San Francisco police announced Thursday a new plan for cutting down rampant car burglaries at some of the city’s most iconic landmarks: expanding patrols and using bait cars.
Those burglaries happen nearly every day, in the middle of the day, at San Francisco’s most popular tourist spots.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott, joined by other law enforcement officials in front of the Palace of Fine Arts Thursday, said his department was now putting car burglars on notice.
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“These are more serious crimes and we have to take them seriously,” said Scott. “So, with that, we intend to do more with tourism deployment, bait cars. We will hold people accountable.”
There is no shortage of evidence highlighting the on-going problem.
Video posted widely across social media appears to show a car burglary happening at Alamo Square. After bystanders step in, the alleged burglar gets into a white and drives past a police cruiser with its lights flashing.
The San Francisco Police Department said Thursday it’s still trying to get details about that specific incident.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, also present at the Palace of Fine Arts, said her office will be in lockstep with police when they do make arrests.
“We have gotten to a point in San Francisco that people didn’t even fear being arrested because they didn’t think anything was going to happen once the DA’s office took over the case,” said Jenkins.
People who live near the burglary hotspots tell NBC Bay Area the extra patrols can’t come soon enough. Some even said they often try to help prevent the break-ins.
“And I see people busting their windows out, that infuriates me,” said Mark Boyd of San Francisco.
“I go down the street and I tell them, I say, ‘hey, you guys do not leave anything in your car,’ ” said San Francisco resident Phil, who did not provide a last name. “I’m trying to do what I can to prevent this from happening.”
The SFPD said the increased patrols will begin effective immediately.
Funding for the special operation will come from the $81 million in overtime funds recently approved by the mayor and Board of Supervisors.
