San Francisco announces cash rewards to collar auto burglars

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco’s mayor has announced that the city will hand out cash awards of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of high-level auto burglary ringleaders. Mayor London Breed says the money will come from a private fund raised by the hospitality and tourism industry. This is another push to battle crime in a city marked by attention-grabbing vehicle smash and grabs, home break-ins and retail theft. Authorities say they believe fewer than a dozen auto burglary crews are responsible for most of the smash-and-grabs in the San Francisco Bay Area. More than 15,000 auto burglaries have been reported this year.