According to San Francisco Crime (via Bay City News), at 9:05 a.m. this morning, Sacto resident David Bryant, 51, jumped over the counter at Wachovia Bank (at 200 Pine Street) and snatched some cash. He then fled the scene, all while cartoonishly leaving behind a trail of escaped dollar bills, and then tried carjacking two people with a knife. (Chortle.) He succeeded on the third attempt, kidnapping a cabbie at Bush and Sansome Streets, who drove him a few blocks away. Then, "police were able to stop and arrest Bryant on Leavenworth Street at 9:15 a.m." more ›

According to San Francisco Crime (via Bay City News) a 19-year-old man was shot in the chest in -- where else? -- the Tenderloin. The shooting occurred around Ellis and Jones Streets, according to SFPD, at around 7 p.m. last night. No word (yet) as to the victim's condition or possible arrests.... more ›

Huh -- remember that huge fight we all got into about whether or not to put cameras at high-crime intersections in SF? Turns out the cameras at the public housing sites are pretty much useless. To wit, they've only been used for evidence in two cases, neither of which were the homicides that they said the cameras would help solve. Whether this is because cameras don't deter crime, or because the restrictions that the civil libertarians have put on the camera usage is debatable. Also, it could just be that the cameras we have aren't great, and are particularly not useful at night, when most of the crimes occur. more ›