Neighbor Sarah, your invaluable volunteer Bernal Heights crime reporter, attended the SFPD Ingleside Community meeting on DATETK, and she shares these notes on the latest Bernal Heights crime patterns.
Executive Summary: Trending positive.
Read on, read carefully, and stay safe:
Here are my notes from the May 20 community meeting at the Ingleside Station. Amber from the BHNC and several other Bernal neighbors attended as well.
Capt. Falvey presided.
CRIME STATS AND TRENDS (See attached Compstat report)
Overall, good in April.
The one startling number is rape – 10 vs 5 YTD. In 2/3 of cases, was a known suspect (date rape or spousal rape). Made 5 arrests this year for rape.
Robberies down 25% YTD. On pace for 16 in May vs 36 last May. Average has been 32/mo over past 2 years.
Cell phone robberies down, but two recent thefts/robberies on bus near Glen Park BART – someone grabbed phone from passenger and jumped off bus at bus stop. Don’t look at your phone when you’re riding MUNI, esp. if you’re sitting near an exit or approaching a stop.Not a lot in the way of robbery patterns right now.
Aggravated assaults up, driven by domestic violence and family violence.
Burglaries are down 25% YTD. Only one bike stolen in Bernal from garage – recent arrests seem to have nabbed right people.
Auto boostings down too. Auto thefts remain high – got grant from downtown to have license-plate-reading devices on patrol cars. 26 arrests YTD, 7 last month. Stolen cars still mostly used for transportation and turn up at some point. Increase in cars from other districts being recovered in our district. Pre-2001 Hondas and Acuras make up about 50% (which is actually down from levels in past).
Ingleside is 2nd largest population, 6th highest in crime in SF, 3rd safest per 1000 people (Richmond and Taraval have less crime).
Felony crime overall down 15% YTD.
Auto theft is current priority.
Serving a lot more search warrants these days.TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
1000 citations in April, +35% YTD Huge emphasis for SFPD
No traffic trailer right now – one loaned to Sunset/Yorba because of recent collisions and one in the shop (should be back soon)
77-year-old pedestrian struck at 30th/Dolores – report says pedestrian was crossing against light.
Parents, do not cross with kids in middle of the street! Teaches them it’s OK.
ILLEGAL GAMBLING OPERATIONS
Court ruling against sweepstakes gambling; Cybertime and Netstop closed down. One cafe left – City Attorney meeting with cafe’s attorneys.
The other trend here is vacant buildings with windows covered, machines inside. Working with City Attorney to go after property owners.
GRAFFITI ABATEMENT – Officer Martin Ferreira
He has been in this unit for three years. 201 arrests last year: 175 adults, 26 juveniles. Dispels myth that most graffiti vandals are aimless youth. Profile is more thrillseeker, “extreme sport” type.
5 arrests last month in Ingleside – from 2 incidents, one on Mission corridor, one on Alemany corridor. One crew was from LA. Total of four adults, one juvenile arrested.
White garbage containers (to hold bins inside) being tagged in Outer Mission. Remove graffiti right away – best deterrent. Lights and cameras good as well.
If your house is hit, make a police report with cost estimate to repair damage. Threshold for felony is just $400 in damage.
Most juveniles arrested are sent to program where they have to paint over graffiti for 96 hours in total.Current prolific tagger is “Spark” – not IDed yet.
Send photos of tags to graffiti unit – martin.ferreira@sfgov.org
Most graffiti is NOT gang-related (95% is NOT gang) except in certain corridors in Mission (22nd/Florida)Who is responsible for graffiti on AT&T boxes? AT&T. Call 311 to notify. DPW will notify AT&T. Eradication is key.
EVENTS
8/5 National Night Out at Police Academy (350 Amber next to Diamond Hts Safeway), 5-8pm. Will be a really good event – specialty units, police demos, free BBQ, giveaways, lots of stuff for kids.
Q&A
Problem house in Central Bernal – old occupants coming back after having been evicted and after property owner settled with City Atty. Question about why no arrests? Property owner needs to sign citizens’ arrest but has not done that. Sale pending and new owner should take over soon.
Glen Canyon Park – people speeding down Elk, running stop signs. Camps about to start. Request enforcement.
Many many many thanks to Neighbor Sarah for the notes and her dedication to keeping Bernal safe.
PHOTO: Telstar Logistics
Bernalwood 
Thanks again for this.
Did you hear anything about an uptick in “snatchings” in Holly Park?
Snatchings in Holly Park???
Thank you Sarah
It’s fascinating how people get misty-eyed about the history of San Francisco, the legendary Barbary Coast brothels and gambling dens, the slipping of knock-out drinks to unsuspecting sailors in order to sell them to boat captains bound for Shanghai (the origin of the term to “shanghai”), the opium and various other drugs.
And yet today, we’re all in favor of shutting down gambling cafes. Sounds like NIMBY doesn’t it?
Ah.. the good ‘ole days. Remember public flogging and slave trading? Boy those NIMBY’s really screwed up that jig.
YES thanks Sarah!
Thank you Sarah. Excellent reporting!
just a quick note here..there will soon be a story about the “graffiti bandit” – a long time member of the North West Bernal Alliance and Bernal resident, who has dedicated himself to painting out as much graffiti he sees on a given night. He’s probably responsible for many of the graffiti arrests noted above and is the reason you don’t see much graffiti along our part of Mission St.
Aided by two assistants, he covers a large area of our part of town and basically uses his own money for supplies & gas.
The 96 hours of remedial painting is giving their lives meaning. We need a follow-up task…if they like feats of derring-do, maybe we can have them do tree pruning for the city as a job.
“Only one bike stolen in Bernal from garage – recent arrests seem to have nabbed right people.” That was our one bike. Rookie homeowner mistake, having likely left the garage open at night by accident
Rookie no more though!
First of all, thank you neighbor Sarah. Second, couldn’t help but note that there is “an increase from other districts (of stolen cars) recovered in our district” Even the criminals know they can park here without any restrictions ie residential parking permits and little street cleaning!! It is a free zone for anyone who wants to store cars (whether for a vacation, work or for their stolen car)!! I sure wish we could have permit parking……