Before the NFC Championship game last weekend, several outlets and social media commentators highlighted the interesting narrative unfolding between the two teams playing – San Francisco and Detroit. Both cities were seen as flipping the script on their reputations, marking a reversal of fortunes that had captured media attention earlier.
The reversal of fortune in cities like Detroit had been previously acknowledged in October of the preceding year. The New Yorker reported that San Francisco’s executive director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Sarah Dennis Phillips, was studying communities that successfully transformed their stories. Formerly depressed cities like Nashville and Detroit had managed to construct compelling narratives, attracting people to these locales.
While the 49ers celebrated their improbable 17-point comeback securing a trip to the Super Bowl, Detroit embraced its newfound moniker, “The Comeback City.” However, amid these positive shifts, San Francisco found itself facing a peculiar challenge – securing chewing gum to prevent theft.
Yes, you heard it right. Regular, everyday Trident chewing gum was being safeguarded under lock-and-key at a Walgreens in the Inner Richmond area. This particular Walgreens had gained notoriety the previous year for putting padlocks on its freezers due to rampant theft.
As reported by the San Francisco Standard, the gum was kept under tight security measures, priced as low as $4.29, and had become a focal point of theft prevention efforts. The writer, Garrett Leahy, spent an hour at the Walgreens, observing the prevalence of security measures such as plexiglass screens locking away various items, including cosmetics, shampoo, toothbrushes, and more.
Leahy’s interactions with workers revealed the extent of the theft problem. When the gum and similar items were initially secured, theft rates were high, with 15 to 20 thefts per day, and one particularly frequent thief earned the nickname “Santa.” While the presence of security guards has contributed to a reduction in theft, the situation remains challenging, with guards acknowledging that perpetrators are opportunistic and will seize any available opportunity.
San Francisco’s Inner Richmond Walgreens takes extreme measures to combat rising theft, locking up everything from gum to soup. https://t.co/vHVROkh73l
— The San Francisco Standard (@sfstandard) January 31, 2024
The broader issue illuminated in this story ties back to the challenges faced by California, particularly the impact of lenient laws regarding theft. Progressive policies in Sacramento, coupled with lax enforcement of laws regarding theft under $950, have created an environment where theft is commonplace and often goes unpunished.
In California, the urgency and leniency afforded to theft under $950 have created a problematic scenario where retailers resort to extreme measures, such as locking up basic items like toothbrushes and chewing gum. The situation in San Francisco serves as a stark example of how legislative inaction and lenient approaches can lead to unforeseen consequences, contributing to a landscape where commonplace items become casualties of security measures.
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