Nothing more clearly displays the decline of an empire quite like rampant, low-level crime. Like this Target in San Francisco that has to lock up...everything. Literally, everything. Not a single good can be left unguarded.

It's not uncommon for stores like Target to keep pricier items locked up. But this is next-level. Even inexpensive items like toiletries and cosmetics are given maximum security at this San Fran location. According to a local news station, this Target has been locking everything down since at least October of last year, due to out-of-control shoplifting that began amidst the pandemic. This spike in organized crime caused five Walgreens in the San Francisco area to close, as well as a Whole Foods just a few weeks ago.

A 2022 retail security survey ranked the San Francisco and Oakland area as the second-most hard-hit by theft in 2020 and 2021. Los Angeles clinched the number one spot, while New York City was close behind. According to the organization, body wash and over-the-counter medication are hot commodities to shoplifters because they can often sell these items on the black market to smaller stores.

Part of the problem in SF is the dramatic understaffing of the police force - 25% - after they failed to replace over 500 officers who retired or resigned. The Mayor recently explained, “People want our officers to focus on the open-air drug dealing, retail theft, home burglaries, and violence impacting our neighborhoods, but we need more police to deliver." This understaffing could also explain the police force's 36-hour response times. (Seriously. That's a thing that's happening.)

I've said it over and over again every time we cover a story about California. But why in the world does anyone still live there? Earthquakes. Blizzards. Homelessness. Crime. Trans-ing the kids. I get it's a beautiful state, but, at what cost?

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Lily is a Zoomer college dropout who somehow landed a writing gig here at LwC.com. In her spare time, she enjoys going for runs, touching grass, and occasionally tweeting tweets for fellow tweeters.

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