By Sri Ravipati
Good morning San Francisco! Welcome back to another daily roundup of local stories for Dec. 7.
Chase Center tightens COVID restrictions for kids
San Francisco's Chase Center on Monday issued new health and safety guidelines regarding children and vaccinations, SFist reports.
Children under the age of five will be allowed into the venue only with proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the event. Children 5 to 17 can either provide proof of vaccination or a negative test.
Safeway in Castro District increases barriers to deter shoplifting
Faced with rampant shoplifting, the Safeway in San Francisco’s Castro District installed new security measures to help deter thieves, KPIX5 reports.
Safeway installed security gates and barriers at the store's entrance, like an automatic gate that closes after each customer. There are new barriers around the self-checkout area. The store also added more security guards inside and outside and closed a side exit.
“Like other local businesses, we are working on ways to curtail escalating theft to ensure the wellbeing of our employees and to foster a welcoming environment for our customers," Safeway told KPIX5. "Their safety remains our top priority. These long-planned security improvements were implemented with those goals in mind.”
New rules for restaurant parklets stress business owners
Despite the Board of Supervisors making pandemic-era parklets permanent last June, San Francisco is going to start cracking down on codes and various regulations that will likely force some parklets to get removed, The Chronicle reports.
Many restaurant owners are already receiving violation notices that their parklets are not up to code. Some notices are conflicting with each other, leaving businesses confused and struggling to pay fees.
“It’s the most uncoordinated, messed up, insulting display of government incompetence,” said Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who is planning new legislation to temporarily stop fines.
Mayor London Breed’s office said the city is not currently collecting fines and is working to delay enforcement.
Woman charged with stealing $40K from Target in SF arrested again for mall theft
As many may have expected, the woman who was recently released after being charged with stealing more than $40,000 from the Stonestown Galleria Target store has been arrested again, The Chronicle reports.
The woman was arrested again on Dec. 4 at the Westfield San Francisco Centre mall. She was booked into jail on one charge of petty theft, three local warrants and one warrant in another county.
Previously, the woman was accused of using Target's self-checkout kiosks to shoplift — scanning items and making payments of a dollar or a cent. Then, she would leave before finishing the transaction. She was released on Nov. 24 with the stipulation that she wear an electronic monitor and stay away from Target.
The DA's office is protesting the court's decision to free her on her own recognizance to get fitted for an ankle monitor — which she didn't do — and now wants her held without bail.
Thanks for reading today's S.F. news roundup! Did any of these stories hit home for you? Let me know in the comments.
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