Well, there are two classes of criminal. The petty crimes are committed by a small but very vocal minority of homeless people who are severely mentally ill and

Well, there are two classes of criminal. The petty crimes are committed by a small but very vocal minority of homeless people who are severely mentally ill and/or severely addicted to meth/opiates. They can afford to live here because everyone has apparently decided the most humane thing to do is to look the other way while they struggle, freeze, and eventually overdose and die on the street. The larger-scale thefts are committed by organized crime operations that essentially operate a business of stealing and reselling stuff because of notoriously lax law enforcement. Think the opening scene of Requiem for a Dream, except an entire crew doing that, over and over and over. They make a lot of money doing this -- and drive up the cost of basic essentials for other working class people who have to buy what they resell because they clear drugstores out. They make enough to live comfortably, despite the high cost of living, apparently.