CNN crew watches three thefts occur over 30 minutes at San Francisco convenience store: 'Like a police state'

A CNN crew witnessed three thefts in just 30 minutes at the highest crime Walgreens convenience store in San Francisco, California.

The report was documented by senior correspondent Kyung Lah. The Walgreens corporation identified the store in Richmond with the highest theft rate among all 9,000 stores, with an average of more than 12 thefts per day.

The store also made headlines when exasperated employees placed a lock on a thick chain on a store refrigerator in order to prevent theft of ice cream and frozen burritos. The store asked them to remove the chains after they received negative publicity.

Lah interviewed residents who were shocked at how bad the retail theft crime had gotten.

“It’s become kind of like a police state in San Francisco. I don't know how else to describe it,” said Phil Hammack, who was shocked that he needed an employee to unlock bags of coffee for purchase.

"This was bizarre, something I've never seen before," said resident Richie Greenburg, who responded to regular day items being locked up. "This is just more icing on the cake telling us that rampant crime has become a regular part of life."

Residents have been relegated to recording the increasing incidents of retail theft in the city on their cellphones. The CNN report documented how stores were forced to lock up entire aisles of items behind plexiglass.

There is some evidence that residents are getting fed up and forcing the city to change its ways in relation to the prosecution of retail theft.

"I think what we've seen, especially in the past couple of years is less tolerance, more exasperation, and more movement to action by every day San Franciscans to change how their city is run," said Marjan Philhour, a community advocate for small business.

Philhour cites the successful recall of a far-left district attorney in 2020 over his progressive prosecution policies.

"It's not enough right now, but there is a change, and I think ultimately we will get there," she added.

Here's part of CNN's report:

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