San Francisco's shoplifting panic desperately needs some context
Adam Johnson
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A Walgreens store on Kearny Street is one of the 17 in San Francisco that the company said it closed due to shoplifting.Owen Thomas/San Francisco Chronicle 2020
You no doubt have seen “The Video.” A man, in broad daylight, brazenly empties the shelves of a San Francisco Walgreens and casually walks out without any intervention from a nearby guard.
The lawlessness, the complete lack of societal breakdown. A shocking sight that offends the basic notions of law and order.
When I say you’ve no doubt seen the video, I am absolutely confident you have, because a recent analysis by the media watchdog FAIR found that the video — taken by ABC7’s Lyanne Melendez — garnered over 300 articles of media coverage and millions of clicks, from the United Kingdom to Mexico to France.