flash mob style mass theft incident at union square. overall they say crime in the area is down by 82% assaults are down by two thirds from three incidents to just one burglaries down by 91% theft down by 82% the union square alliance, saying quote the recent response to public safety, traffic management and a robust presence by the san francisco police department are resulting in large crowds coming back downtown to shop skate, eat and enjoy their holiday season in a safe environment. while it seems to be working, the question is. how long can police maintain that presence? we're going to keep this deployment through the holiday season through christmas through new years. then we will have an increase of department from what it used to be. i can't guarantee that it'll be at this level. but we're going to keep this as long as we can. another concern is the possibility that criminals are simply shifting their behavior out of the union square area for the time being. supervisor asha safi from the city's southern neighborhoods, says the po

the city police and the union square alliance have all reassured shoppers and store workers that union square is safe with more officers on patrol guns has invested in their own in-store security guards but at a high cost during some president time to beef up our security and provide a safe place for our customers and our employees is a cost that is not sustainable. long term for our business or for any business he understands that security is needed but says stores should not have to go it alone. it's time for the city to step up and to help the businesses. and as for those responsible for retail crimes. capalbo wants them held accountable for the broken glass stolen items and sense of fear. that's resulted. streets around union square are closed off to vehicle traffic after 07:00pm to reduce the chances of smash and grabs. but the pablo says the changes made it more difficult for shoppers to find parking oftentimes reducing the amount of holiday shopping. they would normally see during the evening. >> live in studio. i'm rob nesbitt kron 4 news. thank you, robin. this just in a secon

, shoppers are back in union square once again. there are skaters on the ice, bags in hand, and selfies in front of the big tree. >> i feel great. we have the police all lined up in front of macy's. yes. >> reporter: despite that headlights and plywood up momentarily, shoppers have returned again for the holiday season. foot traffic is up 135% since 2020, says the executive director of the union square alliance. >> we are seeing a lot of people around the union square area, enjoying the holiday. lack friday saw a record number of people since the pandemic. >> reporter: folks kpix 5 spoke with say the large police presence is assuring. >> it feels pretty comfortable. >> reporter: although some shoppers, like this woman who brought her 2-year-old son to see santa, say they are more aware of their personal security on the square. >> i am a bit more cautious lately. i am always checking my surroundings. i'm never out past 5:00. i definitely am taking more safety precautions. >> reporter: the union square alliance says of course traffic

the union square alliance says foot traffic is up markedly from last year. on the ice, and even a little flavor on the square. surrounding all of that holiday joy, a large presence from san francisco police department, all around union square. >> with the police presence, it feels pretty comfortable. >> it feels like they are preparing for something. he feels safe come up but at the same time, should we be here? >> the presences in response to the late november smash and grab of louis vuitton and other organized retail flash mob thefts happening in shopping districts around the bay area. marissa rodriguez, executive director of the union square alliance, says foot traffic is up 135% from 2020. >> we are seeing a lot of people enjoying the holidays. in fact, black friday saw a record number of people since 2020, since the pandemic. >> reporter: after a covid christmas of minimal in person shopping last year, retailers were in desperate needs of crowd returning this year. for some, the officers on every corner are reassuring. >> i feel great. we have the police

the san francisco police department is increasing patrols around union square. but. >> shop owners say the cost of more security in store is unsustainable. >> good evening. i'm ken wayne. and i'm pam moore stores in union square have had to make a number of changes this holiday season. that's because smash-and-grab crimes have become more common. well for but joins us live here in the studio with more on the help that one store managers asking for to keep shoppers and employees safe from. that's right. comes in union square has had to make several tough decisions. >> lets shoppers limited hours and more private security guards hoping the changes aren't part of a new norm. >> police on every corner is still a daily occurrence in san francisco's union square smash-and-grabs have caused stores like gump's to cap the amount of shoppers coming and going. >> we want to make sure that we can number of people that are in the store for security reasons. just one of the many changes gump's vp of operations. mark-paul both has had to make. he says extended hours won't be p

