S.F. D.A. Chesa Boudin's Lasting Legacy: Even the Advil and Tylenol are Locked Up

Click here to read the original Cautious Optimism Facebook post with comments

The Cautious Optimism Correspondent for Economic Affairs and Other Egghead Stuff presents CO Nation some lingering vestiges of ousted San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s legacy.

San Francisco Target pain relief aisle: under lock and key

Recently I went to my local Target in San Francisco—in the City Center area, miles away from the downtown locations that are more heavily targeted for retail theft. My mission was simple: buy one bottle of Advil.

Well, as you can see from the photograph I took that it’s not just the electronics or “reproductive wellness” sections that need to be safeguarded now.

Yes, even the Advil, Tylenol, and Bayer aspirin have to be locked behind glass doors.

There was a sign beside the shuttered pharmacy window advising customers to “locate an associate” for assistance, but with San Francisco’s minimum wage now at $17 per hour there weren’t too many associates to be seen.

After walking the floor for a few minutes without finding a single associate I came across a security guard who advised me he doesn’t have the key, but “there should be a button on the display doors you can press to call someone over.”

I went back to the pain relief aisle and looked the doors and shelves up and down but nope, no button.

Deciding this was more trouble that it’s worth for a single bottle of Advil I left without buying anything.

Meanwhile for two years San Francisco progressives have circled the wagons to defend their man, Chesa Boudin, from criticism that crime has gotten worse because of his soft-on-criminals policies.

"It has nothing to do with Chesa!" they've howled. "Covid has hit people economically and created desperation all over the country. This isn't just a San Francisco problem!”

The next day I happened to be in the suburb of Colma and walked into their Target store (literally 2.5 miles outside San Francisco’s southern city limit per Google maps) and the Advil was stocked on an open shelf.

I grabbed a bottle and checked out 60 seconds later.

Target sends its thanks to San Francisco’s prosecutor’s office for the added costs of securing ibuprofen and acetaminophen plus the lower sales to customers who can’t access it anyway without help from a northern spotted owl-level-endangered associate. 

It's no surprise to the locals that Target operates three stores, all less than 2.5 miles outside San Francisco's southern city limit, including one 2,500 feet from the border and two more highly patronized stores separated by less than 2,000 feet.