KGO-TV reporter Lyanne Melendez posted a shocking video of a shoplifter taking armfuls of products in a San Francisco Walgreens and getting away with the merchandise while encountering little resistance.
The video shows a man on a bicycle shoving stolen goods in a large trash bag while a customer and what appears to be a security guard record the man on their phones. Once the man is done grabbing what he wanted, he begins to bike away.
While passing the security guard, the guard attempts to take the bag away from the man but is unsuccessful. The man then bikes out of the store's front door, bag in hand.
Absolute lawlessness in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/DRUiW6iuZX
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 15, 2021
In Melendez's tweet, she tagged District Attorney of San Francisco Chesa Boudin, who has been heavily criticized for the increase in crime rates since taking office. Boudin instead has blamed the rising crime rates on the San Francisco police.
"Frankly, when it comes to crime, we need to increase police clearance rates," Boudin told KPIX 5 in May. "Right now, police are only making arrests in about 10 percent of all reported crimes. There is no way we are going to lock up our way out of a problem when police are only clearing 10 percent of reported crimes."
"Come down to the courthouse and watch what we’re doing," he said. "Any day of the week, any courtroom. You will see my veteran prosecutors handling cases ranging from shoplifting to murder and doing it with dignity and integrity and doing with zealousness."
Many city residents are not buying his explanation, and Boudin is now facing two recall campaigns.