. >> having the police presence around union square is helping us. it's helping our employees, and helping our visitors as well. >> reporter: the luxury shopping districts reputation took a hit on november 19, when a group of people rated the louis vuitton store on the square, and those videos went viral. sf pd has massively stepped up their presence in the square. in newly released stats from the department, it suggests the increase in officers is working. overall crime is down 82%. larceny and theft, 82%, burglaries are down 91%, and assaults are down 67%. >> their presence here has been remarkable, has made a remarkable difference. people are feeling really good about it, feeling safe out and about shopping, enjoying the holiday season. having them here has made all the difference. >> reporter: the supervisors is the staffing move makes financial sense for the city. >> union square represents almost 40% of our retail sales in san francisco. it's extremely important to our city. front line workers, jobs, sales tax, travel industry, so much of what

we're going to try to deploy that in union square. our command staff has been working night and day, along with officers, checking in on the merchants and their workers and customers, checking in, making sure they have safe passage. the city is offering free parking in some of the city garages, so we want to make sure that people's cars are safe when they're parking there, and so we have officered deployed in the garages. we are also increasing our deployment in the tenderloin over the next -- at least next several weeks with similar type strategy and some of our difficult areas in the tenderloin, and i note deputy chief lozar and captain canning will talk about it, so i'll save that part for them. in. >> commissioner hamasaki: chief, how much longer is this report going? >> we're going to keep it going during the holidays. >> commissioner hamasaki: no, we're moving on half an hour now. >> just a little bit longer, and we'll be done. with these events, we have reached out to police chiefs across the region, and we have found out that

the city police and the union square alliance have all reassured shoppers and store workers that unionis safe with more officers on patrol gums has invested in their own in-store security guards but at a high cost during this unprecedented time to beef up our security and provide a safe place for our customers and our employees is a cost that is not sustainable. long term for our business or for any business he understands that security is needed but says store should not have to go it alone, asking the city to step up and help the lack of leadership to laugh and lack of accountability for those that are committing these crimes and it has got us to this situation. as for the criminals cup hubble once and held accountable for the broken glass stolen items and sense of fear. that's result. it. the streets around union square are closed off to vehicle traffic after 07:00pm to reduce the chances of a smash-and-grab become pablo says that makes it more difficult for shoppers to find parking oftentimes reducing the amount of holiday shopping. they would normally see during the evening. >> i'

>> well, i would say, and let's just talk about union square. i think already with the significant increase in the police presence, the ambassadors, the ice skating rink, the activities in what we're doing in union square, we are already seeing a significant difference. we're not -- the people down there, whether they walk there or traveling there, there's not been any incidents since what happened at that store, other than a situation involving a car break-in, in one of the garages. that person was stopped and arrested because we have police in the garages. so i think what's happening in union square is we're responding to it. the message is, we're not going to let you come here and get away with that kind of thing. and i think separately from that, in our various neighborhoods, we continue to have other issues. but we have police officers on the streets. we have resources on the street dedicated to helping support neighborhoods. people are seeing somewhat of a difference. it's not where i wanted to be, clearly. but it's going to continue to ge

how long it will stick around plus a street vendor crackdown sends a food cart packing out of union square and who police are not targeting. >>> cracking a cold case more than 30 years later and the arrest in a girls homicide back in the 70s. thank you for joining us. and now it is not only cold but hazy across the bay area right now and the time lapse of conditions in dublin so hazy you can see the road barely from our camera and the view from sales force tower cameras is better but still hazy in the view and the golden gate bridge is clearing out more as it got darker and darren peck is here now and when will it all end? >>> we kind of have a classic winter inversion were everything is stuck in gets trapped here. i will show you what the high definition doppler looks like but it is lot of prettier than this and this is a time-lapse and another one from the top of the sales force tower in can see the well-defined line with high pressure holding it in so nothing changes and we actually warm up a little bit in the overnight hours because those clouds will act like a blanket and we have been

> in san francisco retail crime has significantly dropped since increase in police presence in union square. but small business owners are voicing concerns about other areas of the city. joycelyn moran is live in the newsroom with those details. >>> actually there is a meeting where small business owners are asking for more support especially as other areas are getting it, for example, in union square. we saw the smash and grabs about three weeks ago and we have seen since then the increase in police presence in the area. take a look at these numbers. san francisco police say there has been a 67% increase in assaults, 91% increase in burglaries and 82% decrease in thefts. today the san francisco supervisor held a meeting with small business community members as they talked on what they've experienced, wander with the police department took part and it was a conversation to try to find solutions. we heard from a business owner who said they've been hit more than once. take a listen. >> it seems like we are losing hope in the system in general, that the system is not helping or doing anything

