Crime

Burglary-Avoidance Tip: Don’t Leave The Garage Door Opener In Your Parked Car

/ Todd_Lappin / 25 Comments

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Hypothetical scenario: You park your car on a Bernal Heights street with a shiny set of your house keys tucked beneath the visor or stashed in the glovebox.

Sound insane? Completely daft? Does that hypothetical scenario generate a visceral sense of foreboding and anxiety?

Good! It should! Because it’s totally nuts! After all, we all know that if someone broke into your car, they would also get your house keys. And once they have your your house keys, they can also rob your house. Obviously.

Yet that’s also why it’s a very bad idea to leave a remote garage door opener in your parked car. Neighbor Miranda writes:

I just want to have the people of Bernal know that my home on Gates and Powhattan was almost robbed this week.  The would-be thieves pried my roommates back window of his truck open and stole the garage door opener.  That is all they took.  They didn’t “smash and grab”, they had a mission to invade our home.  They tested the opener at about 3am  — the door opened then closed.  They then returned about 2 hours later and opened the garage again.  My roommate who heard it the first time was still up, he came out with a flash light and they took off in a red hatchback.

This seems like a whole new way to break in.  Just stealing garage door openers from cars that no one is likely to miss until its too late.

Exactly! It’s a trend, even.

Just yesterday Bernalwood received this alert from Capt. Tim Falvey from the SFPD’s Ingleside Station:

I don’t know if you saw our newsletter’s crime alert, but we had a couple of auto boostings in the Precita Park area where the suspect used the garage door opener to access the garage. The suspect then entered the garage and stole the victim’s bicycle. The same thing just happened on the 100 block of Elsie over the weekend. Please advise people that they should be mindful of garage doors opening at unusual hours. People shouldn’t leave their house keys in the car (registration paperwork has the address), and the garage door opener is as good as a key.

Captain Tim Falvey

So there you have it. Remove the damn garage door opener from your street-parked car, and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Bernal Heights Crime Report for February 2013: Robberies Back Down, Car Break-Ins Back Up, and Keep Your iGadgets Hidden

/ Todd_Lappin

putthephoneaway

Neighbor Sarah attended the SFPD Ingleside Community meeting last week, and she filed these terrific summary notes on Bernal Heights crime trends. Read on:

CRIME STATISTICS & TRENDS

At the beginning of January, there were not very many robberies – eight in the first two weeks. Then, as we all know, there was a big spike – 38 in the next two weeks. This pattern was repeated citywide. Most spikes in crime tend NOT to be the result of many people doing one crime apiece but rather a few people committing many crimes. This January saw 18 more robberies than last January.

They brought in the Violence Reduction Team from downtown and saturated the areas that had seen lots of robberies. There were several arrests, and robberies are down to their previous level. There were 16 arrests this January vs. eight in January 2012.

Burglaries are up a little, possibly because during the recent warm spell, people left more windows open. One common mistake is to leave your back window or side/service yard window open – burglars know that people do this and will look for ways to get into those areas.

Auto thefts are also up a little, but they made two “good arrests” lately – the suspects are “frequent flyers” with many past auto thefts under their belts. The station does a lot of crime-mapping and overlaying it with maps showing the addresses of people who are recently out of jail for those crimes.

Thefts from locked vehicles continue to be concentrated and on the rise in Precita Park and Crocker-Amazon Park between 10pm and 6am. With the new cadets arriving at the station, experienced officers are being freed up to focus on these problem areas. They are also working on outreach to remind people not to leave things in their cars.

Remove charging cords, GPS suction cups, or anything else that may make a thief think you have something valuable in the car. Thieves use sparkplug chips, which allow them to break in noiselessly and quickly. Some people have nothing in their cars, but the cars still get broken into – this is because the thieves are finding enough stuff in cars in the area that they’re going fishing for more.

If you see people looking into cars, call the non-emergency number (553-0123). If they continue to look into cars or start doing other suspicious things, or if you see a clear crime in progress, call 911. The captain’s mantra is “people aren’t suspicious; their behavior is” (meaning: call the police if you see something weird going on, and let them check it out).

52 people have been arrested citywide for firearm violations in the first 49 days of the year – 11 were in Ingleside. When robberies involve guns, they bring in the plainclothes units very quickly.

