I'd blame that more on the elected officials, and by proxy SF residents. Awhile back one of their mayors responding to a raft of cellphone thefts on MUNI said if you don't want your phone stolen, don't have it in your hand. (I interpreted this as "don't visit SF")
There seems to be a notion that if a theft is only for a small amount, there isn't much harm done to society. My take is if someone's stealing cellphones every day, that's >100k in direct losses per year. Add in missed appointments, hassle to replace, and psychological damage... Lock the thieves away and lose the keys - it's way cheaper and makes a better society.