not just in union square but in other retail corridors as well. francis, a motorcycle officers. >> are doing patrols in those areas. those quarters, our station captains have in many cases officers in their district better. there. we support that with it. our special operations. officers, the workers special operations bureau including our traffic retailers, believe city officials understand this can't be a short-term commitment. >> now they're just hoping city officials pony up the dollars to keep this operation going well past the holidays. dan kerman kron 4 news. >> in the east bay. a proactive approach to increasing police patrols during the holiday season has minimize the effect of retail thefts in the city of that's according to the mayor who says his city is committed to ensuring a safe holiday shopping season kron 4 sleep to call reports the city is encouraging businesses to stay open. and for people to shop local. >> antioch. mayor lamar thorpe says his city has paid close attention to the rise in retail. plaguing the bay area and cities

making people feel that it's okay to come to union square to shop. it's really, really important. >> it is important, not just for tourists, but for locals. all of us here. the chief says that the beefed-up patrols will stay through the new year. he's also working on keeping an increased presence after the holidays, but it may not be at the level we're seeing now. that's because the current staffing the a union square relies heavily on overtime and pulling in officers from other part of the city. so bottom line, it's not sustainable. here's bigger picture to all of this. when you shop online, you're doing it tonight maybe on amazon. do you really know where those products are coming from? are they legit? big stores like target, home depot and cvs are calling for congress to step in. the chief executive of cvs says there's a maurkt place online for stolen goods. >> in is an organized theft problem. it's been ongoing. you're seeing a lot of it, most recently with these grab and go types of activities. we are working extremely closely with attorney gene

flash mob style mass theft incident at union square.ime in the area is down by 82% assaults are down by two thirds from three incidents to just one burglaries down by 91% theft down by 82% the union square alliance, saying quote the recent response to public safety, traffic management and a robust presence by the san francisco police department are resulting in large crowds coming back downtown to shop skate, eat and enjoy their holiday season in a safe environment. while it seems to be working, the question is. how long can police maintain that presence? we're going to keep this deployment through the holiday season through christmas through new years. then we will have an increase of department from what it used to be. i can't guarantee that it'll be at this level. but we're going to keep this as long as we can. another concern is the possibility that criminals are simply shifting their behavior out of the union square area for the time being. supervisor asha safi from the city's southern neighborhoods, says the police surge around un

union square, police say there has been a significant drop in crime. as jocelyn moran shows us , the news is making businesses feel left out. >> reporter: in a meeting today, small business owners asking for more support, especially as other areas of the city are getting it. we saw the smash and grabs happen about three weeks ago and union square and have seen increasing police presence in the area san francisco police says there has been a 67% decrease in assaults, a 91% decrease in burglaries, and an 82% decrease in theft. the san francisco supervisor held a meeting with small business owners as they spoke on what they have experienced. a commander with the police department took part and it was a conversation to try to find solutions. we heard from the business owner who says they have been hit more than once. >> it seems like we are losing hope in the system. in general. that the system is not helping us or doing anything. when larger companies are hit, there is action taken immediately, which is good. but when small businesses are impacted, action

and after that horrific weekend of lawlessness in san francisco's union square late last month. we check in with shoppers and store owners. what some workers are doing once it gets >> well, it has been about 2 weeks now since the sfpd increased its police presence in union square. a way to try to make shoppers and store employees feel a little bit safer after really a lawless weekend marked by a stunning increase in smash-and-grab ce. yeah, but the question is, is it working. our conference. rob nesbit spoke with one store manager about some security changes. he joins us now. >> live in the studio to tell us that this is an expensive proposition is not. it is grant. vicki, the city is paying to have more officers in the square, but it's the stores that are paying the price inside spending thousands of dollars a month on guards isn't something the store gum sees as a long-term solution. >> police on every quarter is still a daily occurrence in san francisco's union square gump's vp of operations mark-paul bo is happy that the city's police department has committed to having a pre

. >>> hablamos del operativo que se lanzÓ uniÓn square despuÉs de una ola de robos, y que estÁ rindiendostenible? >>> es imposible caminar en uniÓn square sin que se encuentre con policÍas, con seguridad privada y todo este despliegue estÁ rindiendo fruto, vimos una reducciÓn en los robos a carros, asaltos, en total alrededor de un 83%, esto se ordenÓ luego que hordas de ladrones tomaran por asalto a tiendas, casos como estos se redujeron en 91%. de 11 a uno solo. los nurtos bajaron de 77 a 12 incidentes y los asaltos de tres a un caso. >>> robÓ el dinero pero lo pone nervioso a uno. >>> kebin vende comida la zona y estÁ complacido. >>> me siento mÁs tranquilo. >>> la alianza de comerciantemos de uniÓn square dice que la respuesta de la ciudad es efectiva. >>> no sirve. >>> con la policÍa ya tenÍan como tres personas, entraron a mi tienda. >>> quÉ tan sostenible es este progreso. >>> lo podemos mantener por la temporada festiva dijo el jefe de la policÍa despuÉs tendrÁn que hacer ajustez, sin embargo dijo que el nivel actual no se puede mantener. >>> realmente la seguridad garantiza que