Robberies have been more violent in this recent crime wave. Please do not have your iPhone out – they convert to $300 very quickly. I asked if there was a gang connection to these robberies, and the captain said he did not believe so. The Ingleside neighborhoods tend to be targeted by opportunists who like the easy freeway access. Gangs tend to raise money for themselves through drug-dealing and not through robberies.

If you are a victim of a robbery, try to be a good witness without putting yourself in danger. Muggers often wear multiple pairs of pants or shirts so that they can shed layers between robberies. Try to get a look at anything that won’t change – shoes, scars, tattoos, glasses, markings.

Always be sure to report crimes, even car break-ins! It sounds obvious, but many people don’t do it. And if the police don’t have an accurate view of where the crimes are occurring, they cannot correctly assign resources.

Someone asked about reporting crimes or suspicious behavior anonymously. You can do so, but it means the police will have to establish their own probable cause to search someone – ie, they can’t use the anonymous call as the probable cause. So if you feel comfortable giving your name, do, but you don’t have to.

The Balboa Park BART thefts (where people in cars would ask passersby for directions and then steal their phones) have dropped off. They were also happening in the East Bay (same suspect descriptions), and the captain thinks they may have been arrested elsewhere. If that’s correct, they would then also be charged with the SF crimes.

A community member asked about young people loitering on the steps next to the Italian American Social Club in the Excelsior, which has been an ongoing problem. The club has a 25MPC notice (a no-trespassing letter authorizing police to remove people), but the building next door does not, so people have been gathering there and causing problems.

PAL CADET PROGRAM

This is a four-week, five days/week, six hours/day program for students aged 14 to 20 who have an interest in becoming police officers or just learning more about the police. They must reside or go to school in SF, have a 2.0+ GPA, and pass an SFPD background check. The program runs from June 17 to July 12. There is an ongoing volunteering/community service component to the program as well.

They get a taste of what the police academy is like – classroom time, exercise, uniforms, background on law and police powers. The program is targeting the southeast area of SF.

Applications are due by 5pm on April 5. Trivia: both Captain Dave Lazar and former Chief Heather Fong started out as teens in this program. More info and applications can be found here. And here’s an SFGate article on the program.

NEXT MEETING AT INGLESIDE STATION: Tuesday, March 19, 7pm.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

UPDATED: Vandals Wreck Beloved Slide at Bernal Library Playground

/ Bronwyn Ximm / 24 Comments

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Visitors to the playground behind the Bernal Heights Library this past weekend were greeted by yellow caution tape wrapped around one of the park’s main play structures.

An ulcer-like hole now mars two upper sections of the park’s beloved tunnel slide, rendering it unusable. Pretty depressing.

Anyone see this happen? If you have pertinent information, please call the Ingleside Police Station at 404-4000.

If Dante’s Inferno offers any clue to the vandals’ fate, they will be dispatched to the outer ring of the seventh circle of hell, where they will be immersed in the boiling blood of the fiery River Phlegethon.

UPDATE 2/25/13 4 pm:  Captain Tim Falvey of the Ingleside Police Station says any witnesses should call the Arson Task Force, which is investigating, at 920-2944. In the meantime, police patrols are being increased in the area, and beat officers are checking to see if any cameras along Cortland might have captured anything useful.

PHOTOS: First and last, via Neighbor Andy. Middle by Neighbor JoAnn

An Update on Recent Mugging Arrests and Crime-Reduction Efforts in Bernal Heights

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

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Last week Neighbor Sarah attended a meeting with Captain Falvey from the SFPD’s Ingleside Station. The meeting was an opportunity to gather updates on the robberies and arrests that took place in Bernal Heights recently, and discuss safety initiatives that Bernal neighbors can undertake. Neighbor’s Sarah’s (typically excellent) notes contain two parts – an update and a list of action items – so please read all the way through.

UPDATE ON ROBBERIES & ARRESTS

For the two adult suspects in the January 29 mugging incident, bail has been set at $400K and $500K, respectively, which Captain Falvey said was high for robberies.

If you were a victim of these robberies and haven’t been informed of the hearing date/time/location for the juvenile involved, you can call Delia Montiel in Victim Services at 753-4418. She can only speak to victims, but victims are allowed to spread the word and bring as many “support people” as they want to the hearing. I am looking into the hearing dates for the adults.

