The city has released updated vehicle theft data, and the usual suspects are back on top. We're talking about the kinds of cars that aren't flashy, aren't expensive, and aren't hard to steal. That's the trifecta that makes them irresistible to thieves who know exactly which models have outdated security systems and which ones can be hotwired faster than you can parallel park on Divisadero.

Here's what should bother you: none of this is new information. Year after year, the same affordable, high-volume cars top the list. Year after year, the city does approximately nothing structural to address the property crime pipeline that makes auto theft a low-risk, high-reward hustle in San Francisco. We talk about "organized retail theft" and smash-and-grabs, but auto theft remains one of the most common — and least prosecuted — property crimes in the city.

As one local put it with characteristic San Francisco resignation: "Your car will be fine as long as you don't leave anything in it like suitcases, etc." That's the advice we give tourists now. Not "San Francisco is safe" — just "make your car look like it's already been robbed."

The fundamental problem is one of incentives. When enforcement is lax and consequences are minimal, theft becomes a rational economic decision for bad actors. That's not a hot take — it's basic economics. You don't solve property crime by asking people nicely to stop stealing. You solve it by making stealing costly.

SF needs to stop treating auto theft like a weather event — something unfortunate that just happens — and start treating it like what it is: a policy failure. More consistent prosecution, better coordination between SFPD and the DA's office, and actual accountability for repeat offenders would be a solid start.

Until then, maybe invest in a steering wheel lock. It's 2025 and we're back to 1995 solutions. Welcome to San Francisco.