ABC reporter Matt Gutman warned by ‘GMA’ to keep away from ‘harmful’ downtown San Francisco
News
June 16, 2023 | 12:01 a.m
An ABC reporter admitted his bosses advised him not to perform live from downtown San Francisco on Wednesday because the area was “just too dangerous.”
Chief national correspondent Matt Gutman told viewers his crew had been instructed to film their 4am GMT segment of “Good Morning America” in a different part of the city as they covered the shocking closure of Westfield Mall.
Although the mall — the latest in a string of Bay Area malls to close its doors — cited the drop in foot traffic as its reason for its closure, Gutman said the city’s rising crime rate could be to blame.
“The mayor notes that several crime indicators are actually flat or declining. But it’s worth noting that we’re not at Union Square or Westfield Mall this morning because we’ve been told it’s just too dangerous to be there at this time,” Gutman said.
Back in the studio, Michael Strahan said Gutman’s admission “says a lot.”
Matt Gutman, a reporter for ABC News, admitted he was advised not to perform live in downtown San Francisco for his feature Good Morning America due to rising crime. Fox News
San Francisco has seen a dramatic increase in violent crime and the ongoing fentanyl crisis over the past year.
According to police, robberies, arson, grand theft autos and homicides increased by over 5% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Crime – which residents claim has turned the city into a “zombie apocalypse” – is largely responsible for the mass exodus of large corporations, including Old Navy and Nordstrom.
According to police, crime in San Francisco increased by over 5% in 2023 compared to the previous year.Fox News
A viral video from earlier this month showed that a whole section of the city’s commercial hub was completely deserted.
During the “GMA” segment, Gutman asked San Francisco Mayor London Breed if the city should be considered “dangerous,” but the Democrat explained that the news team was focused on the negative.
“Well, here’s the thing: San Francisco is a big city and it has challenges. But let’s go back a little. You’re talking about people leaving the city, but not people staying, expanding, and coming to San Francisco,” Breed said.
A number of Bay Area businesses have closed their doors due to rising violence in San Francisco. San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
On the same day, Twitter CEO Elon Musk revealed that his employees “feel unsafe” when visiting the social media headquarters.
“[They’ve] The windows of their cars were smashed. Also, they received such a zero response from the police that they barely bother to report crimes because nothing is happening,” the billionaire tweeted.
However, crime rates could be far worse than statistics and reports suggest.
Car break-ins and thefts have plagued the city as employees in the area admitted they are afraid to come to work. Chin Hei Leung / SOPA Images / Sipa USA
“Crime is worse than the data shows,” San Francisco attorney general Charles Stimson told Fox News.
“People don’t report these crimes because if there’s a prosecutor who’s pro-criminal and doesn’t enforce the law, the cops aren’t going to go out and arrest someone if they know the case is undocumented.”
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