[jljljl]

> the article makes it clear that theft was a key reason these CVSs closed in SF.

The article does not make this clear, it cites some Yelp reviews, but doesn’t mention that it was part of a nationwide plan to close 46 underperforming stores nationwide. CVS also does not cite shoplifting in the article, and the article also mentions that there was a CVS not too far from the one that closed.

If you Google, you can absolutely find shoplifting stories about NYC. I’ve seen anti-theft measures in drugstores of several major cities, even before 2019. I guess it’s worth asking why the SF ones get a huge amount of press and not the NYC ones. Maybe it’s politics.

> The evidence is all there. Denial of what's going on in SF is bizarre

I’m not denying the videos or the closing of the Walgreens stores, but I’m a bit skeptical about the narrative being built around these points. Here is a counter viewpoint with some evidence:

http://www.cjcj.org/news/13165

[q1w2]

Don't you think it's a little biased to cite a blog who's stated intent is to reduce the number of incarcerated people?

This is not a trustworthy source on this subject. It's odd you trust it more than the New York Times on this subject. This isn't some GOP fake news conspiracy.

Also, it states that reports of theft are down. I mean obviously. If stores are shutting down and police cannot even arrest thieves then it follows that the stores are not even bothering to report shoplifting any longer.

...and the data that's more relevant is that these chains are reporting that nearly HALF of their total losses in all of California, come from San Francisco.

[jljljl]

Fine, here are the same stats, sourced from the DOJ and SFPD is in a newspaper. You can also check the CJCJ sources and data as well:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Is-shoplifting-ris...

Here's one with data on the stores that Walgreens closed:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/Is-shoplifting-forcin...

> Also, it states that reports of theft are down. I mean obviously. If stores are shutting down and police cannot even arrest thieves then it follows that the stores are not even bothering to report shoplifting any longer.

Don't know what to say to this, other than it's an unfalsifiable claim and will always point the way you want -- Crime is always too high, because any decline is the result of non reporting. If the vast majority of the shoplifting losses are by professional organized criminal gangs, I'm surprised that the chains wouldn't report them

> ...and the data that's more relevant is that these chains are reporting that nearly HALF of their total losses in all of California, come from San Francisco.

Where did you hear this?. The only stat I can find close to this is from CVS, which says 26% of incidents (42% of $ value) of their losses from shoplifting _in the Bay Area_ come from San Francisco.