What happens when their are no consequences for misbehavior?  C.W. Nevius reports in the SF Chron:

San Francisco police Officer Gary Buckner was assigned to patrol the streets looking for quality of life crimes - like people drinking or urinating on the street or aggressive panhandling - in 2008 and 2009. But after he cited one persistent panhandler 35 times for pestering drivers at a traffic light on South Van Ness, Buckner reached a discouraging conclusion.

"There is no consequence whatsoever for their actions," Buckner said. "I've written hundreds and hundreds of citations, and I think I was called to court (to testify) twice."

Citations for minor offenses are all well and good, but eventually they have to be backed up with serious consequences for those who scoff at mere tickets. The consequence of no consequences is:

The whiff of urine in the street, the drunk on the sidewalk, and the aggressive panhandler are constant reminders that San Francisco can't seem to get a handle on the challenge of deadbeats who loiter on the city's sidewalks. If we forget, we're reminded by tourists who came to what they thought was a world-class city.

"How can you expect people to pay to come into a city that is awash in fifth and slime?" one wrote me last year. "No thank you. I will stay as far away from the city as possible."