San Francisco officials report steep drop in car break-ins since August
SAN FRANCISCO – City leaders in San Francisco announced the results of a recent crackdown on auto burglaries, saying there has been a steep decline in break-ins over the last three months.
Mayor London Breed's office on Monday gave an update on the operation launched in August, which includes the use of bait cars, increased patrols and investigations against organized rings that authorities said are responsible for much of the break-ins.
Officials said when the crackdown was announced, burglaries were flat year-over-year from 2022. Since then, city officials reported a 50% decrease in car break-ins compared to last year.
"Our police officers and our prosecutors have been doing incredible work tackling the difficult challenge of disrupting auto burglaries," Breed said. "We will remain focused and we will continue to give our officers the tools they need to do this work effectively across our entire city."
Police Chief Bill Scott said, "I'm optimistic about the progress we've made in reducing the number of auto burglaries in San Francisco, but this is just a start."
The operation had a particular focus on major tourist areas, including Alamo Square, Fisherman's Wharf and the Palace of Fine Arts. A resident told CBS News Bay Area in August that break-ins are a common sight.
"Every single day," said Annie, who lives near the Palace of Fine Arts, "Cars getting broken into. You walk by and you see the family coming back to the car after it's been broken into, Glass everywhere. Kids in tears, lost their teddy bear. Lost their passports. Can't get home to Nicaragua, or wherever they came from. And it is heartbreaking."
Along with expanded enforcement from police, officials said the District Attorney's office has increased prosecutions and sought detention of suspects in "prolific" cases.
"There must be consistent accountability for auto burglars to set a new tone in San Francisco that this conduct is not tolerated here," District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.
While break-ins are on the decline, a string of break-ins early Monday morning shows there is still work to do.
"Smash and grab, I guess it's what they call it last night. They did it to a bunch of cars on this street, apparently," Sean Eden lamented, pointing out the aftermath of the vehicular vandalism. "It's the first time my car got broken into since I moved here from New York City a year and a half ago."
The incident unfolded within minutes, captured in surveillance footage provided by a neighbor.
"Right around 4 a.m., three people get out of this white car and start breaking into cars," Eden told CBS News Bay Area, illustrating the brazenness of the culprits. "They hit at least three other locations around this area."
Describing the shock of discovering the break-in, Eden recounted, "I was actually on my way to get some coffee and food down at Hayes Valley, and I was like, I will just walk down to the alley and check on the car because I do that sometimes, and I was like, 'Oh, man!'"
The concern reverberated further along the street, as Brian Kim shared his distress over the break-ins affecting both his cars.
"I love San Francisco. But when something like this happens, I worry a little bit about our city's safety," Kim expressed, echoing the sentiments of many residents troubled by the recent events.
The mayor's office also announced drops in other property crimes, including retail theft. Officials said that larceny thefts over Black Friday weekend were down 75% from the previous year.
In its statement, the mayor's office said it hopes to sustain the reduction in break-ins by pushing a measure to install 400 automated license plate readers at 100 intersections in the city. Breed also hopes to add police officers, noting a 5-year-high in applications to join the department.
