Tag: car break ins

Why Should You Consider Installing a Catalytic Converter Protective Cage in San Francisco?

Catalytic converter theft has been on the rise in San Francisco in recent years, and it can be a costly and frustrating experience for vehicle owners. Thieves target these auto parts because they contain precious metals, like platinum and rhodium, that can be sold for a high price. While there are several steps you can take to prevent catalytic converter theft, placing a protective cage over the converter is an additional measure that can be highly effective.

  1. What is a Catalytic Converter Protective Cage?

A catalytic converter protective cage is a metal enclosure that fits around your vehicle’s catalytic converter. The cage is designed to make it more difficult for thieves to remove the converter, as it would require them to cut through the cage before accessing the converter. Many protective cages are made of heavy-duty steel, making them highly durable and able to withstand harsh weather conditions.

  1. How Does a Catalytic Converter Protective Cage Work?

The protective cage is designed to prevent thieves from removing the catalytic converter by making it much more challenging to access. Thieves typically use a saw or reciprocating saw to cut the converter from the vehicle, but the cage makes it difficult for them to access it in the first place. The metal bars and enclosure around the converter create a physical barrier, which can deter thieves and force them to look for an easier target.

  1. Why Should You Consider Installing a Catalytic Converter Protective Cage?

A catalytic converter protective cage is a highly effective way to prevent catalytic converter theft. It provides an additional layer of security and can make your vehicle less attractive to thieves. Additionally, a protective cage is a one-time investment that can save you a lot of money in the long run. If your catalytic converter is stolen, it can cost you thousands of dollars to replace it and repair any damage caused by the theft.

  1. Other Steps to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

While a protective cage is an effective way to prevent catalytic converter theft, there are other steps you can take to reduce your risk. One of the most effective methods is to park your vehicle in a secure, well-lit area with a lot of foot traffic. Thieves are less likely to target a vehicle parked in an area where they could be easily spotted. You can also use a catalytic converter lock or engrave your license plate number on the converter, which can make it easier to identify stolen parts.

  1. Conclusion

Catalytic converter theft is a growing problem in San Francisco, but there are steps you can take to protect your vehicle. By installing a catalytic converter protective cage and taking other preventative measures, you can reduce your risk of becoming a victim of this crime. A protective cage is a highly effective way to prevent theft, as it creates a physical barrier that can deter thieves and make it more difficult for them to access the converter. By taking these steps, you can help protect your valuable vehicle and save yourself from the headache of dealing with the aftermath of a theft.

OPEN LETTER TO SFPD CHIEF SCOTT – CURRENT STATE OF SFPD

Dear Chief Scott,

I am writing to express my concern about the current state of the San Francisco Police Department and to offer a potential solution to improve efficiency and increase police staffing.

As you are aware, the police department is facing mass retirements and is currently understaffed. This is a major issue, as it leaves our city vulnerable to increased crime and puts an undue burden on the remaining officers who are trying to do their best to serve and protect the community.

In order to address this issue, I believe it would be beneficial to reduce the size of the police department and turn over some functions, such as the SFO, to the San Francisco Sheriff. By reassessing the roles and responsibilities of the department, we can redirect resources towards increasing the number of police officers in San Francisco, particularly in high-need areas like the Tenderloin district.

I understand that such a change would require careful consideration and planning, but I believe it is a common sense solution that would ultimately improve public safety for San Franciscans. By streamlining the department and focusing on core functions, we can ensure that your SFPD officers are able to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.

I also believe that turning over auxiliary functions, such as the SFO, marine unit, and port patrols, to the Sheriff’s Department makes sense. The Sheriff’s Department is equipped to handle these types of tasks, and it would free up additional resources for the SFPD to focus on crime reduction and public safety in the city.

Given the current state of public safety in San Francisco, we have concerns for the well-being of our union members who reside in the city.  I hope that you will seriously consider this proposal and take any necessary steps to make it a reality. As the leader of the SFPD, it is your responsibility to ensure that the department is functioning at its best and that our city is as safe as possible. I believe that implementing these changes would be a step in the right direction towards achieving that goal.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Ken Lomba
SFDSA President
415-696-2428

Yes on Prop 20 – Keep California Safe

SFDSA PAC

San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association endorses a Yes Vote on Prop 20. Proposition 20 fixes four specific flaws contained in recent criminal justice reforms — addressing violent crime classification and serial theft, as well as parole reform and DNA collection.

