A recent social media uproar centers around a picture of a sign that appeared in downtown San Francisco, seemingly mocking California's retail theft law—photos of the sign have amassed significant online attention, with one post from @transmissions11 on X garnering over 7.7 million views. The sign's message, "stolen goods must remain under $950", references the threshold at which theft is considered a felony in the state, though its legitimacy was quickly questioned.

average sf street sign pic.twitter.com/hgiWUQKeXF

— t11s (@transmissions11) June 29, 2024

San Francisco's Department of Public Works, upon being alerted, dispatched an employee to investigate the reported signs but found nothing, Rachel Gordon, a spokesperson for SFDPW, told KRON4, leaving open the possibility that the images circulating online may have been doctored or that the signs had been removed prior to inspection. The signs were rumored to be placed outside luxury retailers like Louis Vuitton and Dior, who have been victims of high-profile smash-and-grab incidents. According to the same source, Dior experienced a staggering $150,000 theft last fall.

These parody-style signs emerged within a broader conversation about the impacts of Proposition 47, a ballot measure passed in 2014 designed to lessen jail time for low-level crimes and relieve prison overcrowding. Supporters champion its cost savings, while detractors blame it for rampant thefts. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, this November, voters will have the opportunity to revisit and potentially modify aspects of Prop. 47 to mark repeated thefts as felonies, irrespective of the stolen goods' value.

Union Square has become a focal point for discussions about retail security following several audacious smash-and-grabs, including the 2021 burglarization of the very Louis Vuitton store where the sign was said to be posted, where eight individuals were subsequently arrested and the scenario at the Dior store where suspects used a car to break in and make off with merchandise, leading to charges against two people. The phenomenon of fake signs is not novel to San Francisco, evidenced last year by satirical construction notices that appeared on Valencia Street poking fun at the addition of new bike lanes garnering local attention, reflecting a societal tendency to manipulate public signage as commentary or protest.