it's got big problems with property crime. BIG problems.

[MichMan]

33. Seriously? You are going to tell a lower income person that?

The only way you are allowed to even enter a store is to prepay a bunch of money on a card to cover everything you might buy?

[Renew Deal]

40. Why not strip search everyone while they walk out the door?

Because it’s bad for business. Lines of people registering credit cards doesn’t help them achieve their goal. Also, RFID can be suppressed.

[Sapient Donkey]

44. Is it amazon that has those checkout-less stores?

How do they do that? Was it them that use that fancy image recognition stuff to track a person and what they remove? Actually, I don't know if those stores are still open, or if they failed. I should look into that.

I think the post by Calculating made below this one is probably what we'll see. People order their stuff online or at a kiosk and out pops our stuff from a fully automated or semi-automated store. They basically become oversize vending machines. That will probably happen even if shoplifting totally ceased.

[Renew Deal]

46. At least some still exist.

But they are very small niche operations. You have to badge in with your phone. I think I they only have food. The one I’ve seen is never busy.

[Sapient Donkey]

42. Would the doors be locked until they confirm they have an account with money in it?

If not, then I don't think the lack of an account would prevent people from entering the store. Even if locked, I don't find it hard to imagine the thieves being opposed to tailgating. I suppose a mantrap could help with that, but I'd hate be the poor customer stuck in a mantrap with some shady person who is attempting to steal from the store. Depending on the person, they might just say screw it and mug the person in the mantrap. Then the victim would sue the store for locking them in a mantrap with the person who mugged them. So, maybe the mantrap idea isn't a viable idea.

Not to mention such a system would really make things hard for honest lower-income people who may not have the ability to load up an account with money, or have an actual credit card to put on file. I suppose that could be rectified by making it so they could instantly transfer money from their bank account to using an app without fees, and then instantly transfer the remainder back...

But even then, I think when a credit card with a fairly large limit isn't on file, but instead it's linked to a bank account or a preloaded option, then there would have to be some sort of minimum amount that is available before entry is allowed. That amount would have to be larger than the average losses from a shoplifting run. Maybe a couple hundies? Maybe a hundred bucks? At least $50, I think. If not, then someone could just put a couple bucks on some throwaway account so they could steal a bunch of stuff. They will just have to grab a couple extra Red Bulls to make up for the lost cash. Putting those minimum fund requirements would really hurt the folks who don't have that amount of extra money. Basically telling them if they want a gallon of milk that they better have at least $100 in the bank.

heh.. I wasn't intending on writing all of that, but I starting typing as the stream of incoherent thoughts popped into my head. I'm debating if I will press the "post" button or not. No one may ever read this. Which would probably be best. Oh, why not?

[Calculating]

28. This is a real, and serious issue

People complain about food deserts, but stuff like this is why they happen. Nobody seems to do a damn thing about rampant theft, and the stores just give up and leave the area for places where theft is still prosecuted. I've seen this shit myself at home depot just last week, some druggy looking guy just walked into the store, grabbed a few power drills, and walked right on out. Nobody stopped him, the staff are all told not to intervene or they'll get fired because the store doesn't want to risk the liability. Personally I was tempted to rush behind the guy and push him over I was so disgusted. We all pay for our shit, and these losers think the world owes them or something and they can just take whatever they want.

If this crap isn't dealt with, the future of stores will be a system where we make our order online, pay, and then go pick up our order at a drop window or something. Theft isn't a victimless crime, and chronic shoplifters need the book thrown at em. They're just parasites.

[Dan]

31. That which you envision is the future.

[Sapient Donkey]

45. Stores become giant vending machines.

I bet that happens no matter what.

[Elessar Zappa]

67. Food deserts are overwhelmingly

in black neighborhoods. It’s not just a theft issue, it’s a racism issue.

[cinematicdiversions]

83. No it is a theft and profitability issue.

Middle class black neighborhoods have no issues attracting Whole Foods and Sprouts. It is high-crime areas where traditional retailers tend to avoid.

Racism has nothing to do with it. Crime and profitability are the mitigating factors.

[LiberatedUSA]

53. Where are all these carts going?

Homeless people? Is the metal being repurposed? Is it like an organized thing to get the metal? It just seems such a weird thing to take a bunch of. Do other cities have the same level of cart theft or is it just San Fran that has a huge problem?

[gldstwmn]

61. I agree. It seems to be a concerted effort.

[jalan48]

56. This will be a Republican talking point in the next election. Democrats are soft on crime.

[Klaralven]

57. Even on DU, some are advocating that it is no big deal.

Retail stores should subsidize the lifestyle of the thieves.

[jalan48]

58. I've seen the same attitude where I live in Oregon. Activists think they are doing the right thing

by minimizing crime activities. One person I argued with said it was a form of income redistribution helping the poor. These folks are seriously disconnected from reality I think.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

63. And Democrats will, predictably, take the bait and throw money at cops to prove they aren't.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

59. I'm surprised that stores haven't tried large revolving doors...

... with shatter-resistant glass and remote locking.

