San Francisco: America’s Kabul?

An Afghani immigrant last week compared San Francisco to Afghanistan after his tobacco shop on 17^th Avenue and Geary was robbed. Five thieves made off with over $80,000 in merchandise and $20,000 in cash, according to Fox News. Zaid, the shop’s Afghani owner, said he brought his concerns to city hall but “no one in the city listens”.

“At least in Afghanistan the Taliban will cut your hand off and people are afraid to commit such a crime,” said Zaid. 

“We might have to shut it down,” he added. “Our safety is more important than making a living in this city.”

Zaid’s sentiments are shared by major retailers who are abandoning the city in droves due to rampant crime, drug use and homelessness.

Last month, retail giant Nordstrom announced the closure of both its downtown stores over “changing dynamics” in the city. One of the stores, which opened in 1988, was located in downtown’s Westfield mall. A mall spokesperson called on city officials to solve the “rampant criminal activity”.

In April, Whole Foods announced the closure of its downtown location until it can “ensure the safety” of its staff.

T-Mobile similarly announced the closure of its flagship location in May.

Walgreens closed five stores due to open retail theft, a Safeway branch changed its operating hours from 24-hours to 6 AM–9 PM due to theft,  and a tech store started paying $30,000 per month for security after organized robberies left employees wounded and merchandise stolen. 

In a letter explaining the reason for his decision to close his business, Cotopaxi CEO Davis Smith said San Francisco has “descended into a city of chaos”.

Over 150 families have pitched in to hire private security to patrol the streets of San Francisco due to unchecked home burglaries and car break-ins. 

“284 different individuals were arrested for selling drugs more than once,” according to a May 2022 report. “Of those, 89 were arrested [three] times, one individual was arrested seven times last year. Of the 30 or so individuals who make up the most repeat arrests, not a single one of them is currently in custody.” 

Billionaire Elon Musk called on San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins to take “stronger actions” on repeat offenders after tech mogul Bob Lee, founder of CashApp, was stabbed to death on the street in early April.

“Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately,” Musk tweeted.

According to Zaid, justice is not forthcoming.

“They know the police won't do anything,” he said. “We have a drugs issue, we have a homeless issue, and on top of this these idiots come in here and take whatever they want.”

Many blame San Francisco Mayor London Breed — who has called for defunding the police — for the increase in crime rates. But the skyrocketing crime could not have happened without Chesa Boudin, the city’s former district attorney.

When Boudin was elected with the help of billionaire George Soros in 2019, he ended cash bail, refused to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, began to aggressively prosecute police misconduct, eased up on prosecuting drug offenses, and instituted other policies that allowed crime to spike. 

At least one-third of DA attorneys left their jobs since Boudin took office, citing his unwillingness to prosecute crime. 

In December, the father of a slain 6-year-old accused Boudin of making “the justice system a complete joke” when it was revealed that the murderer would spend less time in jail than the child was alive. 

Boudin was recalled in an historic vote in June 2022, though DA Jenkins is being criticized for having a similar charging rate.

“What the f*** happened to this place?” comedian Dave Chapelle asked during a performance in San Francisco last month.