CEO Closes SF Store Over Crime, Says Third World’s Safer: “I grew up in Latin America and spent much of my adult life there, and I never felt this unsafe there, something has to change in San Francisco, our team is terrified”

The CEO of a popular clothing brand Cotopaxi sent a message to Nancy Pelosi and other Dem politicians and is closing the company’s San Francisco store because of “rampant organized theft and lack of safety for our team.”

CEO Davis Smith announced the move saying his store faces regular attacks by thieves but gets little to no response from law enforcement. To drive the message home, Smith said he grew up in Latin America and never “felt as unsafe” as he does now in San Francisco.

Smith said:  “It’s sad, but San Francisco appears to have descended into a city of chaos. Many streets and parks are overrun with drugs, criminals, and homelessness, and local leadership and law enforcement enable it through inaction.

“One of the most beautiful and amazing cities in the world is now a place where many no longer feel safe visiting or living.

“We opened a retail store a year ago on Hayes Street, the charming shopping district just blocks away from the famous Full House home.

“Our first week there, our windows were smashed and thousands of dollars of product was stolen.

“We replaced the window, and it immediately happened again (four times). We replaced with window with plywood as we waited for a month+ to get a metal security gate installed (demand for those gates is creating huge delays).

“As of today, we are closing the store due to rampant organized theft and lack of safety for our team.

“Our store is hit by organized theft rings several times per week.

“They brazenly enter the store and grab thousands of dollars of product and walk out.

“We started keeping the door locked and opening it only for customers, but even then, they’ll have a woman go to the door, and then hiding individuals rush into the store as soon as the door opens.

“Our team is terrified. They feel unsafe.

“Security guards don’t help because these theft rings know that security guards won’t/can’t stop them.

“It’s impossible for a retail store to operate in these circumstances, especially when cities refuse to take any action (despite us paying taxes well above any other state we operate in).

“The city recently announced a reduction of police presence in this neighborhood, despite mass-scale crime.

“It makes me sad that I’m now avoiding San Francisco, a city I used to love.

“Last time my wife and I went in 2020, a drugged up person ran up to my wife’s face and started screaming some of the most obscene things I’ve ever heard.

“She was terrified.

“During a previous trip, my rental car was broken into and everything was stolen out of our trunk.

“When calling the police to report the theft, they let us know this happens hundreds of times per day in the city and said it was our own fault for parking in the street.

“I grew up in Latin America and spent much of my adult life there, and I never felt this unsafe there. Something has to change in San Francisco,” he said.