San Francisco residents fed up with crime, homelessness: 'It’s getting less safe'
Crime and homelessness are persistent issues plaguing San Francisco despite the newly appointed District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Bay Area residents said.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden City is still getting more dangerous, several Bay Area residents told Fox News despite that a new district attorney has repealed some of her predecessor's progressive policies.
"Crime in the city is worse right now," John, who has lived in San Francisco for over 50 years, said. "We do have a new DA, so maybe things will get better.
"But I've been assaulted recently, so I'm kind of leery about that getting better right away," the 74-year-old continued.
Another city resident, Max, disagreed: "I absolutely feel safe in San Francisco. I tell people all the time, try growing up here in the ‘70s and ’80s, it was a lot different."
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People sleep near discarded clothing and used needles on a street in the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Janie Har)
In June, San Francisco voted to recall then-District Attorney Chesa Boudin, whose critics said he implemented progressive policies such as eliminating cash bail and had a soft-handed approach toward drug crimes. Boudin's replacement, Brooke Jenkins, has reversed many of her predecessor's policies since being appointed, but that hasn't made the city noticeably safer, residents told Fox News.
"Safety in California and San Francisco is horrible," Keith, a longtime San Franciscan, said. "I do not feel safe in the city at all."
"On crime, they don't do anything, they just let the criminals out," he continued.
Keith, who worked at a grocery store in the San Francisco Marina, said criminals used to steal goods from the store, and employees were advised to do nothing. He blamed Proposition 47, a California measure passed in 2014 that prevents shoplifters from being charged with a felony if they steal $950 or less worth of goods.
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San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins has removed policies that critics said were soft on crime, but some residents say they don't see a difference in safety. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
"I know that the crime is the big issue right now," Susan said. "It has to be stopped."
Larceny theft, which includes vehicular smash and grabs and shoplifting, is up 15% since the beginning of this year compared to the same time frame in 2021, according to the San Francisco Police Department. That data also shows that larceny has risen 3% since Jenkins took office on July 8, 2022, through October 13, 2022.
Susan told Fox News she's seen car break-ins and thefts from local drug stores and said that many homeless people commit crimes to make money.
"We have to have the will to solve it and to solve the problem of homelessness," she said. "But I don't know if there's the will to solve it."
SAN FRANCISCANS SPEAK OUT ON CRIME IN THE CITY: 'IT'S TERRIBLE. IT'S BRUTAL'
San Francisco's homeless population is causing additional crime, some residents say. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Joe agreed, saying that homelessness is fueling crime in the city.
"San Francisco is one of those places where if you're looking for a more liberal, I guess, tolerant environment and you're homeless, you're going to come here," he said.
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"I think it's getting less safe," Joe continued. "There's a lot of folks on the streets these days who are mentally unstable because there's no place for them to get the treatment and the counseling and maybe the corrective activity they need."
Keith blamed Democrats for not doing enough to combat crime and homelessness.
"I hate to say it, but just all these Democrats, the most important thing about this is they're just too soft on crime," he said. "That's the bottom line – they're too soft on crime."
