Jacob, respectfully, you (and I) are white. I don't want to start a heated discussion of race politics, but it's critically important to recognize the context of your interactions with police. I feel like the last year has done a superb job demonstrating nationally why the police are polarizing and systematically biased. While no one wants to have their car broken into, inviting extra police into the neighborhood is bound to have an effect on the very diverse community at large, an effect that I'm sure many would find alienating.
Take a look at the
Omni's wiki, and in particular the "What core values do groups share?" section. To me, values like "Standing in solidarity with all oppressed people" and "Striving for social, economic & environmental justice", shout NO POLICE.
As for solutions, I think this thread's title says it all: Don't leave valuable things in your car, especially not visibly. Thieves are a pain in the ass, but they're not fools and will probably not risk breaking into your car if there is no obvious boon.
Or you can always BART and/or bike :)