Although San Francisco police are working hard to tackle vehicle break-ins, their efforts so far appear to be somewhat in vain, as the statistics continue to show an increase. For example, November 2017 saw an increase of over 25% compared to November 2016. However, despite the statistics, it’s plausible that not all of these “break-ins” were actually crimes
With reports of people being charged for auto theft for keeping a consensually borrowed car for longer than agreed, or for what was deemed to be an unreasonable length of time, there are potentially similar arguments to be made in defense of alleged vehicle break-ins too.
You may be wondering how a break-in could be excused as not being criminal behavior, and that’s understandable. Despite the significant rise in auto theft and break-ins across all police districts in San Francisco, the arrest rate, perhaps bizarrely, went down. As a good auto theft attorney will tell you, this suggests that there are, perhaps, some valid defenses to be made.
Although San Francisco has experienced an alarming 85 vehicle break-ins per day, on average, between January and November 2017, and Mission alone has seen a whopping 86% increase in this offense alone, the police department has taken the decision to get rid of the Patrol Bureau Task Force. The alternative approach to policing, whereby officers patrol on foot, does not appear to be doing much to deter opportunistic thieves, as shown by the following figures:
The question is, arrest down because some suspected break-ins aren’t actually criminal, or have the changes in policing meant fewer thieves are apprehended?
In short, yes, we firmly believe we can! If you have been arrested for an alleged vehicle break-in or auto theft charge in San Francisco, our experienced criminal defense attorneys will do their utmost to make sure you get the best possible outcome.
Maybe nothing was stolen from the vehicle, or perhaps there’s a perfectly innocent explanation showing that the incident wasn’t quite as it initially seemed. Although only around 2% of vehicle break-ins result in an arrest, if you do get arrested, you’ll need an excellent defense lawyer to represent you.
Here at Okabe & Haushalter, we have some of the best and most sympathetic criminal defense lawyers who will work tirelessly to get you out of jail and custody, and reduce the penalties by exercising all possible legal options.
Consult our attorneys to find out your best course of action to avoid being charged for auto theft, vehicle break-ins and other crimes. Call at 310-430-7799 or complete our online contact form to schedule your free case evaluation. Of course, as outstanding attorneys, we will always respect your right to complete confidentiality.
