There’s been a lot of (quite understandable) distress about the recent spate of violent crimes in Bernal Heights, including the Oct. 8 shooting in Precita Park and other rather horrific incidents like this and this.
This is not acceptable.
An emergency urgent community meeting with the San Francisco Police Department has been organized for this coming Monday night, October 17, and Neighbor Sarah has the details:
The Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center and other neighbors have organized a community meeting to discuss the recent Precita Park and Bernal Dwellings shootings with SFPD.
Captain McFadden from the Ingleside Police Station and a representative from the Mission Police Station will be in attendance.
When: Monday, 10/17, 7:30-8:30pm
Where: Leonard Flynn Elementary School (on Precita Park, 3125 Cesar Chavez St, @ Harrison)Please enter Flynn from the Harrison side of the school. The meeting will start on time and end on time.
PHOTO: Police mark bullet casings found near Precita Park on Oct. 8, by Bernalwood
Bernalwood 
Todd,
Are you using Nextdoor? If yes, this meeting with SFPD should be circulated there as well.
Neighbor Barbara will be posting it on Nextdoor (if she hasn’t already done so).
How does framing this as an “emergency” meeting help?
Thanks for this comment – it is not intended to be an emergency meeting but rather a chance for the police to share information on these incidents and take questions (ie, to be proactive).
If anyone happened to take notes or could provide a summary of the meeting, I’d greatly appreciate! Was unable to attend but am interested to know more info.
I imagine todd will post sarah’s official notes once they are ready, but until then, these were my takeaways:
1. The police dept, including gang task force, is sorely understaffed and the staff they do have are too green to know wtf they are doing
2. It is no longer the job of police to serve and protect. Rather, it is to capture and prosecute. If they dont think they have enough info to prosecute, they will not take time to capture. Relates directly to understaffing and inability to be proactive, operating in only a reactive state.
3. Dispatch has to prioritize calls, they get 50 or more noise complaints a night, that is why they are sometimes slow to respond. The police prioritize gun shots, robberies, etc over noise complaints. If you think it is going to escalate to violence, ask to talk to the PC (platoon commander) to have the call prioritized. (This relates back to being understaffed)
4. The police can not keep us safe. They recommend dodging crossfire and reassure us that we are not the targets unless we are in a gang.
5. The last 5 MINUTES of the meeting, while people were leaving, was devoted to neighborhood groups who are actually doing the work that will protect us and keep us safe. The whole hour should have been dedicated to hearing them and learning how to get involved in their groups. The COMMUNITY is the way to PREVENT the violence. The police cant do anything. We have to.
These are some great highlights, and well said.
Yes, there will be a dedicated post on this, with notes, ASAP.
Mission Local has a good piece on the meeting.
http://missionlocal.org/2016/10/police-and-community-address-spike-in-sf-mission-gang-violence/
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