flash mob style mass theft incident at union square.a is down by 82% assaults are down by two thirds from three incidents to just one burglaries down by 91% theft down by 82% the union square alliance, saying quote the recent response to public safety, traffic management and a robust presence by the san francisco police department are resulting in large crowds coming back downtown to shop skate, eat and enjoy their holiday season in a safe environment. while it seems to be working, the question is. how long can police maintain that presence? we're going to keep this deployment through the holiday season through christmas through new years. then we will have an increase of department from what it used to be. i can't guarantee that it'll be at this level. but we're going to keep this as long as we can. another concern is the possibility that criminals are simply shifting their behavior out of the union square area for the time being. supervisor asha safi from the city's southern neighborhoods, says the police surge around union square was

as heartbreaking, really stephen vizio, like many general managers in the union square area now with the major hole in his bookings from january 10th through the 13th. that's when the 40th annual jpmorgan's healthcare conference was set to take place at the westin saint francis hotel. we were depending on that conference to kind of make up our entire q one. so losing that conference was huge. with less than a month ago, conference organizers putting out the word wednesday that they would be changing course since switching to an all virtual format, releasing a statement saying, in part, quote the health and safety of our clients and employees is of the utmost importance and given the ongoing covid 19 pandemic. we have made the decision. we were not only hopeful to meet in person but also understand how much does conference means to the san francisco community. which we fully support. the call by conference organizers comes in the wake of a difficult month for union square where smash and grabs shook area retailers. the decision spreading quickly among union square based hotels and res

that includes union square, north beach, and chinatown. the crime in that area is down significantly. almost 82% total, which is broken down into three categories which i'll get into over the span of 16 days compared to 16 previous days. the police department has broken down crime into three categories. assault, burglaries, as well as larceny and theft. according to the data provided by sfpd activity in all three categories from those neighborhoods fell. assaults are down 67% from 3-1. burglaries down 91% from 11-1. larceny and theft down 82% from 67 to 12 occurrences which brings total crime down by 82% which does include vehicle thefts and robberies. i had a chance to speak as i mentioned with the police chief bill scott at the press conference promoting a gun buyback event organized by united players. in the last ten years this organization has been able to take more than 3500 guns off of bay area streets. at that event chief scott praised the organization and their partners for engaging those at risk groups. but she has also discussed

it is feeling busy, a bit like normal back here on union square. i can't believe it. it has been a long 18 months. reporter: kevin carroll of the hotel council says while the hotels are not fully booked, the increase in occupancies having an impact on jobs in the local economy. >> are in have been out of work, many of them for over a year and a half. they're starting to come back, when more people travel and come here, people stay in our hotels, they are spending money outside the hotels. reporter: occurring to the hotel council, prior to the pandemic, the hotel occupancy rate during the holidays is close to 85%. today they say they are nowhere near those numbers, yet they remain optimistic. today that number is in the 40% range. >> 40% is much higher than we were at last of -- last december. we are seeing increases in occupancy is more people are getting out. more people want to have experiences struck the city. reporter: the heavy police presence is reassuring to the hotels, guests and employees. the hotel industry hopes that won't go away once the holidays are over

the union square ice rink has been booked solid all day. >> it was raining while we skated. >> reporter: you still did it? >> yes, it was so fun. >> reporter: mixed is in tourists like this family from france. >> we're always prepared for rain. >> reporter: but the weather did create holiday challenges. on the peninsula instead of slay bells ringing, the sounds were cars splashing through puddles. in redwood city. in san carlos, ted spent part of his afternoon struggling to keep drains clear. >> just the leaves are clogging the drains. and then every couple minutes i just unclog it and it reclogs itself again. >> reporter: in san mateo a downed tree meant a detour for some holiday drivers and run off from nearby creeks that are usually dry spilled off on streets. instead of a white christmas, it was gray and rainy but didn't dull the holiday spirit. >> thanks so much. >>> let's take another live look at christmas in the park in downtown san jose. early in the morning but beautiful out there. the rain wasn't enough to get the christmas spirits down for some people. visitors pulled out um

