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There's some decent argumentation in here, but repeatedly referencing rising crime rates in San Francisco and other cities with anti-policing DAs is meaningless

There's some decent argumentation in here, but repeatedly referencing rising crime rates in San Francisco and other cities with anti-policing DAs is meaningless without context. Crime rates have been rising everywhere during the pandemic.

wahern 5y ago
Not everywhere, but it is a fair point that San Francisco is hardly the only locality to see a significant increase in property crime. There are multiple cities in California in particular that have seen significant increases in property crimes, and after reading even a handful of police reports it's notable to me the number of repeat offenders who seem to travel among various cities in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. There's definitely a dearth of hard data. But if you live in San Francisco, it's simply undeniable that the official numbers drastically underestimate the problem. This isn't merely an issue of media hype or mass hysteria. San Franciscans were already inured to car break-ins even when I first moved here ~20 years ago. Shopkeepers, especially downtown, have always dealt with significant amounts of larceny. Junkies and deranged homeless aren't exactly new, either. When we say crime and related issues like street aggression have substantially increased, it's because we see it with our very own eyes, not through stories or the media. It doesn't much matter what's going on elsewhere, or whether you trust the police, to be able to oppose Boudin's policies. In fact, obsessing about what's going on elsewhere is part of the problem. Too many San Francisco politicians are crafting policies which address problems everywhere else but here. Even if Boudin's policies are only responsible for a fraction of the problem, they sure as heck aren't contributing to a solution. Like ring-wing ideologues in other parts of the country, many left-wing politicians here campaign on culture war issues that have almost no relevance for the city except in the most abstract terms. (Of course, there are substantial race and class issues here, but the contours and implications simply don't match those in most of the rest of the country.)
- aradox66 5y ago
  This argument is still baseless without a comparison between regions and policies. For all I know, crime rates are rising more slowly in San Francisco than any other city. If crime is rising in multiple cities, it can't be due to a policy in San Francisco alone. It's fine to oppose his policies, but without a comparison, it's based on ideology, not evidence.

wahern 5y ago

Not everywhere, but it is a fair point that San Francisco is hardly the only locality to see a significant increase in property crime. There are multiple cities in California in particular that have seen significant increases in property crimes, and after reading even a handful of police reports it's notable to me the number of repeat offenders who seem to travel among various cities in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. There's definitely a dearth of hard data. But if you live in San Francisco, it's simply undeniable that the official numbers drastically underestimate the problem. This isn't merely an issue of media hype or mass hysteria. San Franciscans were already inured to car break-ins even when I first moved here ~20 years ago. Shopkeepers, especially downtown, have always dealt with significant amounts of larceny. Junkies and deranged homeless aren't exactly new, either. When we say crime and related issues like street aggression have substantially increased, it's because we see it with our very own eyes, not through stories or the media. It doesn't much matter what's going on elsewhere, or whether you trust the police, to be able to oppose Boudin's policies. In fact, obsessing about what's going on elsewhere is part of the problem. Too many San Francisco politicians are crafting policies which address problems everywhere else but here. Even if Boudin's policies are only responsible for a fraction of the problem, they sure as heck aren't contributing to a solution. Like ring-wing ideologues in other parts of the country, many left-wing politicians here campaign on culture war issues that have almost no relevance for the city except in the most abstract terms. (Of course, there are substantial race and class issues here, but the contours and implications simply don't match those in most of the rest of the country.)

aradox66 5y ago
This argument is still baseless without a comparison between regions and policies. For all I know, crime rates are rising more slowly in San Francisco than any other city. If crime is rising in multiple cities, it can't be due to a policy in San Francisco alone. It's fine to oppose his policies, but without a comparison, it's based on ideology, not evidence.