Compared to last year, San Francisco leaders say visitors packed places like Union Square this holiday shopping season and despite more people, car break-ins and retail theft were down.
Taylor Enstall, a store manager at Samuel Scheuer Fine Linens near Union Square noticed the increase.
“We saw an uptick in traffic and overall, it wasn’t as good as last year because I think more people were traveling but for the most part, we saw good numbers,” he said.
Enstall believes the efforts around Union Square and elsewhere in the city of San Francisco have made difference.
“The initiatives they put in place have benefited us,” he said.
A robust police presence during the holidays was just the most visible thing the city did to crack down on crime this shopping season.
Earlier Wednesday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced between late November to January, the city saw an increase in visitors in popular spots like Union Square and Downtown and a nearly 50% decrease in larceny theft which includes retail theft and auto break ins. Burglaries were also down by 26%.
A stark comparison to 2021, when the area was hit by a group of thieves.
Christie Smith has more in the video above.
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