Car break-ins drop throughout city

After 2017 surge, smash-and-grabs down in February; reasons unclear

The San Francisco Police Department reported a 31 percent decrease in auto break-ins from January to February, with the number of year-to-date thefts down by 15 percent across the city.

All 10 police districts reported a decline between January and February, according to data that police released Monday.

The number of reported car break-ins surged dramatically in 2017, increasing 25 percent from 2016; a record 31,322 incidents were reported last year.

A Chronicle investigation found that police made arrests in 550 incidents last year, or roughly 1.8 percent of cases. Officials, though, said the numbers may be incomplete, and that their most up-to-date records show 639 cases were cleared with arrests.

Some of the hardest-hit areas had almost no arrests, The Chronicle found. For example, on a block of Point Lobos Avenue near Ocean Beach, police received reports of 305 car break-ins but made just one arrest.

The Police Department has changed some of its tactics in responding to auto break-ins, said Officer Robert Rueca, a police spokesman. But it’s too early to pinpoint any particular technique as a driving factor in the month-to-month decline, he said.

“We’re attacking the issue from multiple angles,” Rueca said. “Right now, we’re unable to just say, ‘That’s the plan that’s working.’ ”

The Northern district saw the sharpest drop, 44 percent, in reported car break-ins from

January to February, police figures show. The Mission and Park districts saw the smallest decline, 11 percent in each.

The department has doubled uniformed foot patrols citywide to deter street crime. In November, Chief Bill Scott created a unit to address car break-ins and other neighborhood property crimes.

In addition, the department has launched a “Park Smart” education campaign encouraging residents and visitors to remove all valuables from their parked vehicles.

“The increased visibility of our officers and our efforts to educate the public through our Park Smart program are paying off,” Scott said in a statement. “While these numbers are encouraging, these crimes continue to impact too many residents and visitors to our city. There is still much work ahead.”

Police have been coordinating with other Bay Area law enforcement agencies to share information on suspected break-in criminals, Rueca said.

Police district captains are responsible for their own local staffing and patrol strategies, with differing challenges in highly trafficked tourist regions and residential areas.