moving on to union square. much of downtown's regional importance employment and economic activity for union square and its key tourist attraction but also housing them in our hotels. the large group of retailers that we have in union square are critical to continuing to bring customers to the area. if any of you have experiences the recent macy aegis tree lighting. having some of those anchor downtown is really essential to the vibrancy of that neighborhood and of the city as a whole. and certainly there's no time like the holidays to get out and continue to experience union square. next slide. as we heard, there's certainly been some long standing changes to retail and many of these. this had started before the pandemic had only been exacerbated and i think director hillis already described a transition of people and shoppers with ordering things we know that those structural changes which had started have only accelerated in the pandemic. i would also be remiss not to mention the organized crime which certai

but union square was especially targeted.f the city you have police officers and the union square alliance all coming together trying to reassure shoppers since store workers that union square is a safe place to be. thanks to more officers patrolling it with the san francisco police department, increasing patrols around that area. shop owners say they need help inside their stores as well. but the cost of more security in stores. they say just isn't sustainable. >> during this unprecedented time to beef up our security and provide a safe place for our customers and our employees. it's a cost that is not sustainable. long-term for our business or for any business. >> the vice president of operations there at gump's. he says he understands that security is needed and he says stores should not have to go it alone. as for the criminals, he wants them held accountable for the broken glass. the stolen items and maybe more importantly, the sense of fear that has resulted. >> other bay area. cities are also stepping up security just

they say they're seeing a significant drop in thefts after increasing patrols in the union square area. nbc bay area spoke with the shoppers about what they've seen. >> reporter: the holidays are here in union square with shoppers carrying bags, stopping at the christmas tree and seeing police. officers are visible and on patrol. >> it makes us feel more protected. >> reporter: the family came from san jose. the flash mobs last month did cross their minds >> a little. but we knew what to watch out for. >> reporter: san francisco police increased their presence here after the robberies and now say they've seen a significant drop in theft, burglaries and assaults here. the police chief says the deployment will stay through new year's, and then there had be an increased presence from what it used to be. >> i can't guarantee it will be at this level, but we're going to keep it as long as we can, definitely through the christmas season, then we'll reassess. because we do have an entire city. >> it's definitely a step in the right direction. >> reporter: mark is with gump's and says it is ha

is union square getting any safer after those recent smash and grabs?have an update from sfpd. >> and get out those skies or snow boards, snow has arrived. we'll show you what nasa store what's in for this weekend. ♪give my regards to broadway!♪ ♪remember me to herald square!♪ ♪tell all the gang at forty second street♪ ♪that i will soon be there!♪ ♪whisper of how i'm yearning♪ ♪to mingle with the old-time throng!♪ ♪give my regards to old broadway♪ ♪and say that i'll be there, 'ere long!♪ this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. (background talking and laughing) ♪ ♪ (child) ...some people just go there immediately... at kaiser permanente, your entire car

cornell barnard went to union square to find out. >> san francisco's union square. on this saturday, so where the crowds. >> seeing people out today, it is really good. making me feel like we are actually into christmas. >> lydia loses and her fiance were taking in the sights, but being careful after the infamous smash and grab robberies terrorized several weeks ago. >> we are being cautious, watching ourselves. i have my purse where i can see it. >> police have made several arrests, and increased police presence considerably around the square, including this mobile command center. >> it is a safe environment, we have a lot of police officers the parameter. you start to see families down here enjoying the holiday season. >> the valera family came. >> we've heard a lot of cops around the neighborhood regarding this stuff. we figured it was safe enough to come. especially with my kids out here. plus it is christmas time. >> some luxury stores are open but boarded up, with security guards out front. the holiday shop was crowded with shoppers. >> i would encourage peopl

a conference that annually sells out hotels in union square during january.w scrambling trying to figure out how to make up for lost business. as heartbreaking, really stephen vizio, like many general managers and the union square area now with the major hole in his bookings from january 10th through the 13th. that's when the 40th annual jpmorgan chase healthcare conference was set to take place at the westin saint francis hotel. we were depending on that conference to kind of make up our entire q one. so losing that conference was huge . with less than a month ago conference organizers putting out the word wednesday that they would be changing course in switching to an all virtual format, releasing a statement saying, in part, quote the health and safety of our clients and employees is of the utmost importance and given the ongoing covid 19 pandemic. we have made the decision. we were not only hopeful to meet in person but also understand how much does conference means to the san francisco community. which we fully support. the call by conference organizers