SFPD’s central Criminal Investigation Unit is working on these and other robberies because the robberies occurred across police districts. Stations are sending in robberies they think are connected. In this case, Ingleside sent over seven robberies they think are connected to the Bocana one. Taraval sent several others, and Bayview is likely to have done so as well.

SFPD is reaching out to other robbery victims to see if any more robberies can be linked to these or other recently arrested suspects.

There was also an arrest for a robbery in Alemany the Saturday before the Bocana robbery. They are looking to see whether that suspect can be tied to any of the robberies on nearby city streets earlier in the month.

Ingleside has brought in the Violence Reduction Team and also deployed its own plainclothes units. These groups drive around in unmarked cars and observe the neighborhood. They can conduct “field interviews” and write up cards that can be useful later if a robbery does occur. If the person they are interviewing is on probation or parole and has a search condition, the police can search him/her.

There have been no robberies in Bernal since the Bocana arrests (knock on wood), thanks to effective police action and community engagement/support. But we should not become complacent. Accordingly, please see some action items and initiatives in progress below.

Some people have asked why it isn’t easier for the police to apprehend people involved in the robbery and resale of electronics since this activity is known to be concentrated at 7th/Market. Captain Falvey said the police DO set up undercover buys, but the people involved in these rings are not stupid. They divide up the transaction into small pieces – so, for instance, the guy with the money buying up electronics is not actually out on 7th and Market. The Mid-Market foot beat is always on the lookout, and periodically they are able to bust the person who’s buying up the stolen goods.

ACTION ITEMS

What can Bernal Heights do to encourage vigorous prosecution of these robbery suspects?

1. NOW: Write a letter to DA Gascon. The Community Police Advisory Board, the BHNC, and other groups should all do this. Key points: we are following case closely; we want suspects to get a fair trial; this was very serious, violent crime that these suspects brought into our neighborhoods.

2. IF CONVICTED: Write a letter to presiding judge from same groups. Key points: these crimes were violent; we encourage stiff sentences.

QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH THE CAPTAIN. Establish quarterly Bernal Heights meeting schedule with the Ingleside captain. All groups and residents should be encouraged to attend so that we do not only meet in small groups with captain or in large groups at times of crisis. Ailed from BHNC and Sarah to work on getting this started. [Editor’s Note: Bernalwood will promote these meetings when they are scheduled]

LARGE COMMUNITY FORUM WITH CHIEF AND CAPTAIN. Neighbor Darcy is following up with Chief Suhr and Captain Falvey on dates – possibly end of Feb./beginning of March — for a discussion about crime-fighting strategy. Date and venue TBD.

HOT SPOT WALK. Schedule “hot spot” walk between now and large community forum, to identify crime-reduction improvements that can be made in Bernal Heights; include DPW, Supervisors’ staff, SFPD, others. Ailed at the BHNC is leading the charge – likely to be one evening the week of Feb. 18. If you have a “hot spot” (problem area in neighborhood) in mind and haven’t done so already, PLEASE fill out this hot spot form. Paper copies are also available at the BHNC. Please return them by Feb. 13! (Tomorrow!)

SAFETY WALK. Schedule Precita area safety walk/education campaign. Ailed is working on this and will send out a notice asking for volunteers.

REGULAR MONTHLY INGLESIDE STATION COMMUNITY MEETING. The next one is on Feb. 19 at 7pm in the community room at the station, 1 Sgt. John V. Young Ln. inside Balboa Park.

Other ideas mentioned were a monthly newsletter or update from captain to distribute on BernalSafe, and engaging the tech-savvy Bernal community to come up with other solutions to enhance safety – e.g., bSafe app.

