Glass breaking, lightening up on enforcing laws and gun theft

[Glenn E. Meyer]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/...policy/479880/

This is an interesting piece. SF has a plague of window breaking and theft for cars. The police are handicapped in catching and enforcing current laws. The laws might be lightened up. Quite a few guns are stolen from the cars - and used in terrible crimes.

One solution, mandating lock boxes in cars and heavy fines for the car owner:

Yet how did Campos (city supervisor) react to news that guns are being stolen in some of these smash-and-grab burglaries? He crafted legislation “to require that law enforcement officers as well as civilians who leave guns in parked vehicles in the city secure the weapons in lock boxes or in an enclosed, locked trunk. Failing to secure a gun in a parked car would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or a $10,000 fine.”

In other words, he wants to punish some of the victims of smash-and-grab burglaries with longer jail sentences than he is willing to give the perpetrators of the crime.

Locking up your gun is a good thing, I suppose but the attitude of Campos is rather disgusting. I would also opine that this is one reason I oppose businesses being able to ban carry (except for technical issues of safety - like the gun in the MRI). Don't want to start the property rights argument again, just saying.

[BehindBlueI's]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/...policy/479880/

This is an interesting piece. SF has a plague of window breaking and theft for cars. The police are handicapped in catching and enforcing current laws. The laws might be lightened up. Quite a few guns are stolen from the cars - and used in terrible crimes.

One solution, mandating lock boxes in cars and heavy fines for the car owner:



Locking up your gun is a good thing, I suppose but the attitude of Campos is rather disgusting. I would also opine that this is one reason I oppose businesses being able to ban carry (except for technical issues of safety - like the gun in the MRI). Don't want to start the property rights argument again, just saying.

I've been working with a detective in that area on a jewelry store robbery and we've had some chats about their skyrocketing theft/burglary rates. CA has apparently lowered the penalties for theft and shoplifting, made a more addict friendly environment, and put some rather onerous requirements on search warrants and the like. It's almost like they elected a bunch of criminals who are making the laws more criminal friendly...

[L-2]

San Francisco is inconvenient to visit, either for business or pleasure, if "pleasure" is the word at all.
Once in the city/county limits of San Francisco, there may be parking difficulties at one's destination.
Now, couple that with an increased risk of an automobile break-in, although I recall getting my car radio stolen back in the 80's in San Francisco.

Additional potential restrictions for off-duty cops are the mag capacity (10 rounds or less) and ammunition (vague wording specifying Winchester, Federal, and Hornady brands & versions of ammo unless "issued" with made for "law enforcement") restrictions.
Although legally untested, nobody wants to be the first one to be the subject of a prosecution to determine such legality.

Somehow, if I am off-duty, carrying an 11-round S&W 4006 mag with Federal HST ammo, I'm breaking the law because that act somehow contributes to increasing the risk to public safety instead of lowering the risk to public safety by me being otherwise legally armed with such a weapon.

Even the term "off duty" is vague in the LE world.
Does this mean actually paid on-the-clock?
What about attending a class at one's expense?
What about Reserve/volunteer cops who technically aren't "paid"?
How about a full-time cop who lives or travels through San Francisco after/before work?

The CA cities of Los Angeles and Sunnyvale also have some type of mag cap laws, too, btw.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Do off duty police face fewer zombies? Unbelievable. I was in SF for business last year. I guess it was lucky that it poured rain the whole time and I just stayed in the hotel.

[pablo]

In other news, San Francisco's city management has turned the city into a beacon for the chronic homeless and dysfunctional drug addicts, and they wonder why there's a problem with cars getting broken into.

In a city where pretty much everyone parks on the street, cars are an easy target. The people there got what they asked for, they wanted to be soft on drugs, the homeless and "just" property crimes. They need to think long and hard about what they are asking for this time. Police enforcement on car burglaries isn't going to address the underlying cause of the problem, it's just going to lead to more home and business burglaries, and people getting robbed on the streets.

[AMC]

This problem has been increasing for several years due to several factor, some to do with legislation and some to do with local policies. Prop 47, which reduced penalties for theft related crimes and made ALL narcotics possession misdemeanor crimes, is just the latest blow. Even more damaging, in my opinion, was the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2012, which changed sentencing guidelines for most felony crimes and mandated shorter sentences to be served in County Jails, rather than State Prisons. No room, don't ya know!

Locally, you add in the DA's "bundling" policy, wherein a crook has to be arrested FIVE TIMES for the offense before they will prosecute, the lowest bail rates in the nine county Bay Area counties, and the most lenient judges in the state, and you get what we got. In neighboring San Mateo County a first time conviction for felony Auto Burglary receives an average of 180 days in county jail. In SF its 8 days. That's not a typo.

On top of that, our pursuit policy forbids chasing for a non violent property crime. This is problematic because perhaps most of these auto boosts are now committed by organized rings of gang members who also freelance with street robberies as crimes of opportunity. They have cars, stolen or rentals, and roll up, smash grab and run. We can witness it, and have to wave bye bye as they drive away. They tend to target rental cars, which have an identifiable mark, and tourists are the primary victims. And they don't complain to the mayor or Board of Supes.

L-2, there's a lot of misunderstanding about SF's magazine and ammo law. It does not apply to actively serving off duty cops. That's from the Deputy City Attorney who wrote the law. Retired, though, you're out of luck.

[Kukuforguns]

This problem has been increasing for several years due to several factor, some to do with legislation and some to do with local policies. Prop 47, which reduced penalties for theft related crimes and made ALL narcotics possession misdemeanor crimes, is just the latest blow. Even more damaging, in my opinion, was the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2012, which changed sentencing guidelines for most felony crimes and mandated shorter sentences to be served in County Jails, rather than State Prisons. No room, don't ya know!

Locally, you add in the DA's "bundling" policy, wherein a crook has to be arrested FIVE TIMES for the offense before they will prosecute, the lowest bail rates in the nine county Bay Area counties, and the most lenient judges in the state, and you get what we got. In neighboring San Mateo County a first time conviction for felony Auto Burglary receives an average of 180 days in county jail. In SF its 8 days. That's not a typo.

Suspects arrested in connection with property crimes are treating the arrest as a joke - telling officers they'll see them later. Some suspects have been arrested more than once a week. The changes to California law have increased the profitability of property crime. To the extent there's an up side, it may be that more criminals are avoiding violent crimes in favor of pure property theft.

[1slow]

If you do not live there it is great. Maybe criminals will migrate there. Needs an ad campaign !

[Coyotesfan97]

Just another example of people getting the legal system they vote in and deserve.


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[Hambo]

You've got love the SF way of thinking. Burglary and theft aren't serious crimes, but being a victim of burglary or theft should be.