While all eyes have been on the violent crime rising in Oakland, San Francisco has been dealing with the same issue, particularly in the city’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood.
One person was killed and another injured in a shooting just last week, and over the weekend a separate shooting in an interrupted robbery rocked locals.
"The activity is certainly unusual for the Haight," said James Sword, a board member on the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council who has lived in the neighborhood for three decades.
"But it’s also not surprising given the socio-economic conditions in the United States," he said.
The issue is part of a larger trend, said Sword. "It’s not unique here, it’s something I think has been happening all around – car break-ins, robberies – tend to be crimes of opportunity," he added.
Other members of the community agree. "The Park Station Police and the DA‘s representatives have told us that incidents like this are part of a larger trend of gun violence in our city and nationally," said a statement made by the Haight Ashbury Merchant’s Association on Monday in response to the weekend shooting.
"As we search for answers about what can be done to reverse the trend of growing use of weapons in our community, we will find strength & resilience in the community of long term business owners, staff, patrons and neighbors coming together," the statement continued.
In response, police have ratcheted up their presence in the area. "It seems from walking around the Haight Ashbury recently there is an increase in the presence of police," he said. "Whether it’s from Park Station or brought in from city-wide."
The neighborhood council has been long pushing for a community-based policing model, according to Sword, a solution that would be more long-term than what’s being tried now.
San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston of District 5, which includes the Haight Ashbury, has been very vocal about the issue.
After the most recent shooting, Preston announced a virtual town hall planned for Wednesday to "provide updates, connect folks with victim services, and engage with our community," said the tweet.
To combat the rising violent crime, the San Francisco Police Department plans to further increase police presence, have officers work extended hours on patrols, address calls for service on foot and by vehicle, and call on other resources throughout the city, according to a statement provided to KCBS Radio by SFPD Public Information Officer Robert Rueca.
Related