The shoplifter tries to leave, and they're locked inside the revolving door until police arrive.

Or would that be "wrong" too, with legal opponents claiming that's a form of immoral captivity?

The store security guards there are clearly useless, at least in regard to shoplifting:

[gldstwmn]

62. Imagine people trying to flee through a revolving door from

a mass shooter or fire.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

64. True, but I don't see stores with revolving doors...

... around here behind closed down because of fire hazards.

I thought of a similar entrapment technique inside a store lobby, similar to the lobby in the earlier shoplifting video, with remotely locking sliding doors on either side. But the chances of locking someone else inside it with a potentially very desperate criminal seemed even worse.

[Blue_Adept]

80. It continue to be easier to accept the small loss of shoplifting than liability lawsuits

from store employees, store security, or the shoplifter themselves for how they're treated.

"Oh hey, they stole $50 of goods, that sucks" vs "they got injured fleeing and are able to sue us for $10 million now and have a good chance of winning."

[Buckeye_Democrat]

82. That's the likely explanation.

Then they'll just shut down if the losses are too much.

There's a Dayton OH suburb called Trotwood which had dozens of stores shut down because of shoplifting problems. It's been a few years since I've been there, but it was a wasteland of closed businesses the last time that I drove through it.

[Blue_Adept]

84. One of my kids worked at bath and body works

And corporate policy is to not get in the way, just note what was taken. No confrontation. Don't even alert mall security because they don't want to have to deal with a host of lawsuits all over the country.

[egduj]

60. Unbelievable what happened to San Francisco the past two decades.

[tenderfoot]

69. Yes, the tech community really turned the place into a Libertarian shit hole.

eom

[egduj]

70. Something happened, that's for sure.

[jcmaine72]

78. This has certainly become a fascinating little "Let's get tough on crime" thread.

Especially for a Democratic forum.

For those who have forgotten, we went through this same process in the 1990s. The so-called "Crime Bill" was passed in D.C., Guiliani and his draconian policing policies in NYC became the flavor of the decade, and PD's around the nation became awash with cash and resources resulting in them becoming hyper-militarized. The fact that African Americans in particular were being viciously brutalized in the process didn't seem to make the radar of most people in power until relatively recently. Now, of course, that there's been some talk and the promise of police reform, the fear bongos are being feverishly banged again....and wash, rinse, repeat.

People have short memories. Much of Guiliani's support came from Upper East & West Side (so-called) liberals, who were very careful to damn him publicly (and certainly at their little cocktail parties), but who privately supported many of his "police reforms". Sadly, when the ravages of poverty, drugs, and racial injustice and the resultant crime it produces finally reached their neighborhoods, many of those calling themselves liberals and Democrats, who publicly feigned compassion for the poor and disenfranchised, went full-blown fascist.

Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh. This approach is simply far easier than addressing the actual root causes of theft and crime, especially for those who, in one breath....when it's safe and they can look compassionate and progressive in doing so...will condemn the extraordinarily high incarceration rates that exist in this nation, but then quickly howl for more police and tougher prosecution when crime effects them in their insular, safe communities. After all, when you're busy gentrifying poor urban communities to the extent that even people earning $20/hr can't afford to rent an apartment, as is the case in SF, the last thing anyone should ever want to do is inconvenience others with the sights, sounds and smells that such naked avarice and selfishness produces, especially if it exposes the grave injustices of our prized capitalist system.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

79. "Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh."

Nope.

[Blue_Adept]

81. And it's coming from the same people who have wondered why people in the 90s were so

hard on crime and the crime bills had huge support.

[crickets]

86. Well said. nt

[Politicub]

87. Video magnifies the problem. It always has.

It's what Marshall McCluhan meant when he talked about the media being the message. He was using media as the plural of medium, which he defined as fertile ground from which things grow. So more of a growing medium, like soil. Negative news grows like a weed.

People believe a problem is worse than it actually is when all they see are videos and news about something. While there are millions of good things happening in San Francisco, the video causes us to focus on things that take away from the totality of life in the city.

What's frustrating is 1) McCluhan was right. And, 2) Social media has amplified problems out of proportion of their effects.

This will spawn an overcorrection in legislation. A lot of people on DU have lost their minds over it, and our membership is more progressive than the population at large. And twenty years from now, after more jails and prisons are built and are overcrowded with people who were dealt a disadvantage in life from the start, we will be scratching our heads again over what happened.

[Azathoth]

92. Hate to say it, but there is a lot of nostalgia for the Giuliani days

And the Bloomberg days as well. I've heard more than a few offhand comments -- from people who I'm pretty sure don't consider themselves conservative Republicans -- about how De Blasio has undone a lot of what was accomplished during the previous administrations.

You can call it "fascism" if you want, but at the end of the day, businesses and people everywhere want to feel safe and inhabit clean, decent environments -- especially if they're paying exorbitant rent and taxes.

Mocking and castigating them for that isn't going to get you far outside of the deepest blue pockets.