the changes working for union square. reggie: the biggest one we have seen in weeks. that atmospheric river getting stronger. a live look outside. mike is tracking everything you need to know. kumasi: good morning, everybody. happy friday, december 10. you are watching abc 7 mornings. mike: good morning. happy friday. let's look at the chilly temperatures. the most likely area to receive damage from the cold temperatures is lake and mendocino counties. middle to upper 20's through the next 2.5 hours over so. we have a frost advisory in solano county until 10:00. 7:00, a lot of 30's and 40's. by the time we get to noon pretty calm. low to mid 50's. this afternoon not much of a change. high clouds increase as we had to 7:00. temperatures falling to the 40's. dress warmly this evening. kumasi: people who want to be boosted by christmas will need to get their shot today with a holiday 15 days away. delta ever means the biggest threat in the u.s. omicron has not been detected in at least 25 states. cases in hospitalizations an

almost a bit like normal on union square. i can't believe it. it has been a long 18 month run. >> our employees have been out of work for over 1.5 years. they are starting to come back. when more people travel and come here, when people stay in their hotels -- in our hotels, they are spending money outside the hotel. kumasi: they hope the police presence does not go away after the holidays. international travel is begin to pick up. 16 and 17-year-olds are not able to get vote -- are now able to get pfizer's covid booster. reggie: it comes after fives are -- pfizer's new data shows the booster works to bring antibody levels in your system back up to p protection. -- peak protection. >> 3 million teenagers are eligible for a booster, six months after getting a second shot. the first boosters were administered to 16 and 17-year-old. it will be available at all county run locations. teenagers will need a waiver signed by a parent, online or right there on site. 79% of santa clara county residents five years old and up are fully vaccinated. that is o

with a heavy police presence, shoppers are back in union square again. there is bags in hand and silvis in -- selfo ees in front of the big tree. >> we have the police lined up in front of macy's there. yes. >> reporter: despite the bad headlines and plywood up temporarily, the crowds returned again for the holiday season. foot traffic is up 135% from 2020. >> we're seeing a lot of people in and around union square and black friday is -- a record number of people since 2020 ,since the pandemic and -- >> folk folks kpix 5 spoke wednesday the large police present is reassuring. >> with all of the police present here, it feels comfortable. >> shoppers like this lady said, they are definitely more aware of their personal security on the square. >> i am more cautious lately: i am always checking my surroundings and make sure i am not here out past 5:00. yeah. i definitely am taking more safety precautions. >> that was andrea bobba reporting. meantime, the contra costa county sheriff's deputies will help walnut creek police officers and they're beating up secu

. >> union square represents almost 40% of retail sales in san francisco. it is extremely important to our cities. front-line workers, jobs, sales tax, the travel industry, so much of what makes our city run is represented there. we need to have that presence. >> reporter: sf pd chief william scott says restoring safety matters. >> making people feel like it is okay to come to union square to shop, our city to shop, is really important. that's one of our objectives. reducing the fear of crime is just as important as reducing crime itself. >> reporter: police presence helps. >> sing a lot of cop cars, you feel safer in this big city. >> i know this is huge. i want to acknowledge that. people feeling safe is important, but i am sure there are others who feel it is a band-aid. how long can you keep the police if the in this one part of town. have they said? >> reporter: we spoke with chief scott today. he said as it stands, the numbers of police officers roaming union square isn't sustainable. it will stay at this level through the new year, at which point it

reporter: shoppers are back in union square, grabbing last-minute items before christmas, but holiday gifts are not the only things on their minds. anchor: thousands of flights canceled. what you can expect at sfo. holidays happy despite the pandemic. the sights and sounds from downtown san jose. >> the area could see a white christmas. abc 7 news starts right now. announcer: building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. anchor: silent night so far on live doppler 7 radar, but not problem. rain will arrive for christmas. you are watching abc 7 news at 11:00, live on abc seven, hulu live coming in wherever you stream. wet roads in a tricky travel in the sierra. we are on stormwatch tonight to make sure you get home safely this holiday weekend. it is a white christmas in the sierra. snow is falling right now at zephyr cove on the southeastern edge of lake tahoe. the chp says heavy rain caused a fuel truck to flip on northbound 680 in the fremont this morning as it tried to avoid a car. thousands of gallons of fuel leaked. 100 homes had to be evacuate

