San Francisco’s effort to clean up its tattered image suffers a blow after a Czech news crew is robbed of camera equipment during APEC Summit

A Czech journalist and his digital camera crew have been robbed at gunpoint Sunday night by three armed assailants, in accordance with a press release from the San Francisco police. The incident occurred within the North Seashore neighborhood, about two miles from the town’s downtown, the place world leaders are assembly for the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation summit. 

“The suspects demanded their manufacturing tools and the victims complied,” the police mentioned. “The suspects then entered their automobile and fled from the scene.” 

North Seashore is a busy vacationer space identified for its Italian eating places and Metropolis Lights, a landmark bookstore made well-known by beatnik poets resembling Allen Ginsberg. The San Francisco Chronicle, which earlier reported the theft, mentioned Czech TV journalist Bohumil Vostal was filming the bookshop at nightfall to seize the town’s magnificence. 

The digital camera tools was valued at $18,000 and San Francisco Mayor London Breed has promised the town will assist exchange it, in accordance with the newspaper. 

The incident occurred as San Francisco hosts legions of worldwide delegates, world leaders and journalists for the APEC occasion. Whereas a lot of the consideration is targeted on a deliberate meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of China, San Francisco is hoping to make use of its second on the world stage to encourage tourism and pitch itself as a thriving hub of innovation. 

Municipal employees have been been power-washing sidewalks, transferring homeless individuals, and sprucing up buildings in its downtown core, all in hopes that guests will see a constructive aspect of the town. 

San Francisco has notoriously high property crime charges, and native tv crews have been identified to journey with armed guards. Nonetheless, murder charges are under these of cities resembling Austin, Miami and Washington, DC, in accordance with federal and native information.