S.F.’s worst spots for car break-ins
False confidence reigns at 4 of city’s hardest-hit areas
With more than 31,000 auto break-ins last year, San Francisco claimed the worst rate among big cities in the state. But this target-rich environment isn’t evenly spread.
Thieves visited a collection of hot spots over and over again, particularly tourist draws near the beach or the bay, city landmarks and shopping areas with large lots, according to a Chronicle analysis of crime data from 2017.
Police are using the same data in a bid to crack down. But solving cases is a challenge, and police made arrests in just 550 cases last year, records show.
“We’re going for a visible presence at the locations,” said Northern Station Capt. Joseph Engler.
Each of the window-smashing hubs has unique characteristics, but there are common themes, such as vibrant atmospheres that give visitors false confidence, and parking lots with little to no security where people leave vehicles for hours.
The Chronicle sent a reporter to four of the worst-hit square blocks to explore why criminals find each location so appealing.
Looking out over the ruins of Sutro Baths and the Pacific Ocean beyond from behind the counter at Louis’ Restaurant, Tom Hickox offers diners breathtaking views, famous comfort food and a hard-boiled warning.
“When people come in, I tell them, ‘If you have anything in your car, go get it,’ ” he said.
A long stretch of Point Lobos Avenue extending north from Ocean Beach suffered the highest number of break-ins for any single block in San Francisco in 2017, according to city data.
One of the 305 vehicles hit there last year, Hickox recalled, belonged to a film crew that parked in front of the restaurant. The group brought in some gear, but had to leave heavier items in a locked van. When the guests finished eating, they made the sad discovery — the vehicle had been ransacked.
“I didn’t see anything, and I didn’t even hear anything,” Hickox said. “The criminals are very well organized.”
Though he didn’t witness that caper, Hickox often looks out at the parking lots up the street and notices thieves casing cars and breaking windows. By the time he picks up the phone to call police, he said, they’re gone.
“I felt so bad for these people,” he said. “It’s very deceiving because it seems safe here, but it’s not.”
San Francisco police are aware of the problem along the picturesque point, and when they can, officers place flyers under windshield wipers reading, “Take your things. Lock your car.” Catching criminals in the act, though, is rare. Police reported making arrests in one incident along the stretch last year.
As with many other break-in hot spots, the area has large parking lots sitting out of view from the sights people come for. Sutro Baths and the Cliff House, for example, are not visible from the main lot at Lands End. The lot — the largest in the area — is where burglars really get busy.
Steve Robinson, 62, makes and sells jewelry at a stand in front of the Cliff House two days a week. Sometimes, he said, he’ll see dozens of freshly pilfered cars with windows smashed in the lot.
“It’s crazy, man,” he said. “It’s going to be hard to stop this thing. They’re running three deep. You got some people that are so sophisticated.”