https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/organized-crime-rings-are-dr...

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-retail-th...

There are organized groups recruiting significant numbers of people to do retail theft, bike theft, and car break-ins. The police and legal system haven't been very effective at combating this, so over the past few years the theft has become very public and visible.