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The numbers are staggering and San Francisco residents are now sounding the alarm about the increasing rate of brazen break-ins in the city.
A recent example is a video posted on Nextdoor and given to KPIX 5 from one homeowner in the Cow Hollow neighborhood that shows a man trying to break into a house at 1:52 a.m. on August 22. It’s an image that’s creepy, disturbing and has shaken a sense of safety.
The homeowner didn’t want his identity revealed, but others say these attempted burglaries have been rampant.
“Our next-door neighbor got broken into and they had already experienced another break-in a month prior to that,” said Ginny Fang, who lives in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood.
A spokesperson for the San Francisco Police Department said they’re getting more reports of break-ins recently through the garage.
“We’re doing all we can to step up patrols and to ultimately arrest those who are committing these crimes,” said SFPD Officer Robert Rueca.
Fang said thieves several weeks ago stole four of her family’s bicycles by breaking and entering.
“You take a walk down the neighborhood and you see so many holes just punched into garages and wires, the same wire that was used to hook ours, you see them, laying around on the street,” said Fang.
Another victim whose home was broken into in late August sent KPIX 5 a photo after collecting information of more than 50 incidents from other neighbors.
In San Francisco, burglaries are up 42% in the first 9 months of this year, compared to the same time period in 2019. In the Northern District, which includes Pacific Heights, the Marina, North Beach, and Cow Hollow, it’s up 59%. In the Mission, 79% and in the Richmond up 50%.
“It’s so hard, the destabilizing feeling, and there’s already so much happening in the world and even the basic sanctity of your home,” said Fang.
Bill Rigdon of Panic Room Builders emphasizes that “unfortunately this isn’t just a San Francisco problem, it’s happening more and more across every major city in the world.”
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