Think of all those apocalypse movies. The main characters who have made it through whatever killed the rest of humanity find their way to a major city. The city is strangely silent, with no sound of humankind. The streets are bereft of cars, the Stores’ front display windows are shattered, and the store shelves are empty. Is this the future of the Golden City? If it happens, It won’t be because of an alien invasion, monster, or killer disease. It will be because of the lack of police and prosecutors who won’t put criminals in jail.
It has begun already, which is why major retailers are leaving town.
Nordstrom has closed its stores in San Francisco because theft is so rampant, and customers are in so much danger that they can’t afford to leave them open.
“The planned closure of Nordstrom underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco,” said a spokesperson for the Westfield Mall. “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.”
The Daily Caller added:
San Francisco has been experiencing heightened crime, homelessness, and public vagrancy, causing many businesses to retreat, according to the California Globe. The rise in crime spurred the city to bump police pay by 10%, with the hope of retaining and recruiting officers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The money may be up, but the number of police working in the city is about 30% lower than it should be (explained below.)
“As many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully,” said a Nordstrom spokesperson to the DCNF.
Nordstrom joins the roughly 20 businesses that have left the downtown San Francisco area in the past three years, according to the San Francisco Standard. Whole Foods temporarily shuttered their downtown location on April 10, attributing their decision to “high theft and hostile visitors.”
Unibail Rodamco Westfield, which owns the San Francisco Centre, took aim at city leaders and local law enforcement. “The planned closure of Nordstrom underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco,” the company said. “A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.
Among the other chains closing all or some of their S.F. stores include
- Amazon
- Anthropologie
- CVS
- Office Depot
- Saks OFF 5TH
- Walgreens
There are more on the precipice of getting out of town.
One of the reasons behind the shoplifting and violence driving stores out of the city is a lack of police. San Francisco has 340 fewer officers than in 2019 and is 541 below the staffing analysis recommended level. The total number of police working in the city is 1,537. They could really use those 541 cops.
The crime and lack of police protection are driving businesses out of town, which in turn is lowering their received tax dollars. It lowers the services offered by the city, including police, and drives more retailers and their employees out of time. When that happens, the cycle restarts and will go on till everyone is gone.
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