Well, anecdotally it certainly feels up. I'm moving back to SF. A friend told me to sign up for the Cole Valley FB group. In the 5 weeks I was on it, 5 garages were broken into, several more attempts, 7 cars broken into, one was caught on camera. Even a film of someone stalking the garages (walking down the street, looking into each garage).

The garages, they generally try to drill a hole and then pull the cable on the door opener.

For cars, they slowly drive their own car down the street looking for cars with stuff inside, 2 people, driver and thief. When they see one, thief jumps out, smashes window, grabs stuff, jumps back in car, driver drives them away. It takes 3-6 seconds.

AFAIK Cole Valley has never been known for car break-ins or garage break-ins. Also AFAIK the garage break-in are happening all over and are new. Further, AFAIK this isn't homeless crack-heads looking for a small fix. It's a few small groups committing the same crimes over and over.

I wish I knew the police were doing something. Assuming I'm right at it is just a few groups of people then it shouldn't take more then a few honeypots to effectively stop most of it.

If I could find a way to get permission from the city I'm betting the residents of certain neighborhoods would be willing to pay for their own sting operations to try to take their neighborhoods back.