San Francisco Decriminalized Petty Theft and It Turned Out Just like It Sounds
So what can be done and why do so many billionaires in Silicon Valley sit on their hands and do nothing?
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, San Fransisco curtailed their police spending by $120 million. A year later, the city doubled down on easing their law enforcement policies. This included decriminalizing shoplifting valued at $950 or less, which means that stealing is legal in a sense.
During the pandemic, food insecurity and shortage of disposable income have become serious issues that are facing millions of Americans right now. The pandemic has lead to economic turmoil, which historically results in crime spikes. The timing to defund law enforcement, which might have been well intentioned, could not come at a worse time.
Crime statistics are up double digits compared with pre-pandemic levels, and the public officials of San Fransisco decide now is the time to decriminalize theft. How can this be? It seems so idiotic that it sounds like an Onion headline. It’s ridiculous and it’s giving Republicans the political fuel that they don’t need, especially considering how detrimental things could be if they get back the House in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.