near union square. ryan: if you are planning on heading out to union square, you will likely be surrounded by police. >> i did notice a police presence but i felt comfortable being out and about last night. ryan: sfpd increased the amount of officers. their goal was to make the area safer for shoppers and retail workers. >> making people feel that it's ok to come to our city and shop is really important. ryan: chief william scott said it has lead to crime being significantly reduced. he says all crime in that area is down nearly 85%. >> we have seen a significant drop in crime overall, from saft to cars being broken into -- theft, to cars being broken into, to burglaries. ryan: it is putting a strain on the department. many officers are working overtime and he says that is costing a lot of money. >> 8000 plus hours of overtime has been used on this operation. ryan: the current patrol plans and traffic restrictions will stay in place through the shopping season and possibly longer. his department has nea

people broke windows in the stores in union square. the police chief said since then their police presence has had an impact. >> when these happen, people get really anxious about where it is happening and making people as much as we can do to still say, hey, making people feel it is okay to come to union square to shop. it is okay. >> he says they'll keep the deployment through the new year and then work on the increased presence. >>> we're back in 60 seconds. still ahead, she said she's prepared to testify against him. tonight, scott peterson's sister talks about his behavior that has her convinced that he's guilty. >>> plus the grinch strikes again. the holiday decorations that have disappeared and the message for whoever stole them. >>> and we need snow and we have it coming our way. 77 inches, kingvale. we'll talk about it in about six minutes. >>> the behavior i witnessed from staff after laci disappeared was not that of a sad husband. >> he was convicted of killing his wife laci peterson and their unborn child. but today, you he

reporter: shoppers are back in union square, grabbing last-minute items before christmas, but holiday gifts are not the only things on their minds. anchor: thousands of flights canceled. what you can expect at sfo. rere holidays happy despite the pandemic. the sights and sounds from downtown san jose. >> the area could see a white christmas. abc 7 news starts right now. announcer: building a better bay area. moving forward, finding solutions. this is abc 7 news. anchor: live doppler 7 radar, but not problem. rain will arrive for christmas. you are watching abc 7 news at 11:00, live on abc seven, hulu live coming in wherever you stream. wet roads in a tricky travel in the sierra. we are on stormwatch tonight to make sure you get home safely this holiday weekend. it is a white christmas in the sierra. snow is falling right now at zephyr cove on the southeastern edge of lake tahoe. the chp says heavy rain caused a fuel truck to flip on northbound 680 in the fremont this morning as it tried to avoid a car. thousands of gallons of fuel leaked. 100 homes had to be evacuated as a result. the

yes, i was at the union square this afternoon and i will attest to that.y are there tonight. >> as kron four's dan kerman reports for us this strategy appears to be working. >> following smash-and-grab burglaries on november 19 san francisco police flooded the area in and around union square with officers and so far it appears to have done the trick. police say between november 20th and december 6th assaults have dropped from 3 to one. burglaries are down more than 90% from 11 to one and thefts are down 82% from 67 to 12 for heading in the right direction. we're grateful to the woman in. >> man of the san francisco police department being out there and helping too create a safe environment for our businesses and our customers. retailers like gump's are pleased with the extra law enforcement presence. >> and they say their customers are as well. >> for the majority of our customers. and speaking with they're pleased with police presence. they feel comfortable. they feel more safe and there you hear to get out and about and to get their holiday shopping poli

and if we don't feel safe or comfortable going out to see friends are going to union square as you wereing. that's ok, i think we've got to be honest about that. first and foremost because we can't selectively mute emotions. that was am not going to feel scared. i'm not going to feel sad or i'm not going to feel angry. that also means we don't have as much access to love and to joy gratitude so being real is is the first step in really taking care of ourselves. you actually have 4 points that to mention to our producer that we want to put the graphic up on the board, of course, being real about how you feel was one of those of britain, if you can put that graphic up. >> and then maybe you can just walk us through the other 3 on the list. yeah. another thing can we can do is focus on self-care taking care of ourselves and our mental health is as importtnt if not more important than our physical health. so, you know, we think of self-care, as you know, getting rest and eating and exercising, which it is. but also sometimes just taking a break, putting our phone down writing in a journal m

