White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday said the COVID-19 pandemic is “a root cause” of recent organized looting incidents across the country.

Psaki gave the surprising remark when asked at her daily briefing about large groups that have for weeks been descending upon San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago-area shops.

“Big cities are dealing with smash-and-grab robberies, a record number of police officers have been shot and killed this year. What is President Biden going to do about all this lawlessness?” asked Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.

Psaki at first pinned the blame on former President Donald Trump for not offering more funding to local police before turning the blame on the pandemic.

“Well, Peter, I would say that when the president proposed additional funding in his budget over the funding that had been proposed by the prior president to increase in support local police departments, make sure we keep cops on the beat,” she said.

More...

https://nypost.com/2021/12/02/jen-psaki-says-covid-19-is-the-root-cause-of-looting-in-us/ 

The high end smash and grabs are well planned out. I would call these heists instead of looting. Looters generally are dumb. These people are professional burgalers with a new MO. They certainly at a minimum have street smarts and probably are smart.

Speyside2 wrote:

After two years of rising crime in Los Angeles, residents of upscale neighborhoods are finally starting to freak out after a spate of 'flash mob' lootings at high-end retail stores have been accompanied with a disturbing increase in violent crimes committed in the suburbs, according to the LA Times.

Crews of burglars publicly smashing their way into Los Angeles’ most exclusive stores. Robbers following their victims, including a star of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and a BET host, to their residences. And this week, the fatal shooting of 81-year-old Jacqueline Avant, an admired philanthropist and wife of music legend Clarence Avant, in her Beverly Hills home.

...these incidents have sparked a national conversation and led to local concern about both the crimes themselves and where the outrage over the violence will lead.

"The fact that this has happened, her being shot and killed in her own home, after giving, sharing, and caring for 81 years has shaken the laws of the Universe," said Oprah Winfrey, expressing grief over Avant's killing via Twitter. "The world is upside down."

The Times notes that while overall crime rates within Los Angeles remain far below the notoriously violent 1990s, much of it has been concentrated in poor communities - so it receives virtually no attention. Now that crime has "crept up in wealthier enclaves and thrust its way to the center of public discourse" across the city.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/never-seen-anything-it-los-angeles-residents-stunned-violent-crimes-creep-wealthier 

Your animus of liberals is duely noted.

Speyside2 wrote:

Violent Crimes Creep Into Wealthier Communities

That is because that is where the money is!

HockeyDad wrote:

Much money is leaving those cities due to decisions on policing, arrests, and saftey. There will be many more Detroits in the future.

Speyside2 wrote: