Some might call this a shocking video but we are not going to go that far. These types of situations have been unfolding for literal years now. Sadly, this is not even the first time that we have watched a thief steal from this particular Walgreens location in San Francisco.
Someone was recording the theft with their smartphone, giving us the chance to see what really went down. While this has been referred to as a “shoplifting”, we think that “robbery” is far more appropriate. It’s not like they were attempting to conceal their actions. They wanted everyone to know what was taking place.
Elementary law and order have totally broken down. There is no denying that for even one second. Of course, this is the part where people want to know the obvious. Why didn’t a security guard step in and put a stop to the theft? Evidently, the practice of interfering in crimes of this nature has been stopped because of the inherent danger.
“We’ve had incidents where our security officers are assaulted on a pretty regular basis in San Francisco,” said the head of retail crime for CVS in San Francisco to a reporter from the New York Times. The Times did a major piece about the San Francisco shoplifting epidemic and this was the most shocking finding.
This just happened at the @Walgreens on Gough & Fell Streets in San Francisco. #NoConsequences @chesaboudin pic.twitter.com/uSbnTQQk4J
— Lyanne Melendez (@LyanneMelendez) June 14, 2021
If you’re not going to do anything about shoplifting, people are going to look at your stores like they are open season and free for the taking. Even the bravest security guard who decides to take a stand is not going to be protected by the law. Retailers can be sued for actions that are taken by their hired security guards in these instances.
No, every shoplifter is not some lone wolf who is just looking to feed their family. This archetype is often cited by the far left but nothing could be further from the truth. A theft ring in the Bay Area was uncovered last year and they made off with $8 million in merchandise. Most of these ill-gotten goods were pilfered from CVS stores.
The ringleaders of these schemes send the shoplifters in to take certain items, they pay them a small amount of cash for their troubles and then the goods are flipped on the black market. Shoplifting has essentially become a form of organized crime, as some groups are even pulling off coordinated grab and dashes in larger groups.
The CVS on my corner has started locking up basic items like clothing detergent.
As so many families can’t make ends meet right now, I can’t imagine thinking that the way to solve the problem of people stealing basic necessities out of desperation is to prosecute them. https://t.co/5RsdMTDWqa
— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) May 22, 2021
This brings us to the second question that needs to be answered: why is this happening on such a wide scale in the city of San Francisco? For starters, this city made their own bed when they decided to decriminalize the theft of goods that are worth $950 or less. This is now state law, though, so why is the problem so widespread in San Francisco?
17 stores have already been closed in the city due to the endless theft. In May, the company’s VP for California retail operations testified at a hearing about the matter. They claimed that theft in San Francisco was four times the natural average and that they are spending 35 times more on their security guards in this city than in any other. The Times asked a city supervisor about the issue and this was their answer:
“He talked about what he called a laissez-faire attitude in San Francisco.
“It has become part of the landscape,” he said of thefts. “People say, ‘Oh, well, that just happens.’”
Thieves “are obviously choosing locales based on what the consequences are,” Safaí said. “If there are no consequences for their actions, then you invite the behavior. Over and over.”
The far left also loves to make excuses for these thieves. If you take a look at the replies on Twitter to the shoplifting video, they are filled with every possible justification. These are the same people who want to defund the police, though. It’s a funny little juxtaposition.