we went to union square to find out.ng to union square, and on this saturday, so were the crowds. >> so many people out today. it's really good, making me feel like we are into christmas now. cornell: lydia and her fiance were taking in the sights but being careful, after the infamous smash and grab robberies terrorized the square several weeks ago. >> we are being cautious, watching ourselves. i've got my purse where i can see it. cornell: since the robberies, police have made several arrests and increased their presence around the square, including this mobile command center. >> it's a safe environment. we have lots of police in securing the area. it's been nice. we are seeing a lot of families enjoying the holiday season. cornell: this family came to shop. >> we've seen a lot of cops around the neighborhood, so we figured it was safe enough to come, especially with my kids out here. plus it is christmas time. cornell: many stores are open but boarded up, with security guards out front. >> i would encourage people to c

tonight the 12th annual drag queens on ice at the holiday ice rink in union square.ing the lineup of some of the fiercest queens in the bay area hosted by donna sashay. a guest appearance from denali of rupaul's drag race season 13. tonight everyone is lip-synching while gliding through the night. fantastic night. >> it looks fun. have a great night. see you tomorrow. tonight, new york now the fourth state to confirm cases of the omicron variant as president biden unveils his winter covid battle plan. first colorado and now new york now minnesota. one case involving a man who recently traveled to new york city and attended a large convention another a woman who was recently in southern africa. many of the cases involving vaccinated people with mild symptoms it comes as the president outlines new steps to combat covid this winter. boosters, free tests and new restrictions on travel. >>> also tonight, congress racing to avoid a government shutdown moments ago the house passing a short-term funding bill, but some senate republicans threatening to block it over president

reporter:reporter: if you're planning on heading out to union square, you will likely be stranded byce. >> i did nice a place presence, i felt comfortable being out about last night. >> sfpd increase the number of officers. >> making people feel it is ok to come to union square to shop. it is really important. >> the chief says so far it is working. increased patrol his lead to crime being significantly redu

tonight the 12th annual drag queens on ice at the holiday ice rink in union square.sting the lineup of some of the fiercest queens in the bay area hosted by donna sashay. a guest appearance from denali of rupaul's drag race season 13. tonight everyone is lip-synching while gliding through the night. fantastic night. >> it looks fun. have a great night. see you tomorrow. [ cheers and applause ♪ >> steve: from studio 6b in rockefeller center in the heart

. >> union square is full of color during the holidays, but tonight police say the addition of a lota game changer. >>> a final farewell to a longtime bay area police officer and security guard killed protecting bay area journalists. >> like a majority of our police departments, we have been shortstaffed and in need of more guardian angels. god always seems to pick the best. >>> tens of thousands of bay area residents could face new water restrictions after a vote tonight. >>> welcome to the white house. >> my exclusive interview with first lady dr. jill biden. the message of unity on display at the white house in a time of deep division. >> what you think the bidens can do to fix all of this? >> plus, a lifelong educator on the positive lessons on the pandemic, and her message to bay area parents tonight. >>> right now at 7:00, and streaming on cbsn bay area , you cannot miss the stepped-up police presence around san francisco union square, but is it making a difference? good evening. i'm allen martin. >>> and i'm elizabeth cook . andria borba on the nuke crime numbers just released

they were both at at san francisco's union square. the salvation army helps 300,000 people here in the bay area every year, thanks in part to the red kettle program selling frank have more on this holiday tradition and how it got started more than 100 years ago. we are out here in union square, the 40th annual celebrity bell ringing and it is a lot of fun. there are a lot of people here, frank, we have a guest we do. its name is major matthew matteson from the salvation army here. tradition continues starting to feel a little bit like christmas, isn't it? it sure is, and it's a well. welcome feeling. we really need that around here. give us a little history on the on the red kettle because it started right here, didn't it? it sure did. the salvation army when we arrived in town here about 140 years ago, we had a salvation army officer go down to the ferry docks and say there are a lot of people that are in need that need need a bite to eat, and so he put this crab pot out there and started ringing a bell , and it caught on and worldwi

reporter cornell barnard went to union square to find out. reporter: holiday cheer is is is returning to san francisco's union square, and so were the crowds. >> it is really good. it is making me feel like we are into christmas. reporter: lydia and her fiancÉ jesse were taking in the sights but being careful after those into miss smash and grab robberies several weeks ago. >> we are being cautious. i got my purse where i can see it. reporter: since the robberies, police have made several arrests and increased police presence around the square, including this mobile command center. >> it is a safe environment. we have got lots of police officers securing the perimeter. you are seeing lots of families down here. reporter: this family from daly city came to shop. >> a lot of cops around the neighborhood guarding this stuff. we figured it is safe enough. it is christmas time. reporter: luxury stores are open but still boarded up. security guards out front. the holiday shop is crowded with shoppers. >> i encourage people to come down. there is a