San Francisco’s Crime Rate is going up as it relates to thefts and some violent crimes. The SFPD Crime Dashboard shows that Homicide is up 41%, Burglaries are up 43%, Motor Vehicle Theft is up 29%, and Arson is up 45%.

The President of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association Ken Lomba stated, “They put together a thoughtful and meaningful amendment with Prop 20 to fix these loopholes because at the end of the day we want public safety. We don’t want lawlessness, we don’t want crime free for all’s and we are seeing that on the tv almost daily now.” Prop 20 fixes the loopholes in the past changes in the law.

You can read more about Prop 20 at Keep California Safe.

Please vote by November 3rd for the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association Endorsed Candidates and Propositions!

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is the labor union representing deputy sheriffs and senior deputy sheriffs in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

SFDSA Endorses Pang Ly for Judge

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is pleased to announce its endorsement for Superior Court Judge. 

Pang Ly for Judge
Pang Ly for Judge

“Pang Ly represents the best candidate for Superior Court Judge, Seat 1,” says SFDSA President Ken Lomba.  “Pang did extremely well in all areas of our process.  What we liked most of all was that Pang is currently a Superior Court Commissioner Pro Tem and she is deeply dedicated to giving back to our community, our court, and our system of justice. We found that she is in alignment with our vision of public safety as we continue to protect San Francisco. We are proud to endorse Pang Ly for Superior Court Judge,” he says.

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association went through a rigorous process to arrive at its endorsements.  The SFDSA political action committee thoroughly researches candidates and invites candidates to participate in a questionnaire addressing important public safety and district issues.  On January 15th, our Board of Directors considered the recommendations of the political action committee and voted to endorse Pang Ly for Superior Court Judge, Seat 1.

Pang Ly for Judge
Pang Ly for Judge

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is the labor union representing deputy sheriffs and senior deputy sheriffs in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

SFDSA Endorses Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Judge

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is pleased to announce its endorsement for Superior Court Judge. 

Dorothy Chou Proudfoot
Dorothy Chou Proudfoot

“Dorothy Proudfoot represents the best candidate for Superior Court Judge, Seat 18,” says SFDSA President Ken Lomba.  “Dorothy did extremely well in all areas of our process.  What we liked most of all was that Dorothy is currently an Administrative Law Judge and as a Superior Court Judge she would continue to serve with fairness, integrity, compassion, and above all, humility. We found that she is in alignment with our vision of public safety as we continue to protect San Francisco. We are proud to endorse Dorothy Proudfoot for Superior Court Judge,” he says.

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association went through a rigorous process to arrive at its endorsements.  The SFDSA political action committee thoroughly researches candidates and invites candidates to participate in a questionnaire addressing important public safety and district issues.  On January 15th, our Board of Directors considered the recommendations of the political action committee and voted to endorse Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Superior Court Judge, Seat 18.

Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Judge
Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Judge

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is the labor union representing deputy sheriffs and senior deputy sheriffs in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

SFDSA Endorses Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Judge

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is pleased to announce its endorsement for Superior Court Judge. 

Dorothy Chou Proudfoot
Dorothy Chou Proudfoot

“Dorothy Proudfoot represents the best candidate for Superior Court Judge, Seat 18,” says SFDSA President Ken Lomba.  “Dorothy did extremely well in all areas of our process.  What we liked most of all was that Dorothy is currently an Administrative Law Judge and as a Superior Court Judge she would continue to serve with fairness, integrity, compassion, and above all, humility. We found that she is in alignment with our vision of public safety as we continue to protect San Francisco. We are proud to endorse Dorothy Proudfoot for Superior Court Judge,” he says.

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association went through a rigorous process to arrive at its endorsements.  The SFDSA political action committee thoroughly researches candidates and invites candidates to participate in a questionnaire addressing important public safety and district issues.  On January 15th, our Board of Directors considered the recommendations of the political action committee and voted to endorse Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Superior Court Judge, Seat 18.

Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Judge
Dorothy Chou Proudfoot for Judge

The San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association is the labor union representing deputy sheriffs and senior deputy sheriffs in the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

Update about San Francisco Car Break-Ins

Are S.F. residents and tourists helpless? 

