&gt; But the way to stop people stealing to survive is to help them find some more productive way to survive.<p>I agree with this completely – ultimately, you have to find a better and more sustainable solution.<p>But right now, some people <i>know</i> they can commit crime in San Francisco, and see it through with relatively few consequences, causing a concentration of crime in the city. It provides an incentive to crime… and ultimately, ignoring it won&#x27;t make it go away either.