crime

Shop Owners Forced to Take Extra Precautions as Thieves Continue Hitting SF Chinatown

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Just days after half a dozen Chinatown businesses were hit by thieves, it happened again.

At least three businesses in San Francisco’s Chinatown said they were hit in the past day, forcing shop owners and employees to take extra precautions.

“Ten or 12 people or kids I think they under 15 years old. They are all very young and they have a backpack,” said a jewelry store owner that did not want to be identified. “I was like that’s not right, so I closed my store, locked my store and turned off the light and pretended like imma close because I’m by myself.” 

Others weren't as lucky.

The suspected thieves started on Pacific Avenue, went down Grant and then went on a crime spree all the way to Pine Street.

“My life is not safe,” said the owner.

The owners of Jade Bazaar was one of those who witnessed the crime spree.

 “It was insane, it’s really unsafe to do business in our city,” said Anita of Jade Bazaar.

 The group didn't go into her store, but over the weekend they prevented three people from taking merchandise from their store.

That incident and others like it have pushed her to start giving weapons to her employees.

“Every employee we’re doing a confu master and we bought like these kind of stick and if something we need to defend or we have a metal chain,” said Anita.

They've also made pepper spray easily accessible from almost anywhere in the store and invested in more cameras.

 “Every minute we come to work, your nerves are intense, that’s not healthy,” said Anita. 

The Delta Chinatown Initiative said they are aware of the situation and are also planning to install more cameras in alleys and other corridors to help make the community feel safer.

Police said they're doing what they can to saturate the community with patrols.

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