In 2019 there has been an exponentially high rate of reported car break-ins for the San Francisco Area and beyond.  San Francisco auto break-ins have reached epidemic levels and it’s totally out of control. San Francisco’s population is nearly one-fourth of New York City’s, yet car break-ins within the City & County of San Francisco are roughly three times as high as those reported in NYC. SF Residents and tourists alike are beyond frustrated about these smash and grab car break ins. Minimally, it leaves victims feeling violated. And to add insult to injury, many San Franciscans have been the victim of multiple auto break-ins.

To literally illustrate how bad the crime of car break-ins has become within San Francisco the local newspaper, San Francisco Chronicle, created the:

S.F Car Break-In Tracker (projects.sfchronicle.com) This online tracker allows the user to track both the number and locations of car break-ins occurring across the city. 

And a Twitter Account was created in September 2015: @SFCarBreakins dedicated solely to “documenting the constant car break-ins in San Francisco.” 

Are S.F. Tourist Locations, landmarks or parking lots any more safe from auto break-ins? 

The answer, of course, is a resounding NO and furthermore no location, sadly, is exempt from this crime. On the contrary, the data shows that reported car break-ins are at increased levels in known tourist areas. The organized criminal rings that are known to commit these crimes naturally are going to target those areas where they believe unsuspecting tourists and visitors will most likely be. There are many posted videos online with footage capturing the smash & grab crimes in progress. The quickness and coordination of these criminals make this a “low risk” of apprehension with the potential for “high reward” on their haul, thus appealing to even the least sophisticated opportunistic criminal. 

What steps are authorities taking to address Auto Break-Ins?

San Francisco Leadership to include S.F. Law Enforcement are highly concerned about this never ending cycle of car break-ins. There have been public awareness campaigns, community meetings, countless news stories largely all to no avail. The most significant reason is that criminals are well aware that thanks to Prop 47 (2014). This warmly titled proposition:

“Californians For Safe Neighborhoods & Schools” has been proven to have a direct corollary to increased levels of crime. Often the consequence for many  of these repeat offenders has been nothing more than an inconvenience if they are actually arrested for their offense. I say inconvenience because the changes in the law, courtesy of Prop 47, coupled with less than stringent penalties from the courts, many times, results in the criminal being released from custody shortly after their appearance before a judge. 

 

The middle part of the criminal justice system, I did not mention, between arrest and appearance before a a judge is the District Attorney’s Office. In San Francisco the DA’s Office has to review those cases brought before them and then determine if charges will be filed. S.F. has had very mixed results with their criminal cases over the past several years. Fortunately, there is a SF District Attorney race in November and it is absolutely critical that the voters of S.F. get it right. We as law enforcement and you as members of the public can realistically only do so much together. But all of us united behind a District Attorney that we elect into office-That is a very powerful position to be in. While the heading of this section is: 

What steps are authorities taking to address Auto Break-Ins? 

I think the more pertinent question we should all be asking ourselves & neighbors is:

What steps are you taking to be sure that you cast a ballot and vote this November in the SF District Attorney Race? 

The SFDSA wishes to remind all of you reading this article that SF vote-by-mail ballots can be mailed in starting next week. To learn more about how to register and be sure to vote visit: sfelections.sfgov.org Thank you.

It’s time for someone that will fix our broken criminal justice system. It’s time for someone new, it’s time for a prosecutor who is the real deal. It’s time for Leif Dautch for District Attorney.

 

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC. Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

 

 

Why San Francisco Car Break-Ins are so high?

The exciting city of San Francisco is Northern California’s financial, commercial and cultural heart. It welcomes over 25 million visitors each year. Geographically the city spread across for only 47 miles but it is densely populated. Housing tons of attractions, visitors are attracted like a magnet to explore them. It is also known as the richest city in the US with a yearly budget of around $13 billion. However, it is a surprising fact to know about San Francisco Car Break-Ins which are on a rising trend. The reported Car Break-Ins, San Francisco is averaging around 70 on a daily basis. So is there a safety concern which the city leaders are unable to address? We need to dive deeper and find out why San Francisco Car Break-Ins are so high.

Some Statistical figures for the past few Years about San Francisco Car Break-Ins

There are some notable statistical figures available for the past few years about San Francisco Car Break-Ins. Date backed in 2006, the reported incidents were around 10,000 but in 2015 it jumped over 25,000. That means the Car Break-Ins incidents almost doubled and getting worse over a period of time. The reported burglaries caused around $13 million loss to the car owners.

