I am very very very confused about what is going on in SF right now.
It may have been sold as being cheaper, but it is not. Now there are roving gangs who can steal tens of thousands of dollars of merchandise in moments and will beat or kill people to pursue their crime.
Not only is it not saving public resources but it's putting stores out of business and injuring people.
> This isn't some leftist dream gone dystopian.
Dystopia, check. Leftist dream, check.
> There simply is not the resources, officers and time to be processing thousands of misdemeanors
That's for the taxpayers to decide, not for the government to present as a reason for overriding them. At this point I bet they feel they can't afford not to enforce laws.
Or, closer to home, examine theft rates in cities which recently raised the grand larceny threshold (looking at you Oregon and Washington…) and the explosion of misdemeanor theft. My employer (a fortune 100 retailer) is actively exploring breaking leases as shrink rates have approached 50% in some locations.