Businesses ranging from retail stores to large corporations have fled California en masse in recent years, costing the city hundreds of millions of dollars a year on the back of rising crime and a surge in drug use.

San Francisco is seeing a significant increase in crime through 2023, with homicides up 10%, robberies up 14.7%, and car thefts up 5.4%. data From the city police station. The increase has led to large-scale thefts from stores in the city, often without police intervention, and has led many businesses to close their stores in the city entirely. (Related article: ‘Too many people’: Dealers mock attempts to reduce drug use on San Francisco streets)

On Thursday, telecommunications company AT&T announced The company announced the closure of its flagship store in the city’s Union Square shopping area, according to the San Francisco Standard. The company’s CEO didn’t explicitly cite crime as the reason for the shutdown, but AT&T’s exit made the company the reason for the shutdown. 25th Large company – join another company major retailers After 2020, Whole Foods, Cinemark Theatre, GAP, Nordstrom, Banana Republic and others will pull out of shopping hubs known for retail crime, according to the standards.

However, many companies and executives believe that reduced safety is the reason for the spill.

“We will consider reopening the Trinity store once we are determined to ensure the safety of our team members in the store,” said a representative. spokesperson For Whole Foods.

“Due to continued organized retail crime, we have made the difficult decision to close five stores across San Francisco.” Said Walgreen.

Stocks… San Francisco thieves are robbing a few remaining stores before they close. pic.twitter.com/fXetvNazhR

— @amuse (@amuse) June 15, 2023

AT&T’s decision came after Monday’s announcement that the city’s prominent mall, the Westfield Shopping Center, would close. sale According to CBS News, the facility’s sales fell by $157 million between 2019 and 2022, despite a 26% increase in the company’s sales in California during the same period.The operating rate of the mall Dropped As crime levels rose and traffic fell, 55% of shopping malls across the country had 93%.

“everyone is [expletive] I’m hungry. Shopping malls have been in decline for some time.” Said Contributed to the California Globe as an employee of Cinemark. As to the reason for his departure, a business consultant told The Globe:[i]It could be crime, taxes, bad rental agreements, or a combination. “

“[In San Francisco] We have lawlessness, we have young people with no vision, no opportunity, and they are pushing it onto our residents and businesses…” Said Tom Wong, who runs a private security firm, recently moved from out of town to Fox Business.

Apart from rising crime, San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States, with a 79% Bank rates are higher than the national average, a fact believed to be the presence of big tech companies in cities that often leads to high inflation.

Companies often cite “employee safety” and “local business conditions” as reasons for leaving, but on the other hand, they are often victims of gang thefts. documented On social media, many individuals run out of stores with tons of merchandise. By 2022, the city police department will paid According to the SF Chronicle, police officers were paid more than $2.2 million overtime to increase patrols in the area.

Experts often point out the high cost of living in cities. push Cases of low-income workers falling into crime and homelessness are increasing 32% Over the past decade, according to the Heritage Foundation.Some cite progressive policies like unconditional cash scholarship To the homeless and free housing programto exacerbate the crisis, Around Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said at a public rally on city crime in May that “mercy kills”, referring to the city’s left-wing policies against drugs and the homeless. “There is a humanitarian crisis on our streets,” she added.

2020, then-Democrat District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced As part of his left-wing campaign platform, he does not prosecute “quality-of-life crimes” such as prostitution, public urination and public camps, but instead “diversion before trialEfforts to Reduce Criminal Behavior Without Prisons. He was removed from office in 2022 by a recall campaign after property crime surged, and was replaced by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. hopeful to combat crime.

Additionally, the Chronicle reported last August that San Francisco Police Department officers often do not respond to petty crimes such as burglary and theft, citing budget constraints and the volume of complaints they face. Small businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area also reported having had to spend more than $20,000 on security enhancements, sometimes more expensive and uneconomical than the stolen goods. .

A combination of issues has led San Francisco to be ranked as one of the “worst-run” cities in the United States in 2022 by consumer research group WalletHub. (Related article: “What Happened In This Place?”: Dave Chappelle Trolls San Francisco With Standup Routine)

Business outflows and their causes have taken its toll on the city, which is expected to face a deficit of $1.3 billion in 2028, partly due to declining property tax revenues. $200 million According to Chronicle, it is calculated annually based on data published by the city.San Francisco is also suffering from a declining population. 6.3% According to the World Population Review, 2020-2023 will see the biggest decline in California during this period.

“that’s all [isn’t] Same city as before. In the 80’s and 90’s there was still something. People are proud of their city, and although there was some crime, it wasn’t a big concern. We didn’t have a tent so we could walk on the sidewalk. ” Said Fourth-generation owner Frank Russo, who lives in the city, left town to write for the California Globe.

Breed and former California governor Gavin Newsom, a native of the city, have been contacted for comment.

All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers capable of serving large audiences. All reissues must include our company logo, press byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.