When two teens entered through the back door of Mayor Sam Liccardo‘s home in an attempted burglary earlier this month, they were scared off when his wife, Jessica Garcia-Kohl, encountered them.

Police were called, and they routinely dusted for fingerprints and even took DNA evidence — an unusual step for a burglary investigation, but probably not in the context of a city dignitary like the mayor. And there appears to be a home-security image or two of the suspects.

But the security video was not recorded at their Northside home, but by a neighbor’s setup. Sources familiar with the investigation told this news organization that at the time of the intrusion, the mayor’s home was not outfitted with any security cameras.

As you might recall, during his 2014 mayoral candidacy, Liccardo spearheaded an effort to create a voluntary camera registry database to make it easier for police to know which homes near a crime scene had security cameras. The policy would allow investigators to swiftly requisition valuable footage rather than the time-draining process of canvassing homes door-to-door.

To be clear, the registry is voluntary, and was aimed at homeowners who already had cameras. But it was not lost on some observers that Liccardo did not participate in a program he championed to his council colleagues as a way to help curb burglaries and other property crimes that are at an elevated rate in the city.

When reached by Internal Affairs, Liccardo declined to address the security camera situation, including whether he has since had them installed, citing privacy and safety reasons.

“I understand why you’re asking,” Liccardo said. “But I expect you understand why I’m not going to answer the question.”

The incident did reveal that even the mayor is not immune to the property-crime problems that concern residents throughout the city. He said his home had been the target of burglars, attempted or otherwise, three times in the past decade.

“We’re not strangers to this,” he said. “We understand that’s life in the big city, and we’re taking precautions.”

This item has been updated to revise an error in the first quote.