WATCH: Renowned Author And Filmmaker ROBBED In San Francisco As He Shoots Documentary

The incident, which was caught on camera, saw thieves make away thousands of dollars in film equipment before speeding off. Despite their attempts to get the San Francisco Police to act, the Steeles were informed that the department had been "defanged" to such an extent that it could not keep up with the city's rampant crime.

Eli took to Twitter to express his disappointment, stating that the vehicle had been left unattended for ten minutes while he filmed a scene for the film sequel to his father's bestseller, "White Guilt." The stolen equipment was initially estimated to be worth $15,000, but further investigation revealed the losses to be at least $25,000, plus rental car damage.

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June 18, 2023

The incident occurred on Lombard Street, part of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country, rather than in the seedy underbelly of the Tenderloin neighborhood. Eli lamented that he had worked in dangerous areas for years and had never experienced anything like this.

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Upon arriving at the police station, the Steeles were surrounded by others who had also had their vehicles broken into. One of their friends had a gun pulled on him after confronting would-be robbers peering into cars outside. When they eventually got to speak with an officer, she expressed sympathy and said nothing would likely happen, adding that "The police have been defanged."

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According to Eli, a good samaritan, they informed him that the license plate on the thieves' vehicle was stolen from a rental car, with a Hertz attendant at the airport adding that they see around 30 vehicles broken into every day.

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A GoFundMe account has been set up to recoup some of the Steeles' losses, which included numerous cameras, lenses, microphones, and memory cards. Steele's book, "White Guilt," argues that "the age of white supremacy has given way to an age of white guilt, and neither has been good for African Americans." The incident highlights the rampant crime in San Francisco and the police department's inability to keep up with it.