SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – Get your window smashed by a burglar in San Francisco and get some help from the city to pay for replacing that window.
On Wednesday, San Francisco’s D.A. introduced that idea.
San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s new budget proposal includes setting aside $1.5 million for residents who are victims of smash and grab auto burglaries.
“Unfortunately we are not able to arrest and prosecute every person that commits auto burglaries in San Francisco. What we can do? What we are asking the city to help us do, is to put victims first and to support fixing broken car windows,” Boudin said.
He talks about the scale of the city’s ongoing auto burglary problem
“We had approximately 8,910 residents who were victims of auto burglaries each of the last two years,” Boudin said.
The D.A. is still working out the kinks. He offers this potential breakdown of how the funds would be used.
“We would only pay for folks whose insurance does not cover it and we would contract with locally owned auto glass businesses so that money that is being spent by the city goes right back into jobs here in San Francisco,” Boudin said.
“No I think that is only going to perpetuate the problem,” Sean Kelley said.
Sean Kelley of Action Auto Glass says he would like to see those tax dollars used in other ways.
“I’d like to see the million and a half go the sheriff’s department for correctional,” Kelley said.
However, getting some help replacing a shattered window does have its appeal with some drivers in the city.
“I was born and raised here. I think it is a great idea,” Debra Gonzalez said.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed directed each department to cut 3.5% in order to address the city’s $420 million dollar deficit, that includes the D.A.’s office
“Your tax dollars are already going to the county jail. For a single night in county jail we can pay to fix a car window,” Boudin said.
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