San Francisco car break-ins increased by 750% in tourists hub
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SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — San Francisco auto break ins are on the rise in one particular area.
New data from SFPD shows theft from vehicles in the city’s tourist hub jumped more than 750% from May 2020 to May of this year.
The city’s central station experienced 85 reported auto break ins in May 2020. May 2021 experienced more than 700 car break ins — this time period over the course of the pandemic.
NewsNation affiliate KRON has reported countless auto break ins caught on surveillance video.
Some even down right brazen with the victim still inside their car during the crime.
According to the latest crime data from San Francisco police, the city’s central station has seen an increase of theft from vehicles. From May 2020 compared to May 2021 — went up 753%. The area includes Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown.
City visitors said they have plans in place to avoid becoming a victim of a smash and grab.
“Fortunately my company has a parking area where we can park and they also have security as well so I don’t have concern about car break ins,” Sophie Zhang said.
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“Either park in the garage or put away anything that would be visible through the window in my trunk or I wouldn’t drive at all,” Feyra Hirrpa said. “I’d take BART instead.”
Citywide, SFPD theft from vehicles went up 105% during the same time period.
In a statement, SFPD says, in part:
“There are a number of factors that may indicate increases and decreases in certain crimes. As a department we are constantly evaluating all crime trends and different ways to combat those trends throughout the city. We encourage anyone who thinks they are the victim of an auto burglary to contact us so we can fully investigate the incident. Our goal is to hold those who commit these crimes accountable, but we need the report in order to conduct our investigations.
These police reports are used to help us understand when, where, and to what degree these auto burglaries are occurring. With this data we are able to be more strategic with our staffing and patrols as well as conduct more effective operations to arrest and slow down the number of auto burglary incidents. These strategies also include the redeployment of resources and increased patrols, foot beats and officers on fixed post in crime hot spots. This not only allows us to rapidly respond to crimes in progress but also act as a visual deterrent to would-be criminals. “
Insurance experts say it’s impossible to prevent smash and grabs but they recommend taking your valuables with you or hiding them in the trunk.
