A concerning surge in robberies and assaults has gripped Noe Valley, a San Francisco neighborhood popular with families and often called "stroller alley." A group of young people are believed to be behind a string of 11 phone robberies last week, and reports indicate they've also resorted to violence, attacking women with baseball bats as they collect their children from school.

Two such assaults were reported last week, with one woman struck by a bat and another hit in the face. While police have apprehended a minor in connection with the phone thefts, investigations are ongoing.

This wave of youth crime comes as San Francisco grapples with broader public safety concerns. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman suggests the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic might be a contributing factor to the rise in youth offenses, pointing to the stress and instability experienced by families and communities during that period.

While data indicates relative stability in violent crimes like rape and assault over recent years, with a slight increase in murders, property crime has seen a significant uptick since 2019. However, some experts argue the official statistics don't reflect the full extent of the problem. Charles Stimson, a legal expert and former San Francisco prosecutor, believes underreporting is widespread due to a perceived lack of prosecution, discouraging both victims and law enforcement.