Supervisors pass rental‑car notices and barcode limits and advance measures to fight car break‑ins

The Board of Supervisors on Sept. 19 unanimously approved two measures aimed at reducing vehicle break‑ins involving tourists and residents: an ordinance requiring rental‑car companies to provide written disclosures urging customers to remove valuables and lock doors, and an ordinance restricting visible barcodes and advertising on rental cars. Both passed on first reading.

Supervisor Norman Yee, the legislation’s sponsor, said rental‑car disclosure and vehicle marking reductions are intended to reduce tourists’ risk of auto break‑ins. "Our unsuspecting tourists are easy targets," Yee said, noting that the city had seen a rise in break‑ins in tourist areas and reporting preliminary declines after signage campaigns. He added that the rental industry participated in negotiations and has agreed to the changes.

Separately, supervisors Yee, Ronan and others signaled plans to reintroduce and pursue legislation to establish dedicated units at each police district focused on car break‑ins, bike theft and other property crimes. Supervisor Yee and Supervisor Ronan framed the proposal as an effort to provide consistent, local staffing and coordination to address repeat offenders and hot spots. Ronan said that many constituents do not report break‑ins because they lack confidence the city can do anything; the proposed district units would create minimum staffing and investigative capacity at local stations.

Why it matters: Car break‑ins and bike theft have increased in recent months, affecting residents’ safety and property and eroding confidence in reporting and enforcement. The rental‑car measures aim to reduce opportunities for theft by both warning customers and making rental vehicles less visibly targeted; the policing proposal would try a place‑based enforcement model to improve outcomes.

Details and next steps - Item 19 (rental‑car disclosure): Ordinance requires rental car companies to provide customers written notice advising them to remove valuables and lock doors. Passed unanimously on first reading.

- Item 20 (visible barcodes/advertising restriction): Ordinance restricts visible barcodes and advertising on rental cars rented in the city or at SFO. Passed unanimously on first reading. Supervisor Yee said the rental industry agreed to changes after months of negotiation and that the change could have national industry implications.

- Policing legislation: Supervisors Yee and Ronan announced plans to reintroduce legislation requiring minimum staffing for dedicated car break‑in and bike‑theft units at each neighborhood police district, with discretion for police leadership on implementation. The supervisors described the effort as focused on prevention, investigation and cross‑station coordination; the measure will be discussed further at committee.

Quotes - "Our unsuspecting tourists are easy targets," Supervisor Yee said, describing partnership with SFPD, the District Attorney and rental agencies. "This legislation is really about notification... awareness is what's gonna change what we know is sadly happening on our streets."

- "Nearly every single day I walk past broken glass on the street," Supervisor Ronan said. "If we want different results, we need to try something new. We are requiring at least one officer in each police station solely focused on this issue."

What the board will do next: The rental‑car ordinances return for second reading; the policing legislation will be introduced for committee consideration and likely hearings on implementation and staffing.