Property crimes in the City are down by double digits compared to this time last year. A lot of that is due to the quarantine. But business owners report that break-ins are increasingly common and vandals are getting bolder.
Vandalism isn’t tracked by the city, but police have noted a “change in crime trends” since the shutdown.
Last week someone tried to break into Mitchell’s ice cream by melting its lock with a blowtorch. And Crossroad Pizzeria suffered five break-ins in three days. Even more unusual is that the burglars targeted the pizzeria’s supply of toilet paper, garbage bags and Clorox wipes.
These incidents join others in the Bay Area, including the burgarlery of a San Mateo restaurant. In that case, the group stole cash and partied on-site for 11 hours.
Police recommend owners install surveillance cameras and safeguard their businesses as they see fit.
