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He’s been a small business advocate and community activist for years. He’s talked to all the politicians he can. He’s gone to the small business advisory meetings. He’s trained on how to deal with the homeless and drug addicted who plague his neighborhood. But none of it has made much difference.
“It’s just completely out of control,” said Mesnick. “They were here for about 12 minutes… I don’t think it’s organized crime. They knew they were coming to break in and they were good at what they do…. with no consequences, even if you get caught. That’s the real problem. It’s transferred into a green light for people to do whatever they feel like.”
Mesnick’s painfully ordinary robbery comes at a time when San Francisco is wrestling for its soul. The City is in a dire predicament, with a raging fentanyl and methamphetamine epidemic killing hundreds every year. The homeless problem seems worse than ever. And our politicians and law enforcement officials are unable to corral the problems, instead bickering over policy decisions, enforcement definitions and philosophical positioning.
To be fair, the San Francisco Police Department is overwhelmed. They face a shortage of officers and just put in for a budget amendment this week to pay for more officers. They say crime stats are stable in The City. But it’s hard to ignore the word on the street.
stock Wix photo