control. people are scared to go into these stores, people with disabilities, children, and it's just happening brazenly. >> reporter: with few consequences. according to police data, less than 3% of theft cases have netted an arrest, which some believe invites more criminal behavior. >> ultimately we do need more police officers, and it's important that we have the sufficient staff to walk the beat. there's no easy solution to this. >> i feel like the theft is outrageous, and it's obvious that people are taking advantage of the fact there are zero consequences. >> reporter: for business owners like adam, it adds to the disparity felt on the streets aggravated more by the pandemic, open-air drug use being common. last year overdoses mainly fentanyl doubled the deaths of those who died of covid. >> there's a high amount of