San Francisco can't catch a break on crime. As if crimes on land were not enough, local media is now warning people about crimes on the bay. "Pirates" off the coast of California have their eyes on boats docked along the waterfront.
According to the media outlets that have covered this issue, criminals come in small boats via the San Francisco Bay to steal from the boats docked in nearby ports. According to CBS, entire boats have been stolen this way.
Illegal boats and homeless camps
Law enforcement authorities have yet to give specific details about this matter, but according to BoatBlurd, boat owners and marina residents blame the crimes on the increase of homeless encampments near the port. According to residents who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, the alleged pirates live in boats and change their locations regularly to avoid police.
Boats docked in local ports are not the only targets. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Outboard Motor Shop, a boat repair shop in Oakland, was also raided by thieves. According to Craig Jacobsen, owner of the business, thieves broke into the workshop and loaded stolen life rafts, tool bags and other goods onto a 15-foot section of dock before towing everything to an encampment at Oakland's Union Point Park.
More resources for the police
In March, the Oakland City Council passed a new ordinance giving police permission to seize boats that are illegally anchored in the city's ports. The initiative is aimed at equipping law enforcement with the tools they need to target boats belonging to pirates.
However, residents want law enforcement to do more to put an end to this new wave of crime.
