John Hamasaki, a radical progressive candidate who ran for San Francisco district attorney, downplayed the experience of recent victims of a robbery that took place in the city, where over $10,000 worth in equipment and passports were stolen out of a car.
Investor Snehal Antani revealed the member of his team was traumatized by the event and they will have to conduct safety briefs before someone goes to San Francisco. Smash and grabs have become an epidemic in the city, with some residents leaving trunks and windows open to show would-be robbers there is nothing to steal.
A teammate visiting San Francisco for an offsite called me frantically last night. After dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf they came back to a smashed car window and 2 stolen backpacks. $10K in gear lost, passports gone, etc. #SanFrancisco
— Snehal Antani (@snehalantani) March 17, 2023
And my teammates will be scarred forever, being robbed hits you at your core, especially when it’s thousands of dollars of loss. There is no downtown recovery without an aggressive push for safety @LondonBreed
— Snehal Antani (@snehalantani) March 17, 2023
Hamasaki demeaned the victim's experience by stating, "Is this what the suburbs do to you? Shelter you from basic city life experiences so that when they happen you are broken to the core?"
"I’ve had my window broken 2x when I was living paycheck to paycheck. It sucked financially, but it had zero impact on my sense of public safety. I can’t even imagine the world one must live in where this would be the most traumatizing incident in their life," he continued.
Interesting. Would getting your car window broken and some stuff stolen leave you “scarred forever”?
— John Hamasaki (@HamasakiLaw) March 19, 2023
Is this what the suburbs do to you? Shelter you from basic city life experiences so that when they happen you are broken to the core? https://t.co/OcHD4qJwtm
Again, not to say it doesn’t suck. But maybe city life just isn’t for you. It’s not the suburbs. There is crime.
— John Hamasaki (@HamasakiLaw) March 19, 2023
I’m grateful most of it is property crime instead of violent crime. But I’ve always felt safe in San Francisco, even after being on the wrong side of violent crime.
A CNN reporter recently in the city also detailed how her team was the victim of a smash and grab, despite having security watching the car. The security guard was unable to catch the robbers but was able to get a photo of the getaway car.
Got robbed. Again. @jasonkCNN & I were at city hall in San Francisco to do an interview for @CNN. We had security to watch our rental car + crew car. Thieves did this in under 4 seconds. Security stopped the jerks from stealing other bags. But seriously- this is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/3zcCzckavW
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) March 17, 2023
San Francisco is a beautiful city. This is our 3rd day here and I’ve loved my time here. But if you do visit this city, know that even with hired security watching your car, it is not enough. pic.twitter.com/Hi7UPSG5g5
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) March 17, 2023