>> we need more police officers. it's important to make sure that we have the sufficient staff to walk the beat. there's no easy solution to this. >> i feel like the theft is o outageous. and people are taking advantage of the fact there's zero consequences. >> reporter: for business owners, the chronic theft just adds to the despair being felt on the streets, aggravated more by the pandemic. visible homelessness surging. open-air drug use and is in common. overdoses, resulting in a record 712 deaths according to city data, doubling those that died of covid. >> there's a high amount of crime. safety concerns and it seems to shrink tremendously. >> reporter: as to whether the walgreens shoplifter has been apprehended, san francisco police department tells us it's