After years of San Francisco feeling safer than in the past, I fear it is reverting to a place laden with inner-city crimes that are bringing fear back into our daily lives. Lately there have been a string of breakins, muggings, assualts, and attempted rapes in the Mission and Bernal Heights.
Today, sitting the coffee shop where I've met hundreds of people over the years, about to start interviewing two entrepreneurs, I witnessed another crime myself.
A woman was sitting alone, working on her laptop, at a table next to the main window facing the street. Suddenly a man wearing a hoodie that covered most of his face, came into the shop, grabbed her computer and raced out into a waiting car, which sped away.
A bunch of us jumped out and tried to get the license plate number, but we hadn't reacted fast enough. I called 9-1-1 and let the victim talk to the police on my phone. The police arrived and took down all the information she could give them.
Then a remarkable thing happened. A man rushed into the cafe and asked whether someone had had a computer stolen. I pointed him to the victim and he said, "I've got photos of the car and its license plate that I took on my iPhone." It turns out he had been waiting in his car nearby when he saw the perp run out with the computer and jump into the getaway car.
Alertly he followed long enough to get his evidential photos before returning to the cafe.
He gave the photos to the victim and to the police. I hope this helps them apprehend this criminal gang before anyone else suffers at their hands.
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