Additional Expense to people living in the city

Whenever there is a Car Break-In, most of the time the windows are smashed out. If you have any valuables inside, it gets stolen. This comes as a sudden surprise expense to all the car owners. Repair costs are also expensive which can be around $350 to replace the windows. Also, imagine an unexpected situation when you park the car safely and find its glass smashed after being parked. It is definitely a cause of greater inconvenience to the people living in the San Francisco.

What are the preventive measures taken so far for reducing San Francisco Car Break-Ins?

The possible identified reasons for the increasing number of car Break-Ins in the city is because of light punitive measures. This crime is not considered as a serious offence and the offenders received light punishment in most cases. It’s time for someone that will fix our broken criminal justice system. It’s time for someone new, it’s time for a prosecutor who is the real deal. It’s time for Leif Dautch for District Attorney.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

Is SF Crime Data lying?

Crime seems to be out of control in San Francisco. Yet in some cases the SF Crime Data states crime is decreasing. The question then becomes is that accurate, if not why isn’t it accurate.

We all have been watching and reading the news and on top of that we have been talking to the people in the communities. All we hear is how much crime there is. The main topics have been violence, illegal drug use and sales, thefts and car break ins.

SF Car Break Ins
Car Break In, Stockton St. Chinatown

“I had a discussion with my team on this topic and what we believe is happening is that the people of San Francisco are increasingly not reporting crime since San Francisco has become extremely lenient on criminals with little to no consequences. An increasing percentage of people in SF figure what’s the use of reporting it when nothing will be done,” said Ken Lomba San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association President.

We conducted a poll on our San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs' Association Facebook FanpageFacebook Fanpage (please like our page) asking our visitors “When your car is broken into do you report it to the police?” We had 223 people participate in the poll. 119 people marked “Yes, I report it.” 104 people marked “No, waste of time.”

  • 223 Car Break In Victims Polled
  • Car Break in Report Polling
    Out of 223 Car Break Ins, 104 Did not report it to the police

What this tells us is that all the reported data given to the public stating that there is a decrease in Car Break Ins is missing something and may not be very accurate since there is no data on victims increasing or decreasing in reporting crime. This is an omission to the data presented to the public.

So what we are telling you is the crime rate in San Francisco may be worse than what is reported. For example the Car Break In number of 63 reported Car Break Ins a day is not the actual amount of Car Break Ins in San Francisco per day. It could be twice that amount, possibly 126 a day.

When SF is more lenient then the surrounding counties,
it’s a no brainer that the Criminals Come to SF.

So what is the solution, the solution is to fix San Francisco’s broken criminal justice system starting this year by voting in a working district attorney. A district attorney that is not controlled by other politicians, a district attorney that is an experienced prosecutor not a public defender.

It’s time for someone that will fix our broken criminal justice system. It’s time for someone new, it’s time for a prosecutor who is the real deal. It’s time for Leif Dautch for District Attorney.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”

SF Car Break In’s Gone Wild

More and more car break in’s, now electric car batteries are being stolen! Is everything free in SF for criminals, meanwhile the law abiding person has to pay fines, tickets and deductibles!

Thieves in San Francisco are reportedly targeting Toyota Prius hybrids–and stealing their battery packs and catalytic converters. These items are worth big money when they sell there loot. These stolen Prius parts are sold to mechanics, recyclers’ and sold via online classifieds.

Toyota Prius Burglarized

San Francisco is the most lenient on crime in the Bay Area, if not the state. The lack of consequences for crime in SF makes the criminals even more brazen and you end up footing the bill. Whether its replacing stolen items, fixing your car or paying the insurance deductible. You are not only the victim of the criminal, you are victim of San Francisco’s broken criminal justice system.

In the Wild Wild SF owners of vehicles just about beg criminals not to break into there cars. Should it really be this way?

Or should the people of San Francisco stand up and make a difference with there power of the vote. We need to vote for someone that will stop the car break ins. Someone that will hold repeat criminal offenders and organized crime accountable.

It’s time for someone that will fix our broken criminal justice system. It’s time for someone new, it’s time for a prosecutor who is the real deal. It’s time for Leif Dautch for District Attorney.

“Paid for by the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association PAC.  Not authorized by a candidate or committee controlled by a candidate.  Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.”