Crime Frustrates Merchants on Ingleside’s Ocean Avenue

The late July burglary that closed The Ave Bar is among a number of crime reports raising concerns from merchants on Ingleside’s Ocean Avenue.

While the data indicates crime has fallen as much as 31% year over year, small business owners experience crime differently than the general public have lingering concerns. And even then, polls of likely voters show they are not reassured by the drop in reported crime.

We checked in on both the crime stats and with merchants to see what’s going on.

Between January and August 2023, Ocean Avenue dealt with 18 burglaries, two robberies and 73 incidents of general crimes such as theft, according to the city’s crime dashboard. From January to August 2024, so far, there have been reports of six burglaries, five robberies and 70 incidents of general crimes. So burglaries are down but robberies are up.

The 1600 block of Ocean Avenue, home to a regular petty theft target in Walgreens, has been experiencing crime.

“The government should do something about the [$950] theft rule,” Fruit Barn employee Taha Zach said referring to Prop. 47. “We need more tough rules in this matter so that crime rates like in grocery stores and other businesses keep down, especially Walgreens because they provide medicine and we’ve heard so many times that they’re going to shut down.”

California’s current laws against shoplifting, Proposition 47, allow low-level or non-violent crimes to be charged as misdemeanors and hold its felony threshold for theft at $950 or more. In June it was announced that California voters will decide if part of Proposition 47 should be rolled back, including increasing punishments for drug possession and theft in the upcoming Nov. 5 election.

For Jamaica Africa Yay Area’s Will Lassiter, crime hasn’t been much of an issue since he opened up five years ago. He believes keeping his door closed during business hours has helped prevent theft at his storefront but has seen neighboring business suffer petty thefts.

“Walgreens has their issues with people going in there and stealing stuff,” Lassiter said.

Over on the 1400 block of Ocean Avenue, Tracy Zhou, owner of bubble tea shop Purtea,  reported an incident of harassment by a customer in August and shared the details on social media. She said unwelcomed visitors happen several times a week and, like Zach, she wants the city to take action.

“We have to do better,” Zhou said. “We need to do something. I don’t know what it is because I’m not a politician. I’m not into that. I don’t make laws but we need to do something.”

San Francisco offers support to small business owners affected by vandalism or burglaries through a vandalism relief grant program. Applicants can get up to $2,000 for repairs. The Ocean Avenue Association, a community benefit district charged with maintaining and improving the corridor, offers assistance in filing applications to merchants.

Shoplifting has been the highest form of crime along Ingleside’s strip of Ocean Avenue since the start of the year, according to the San Francisco Police Department’s Taraval Station daily crime reports. Roughly 23 of the 70 crime reports along Ocean Avenue were theft-related with a hot spot on the 1600 block. Other offenses included battery, burglary, vandalism, traffic collisions and violations, assault and stolen vehicles.

San Francisco SAFE, a nonprofit organization primarily funded by the police department, imploded earlier this year in a corruption scandal that led to its executive director being dealt 34 charges by the district attorney. Since then, SFPD has launched a Neighborhood Safety Team to fill its place. Drewkai Butler, Ocean Avenue’s sole footbeat officer, is leading Taraval Station’s team.

“We usually have our footbeat officers frequent the area where the majority of crimes are happening,” SFPD Taraval Station Officer Benny Lew said. “I know our retail theft unit in the past has done operations where plainclothes officers go [to Whole Foods Market] and capture people who are shoplifting.”

In February 2023, District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar and District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safaí promised security cameras and safety ambassadors in February of 2023.

Melgar brought SFPD safety ambassadors to the Inner Sunset and West Portal, but not Ocean Avenue. Melgar’s legislative aide Emma Heiken said the supervisor partnered with the OAA to bring ambassadors to the neighborhood. OAA Executive Director Christian Martin said that was not the case as OAA’s ambassadors focus on cleaning and maintenance, not safety. City Hall also has a community ambassador program but it does not operate in Ingleside.

Tiffaney Bradley, Safaí’s legislative aide, said she would look into the camera situation but did not respond by press time.

On the morning of Thursday, Sept. 19, Melgar and Butler will be in the Ocean Avenue Association’s office to talk about community safety.