Here is a really broad, and hopefully neutral, take on the subject. There is now a popular movement in America that believes the Justice System is too harsh, especially on minor crimes. This is also coupled with the perception that police officers are prone to using force when it is unnecessary, and, that they use deadly force way too often and haphazardly. There is also a huge racial component to all of this, which I'm sure you're probably aware of and I don't want to wade into.

The result is that a lot of cities have begun to avoid sending police offers for petty theft and other reported misdemeanors. This is not to say the police don't show up at all, but when they do its so that the victims can file a police report. It's usually not to stop the theft or vandalism in-progress. Criminals have gotten wise to this, and often steal brazenly knowing that the police won't put serious effort into apprehending them as long as each theft is relatively minor. Many homeless people defecate and urinate freely in public because the police have simply stopped issuing citations for such behavior. The cumulative effect is that many areas feel lawless and that only enables more lawbreaking to take place.