PHOTO: via Telstar Logistics

Crime Alert: Beware of Thieves Masquerading as PG&E

/ Todd_Lappin / 15 Comments

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The red phone in the Bernalwood newsroom went ring-a-ding-ding this morning as we received a high-priority crime alert from Capt. Tim Falvey from the San Francisco Police Ingleside Station:

Yesterday, there was a burglary/theft from a building on Nebraska at Cortland. A subject, posing as a PG&E employee, entered a home to “check the meter”. He let himself out when he was done and the resident’s laptop computer was missing. Per PG&E, the meters in the area of the theft digitally upload which eliminates the need for home visits. Please post this information on Bernalwood Blog and remind residents that if they are not expecting an employee from a utility company, don’t let them in without first calling the utility company to verify that an employee is in the area. Also, they don’t have to open the door, they can speak through the door. If someone tries to enter their home “checking meters” and leaves while the resident is calling PG&E, they should call the police.

Thanks,

Captain Tim Falvey

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Bernalwood

Sunday: Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Will Hand Out Free Safety Whistles

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

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Some neighborhoods are protected by the Guardian Angels; Bernal Heights has the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We’re lucky like that.

On Sunday, February 3 from 1-2 pm, The Sisters will be on Cortland and Andover, handing out whistles and dispensing street-smart safety advice in front of the Good Life Grocery. In case you miss them, The Sisters will leave any extra whistles at Chuck’s corner store, on Cortland at Bocana.

Once you have a sporty personal-safety whistle, here’s how The Sisters suggest you use it:

Attach your whistle to your keychain, phone or bag, choosing something that you always have with you so you can easily access your whistle if a threatening situation arises. If you are walking to your car late at night with your keys in hand and a whistle attached, you can blow into the whistle to startle an attacker and attract help.

Get your whistle ready if you sense danger. Use it if you think a sudden noise may distract an attacker or attract help. If you are already under attack, use your judgement about whether the whistle will help or hurt your situation. If you see someone in trouble, blow your whistle to distract the perpetrator, giving the victim time to escape.

Call 9-1-1 when someone else is in danger.

Blow in short, sharp bursts: 3 tweets (over and over) for “SOS”.

If you don’t have your whistle consider yelling “FIRE”. That seems to attract attention, whereas yelling “help” seems to repel people from coming to your aid.

PHOTO: Grays Antiques

UPDATED: Bernal Residents Underwhelmed by Last Night’s Community Safety Meeting

/ Todd_Lappin / 34 Comments

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NotImpressed

All the celebrities showed up at last night’s much-anticipated Community Safety Meeting: an SFPD captain, three Supervisors, and an angry, overflow crowd of Bernal Heights residents who want to know what the City will do to help make our streets secure again.

Interest ran very high. The Bernal Heights Neighborhood center estimates that 200 Bernal neighbors jammed inside the building, with another 100 turned away outside. That was important unto itself, because the high attendance sent a powerful signal to City officials that our community is watching closely, very energized, and deeply engaged. Major kudos to BHNC, for making it happen.

Yet by the standard of “what the City will do to help make our streets secure again,” many Bernalese left feeling disappointed by what they heard. A neighbor provided this summary:

Here is my summary of the meeting:

  1. In my 20+ years in Bernal that is the largest turnout I have ever seen. I am sure there were 100s of folks there, and a bad mike/sound system
  2. The structure of the meeting was Supervisors and the Captain. No Sergeants were present; there were a few officers and a detective (plainclothed).
  3. Lots of supervisor rhetoric. Necessary political concerns expressed, but not much problem-solving
  4. Captain Falvey was in the hot seat, and he did remarkably well. He answered questions, but it was limited because the police are still filling out reports, etc.
  5. Then came questions from the public. Not much time was left for this, and the questions were written down. The questions were condensed because they were a lot of repeat questions. They was a lot of talk of not displaying victim behavior etc etc, Call when you see suspicious behavior etc.

Very lackluster.

That’s consistent with what we heard from other Bernal Heights civilians. Neighbor R writes:

Loads of people.  Standing room only and then some.

IMO, maybe 5 minutes of the hour plus meeting was about the recent muggings.  Lots of talk about not showing anyone you have a phone, lots of supervisors talking about educational initiatives and Newtown and federal gun control.

No talk about preventing future muggings, equipping police with technology to track phones, stopping the very active and open fence market on Market (where they found the guys last night).

Count me very disappointed.

Neighbor Laura adds a second:

I agree with R’s overall sentiments about the meeting. I left not feeling any safer and was very disappointed that we didn’t actually focus on the issues at hand. I was hoping for more of an open forum where we could all ask our questions and have them answered, not the sorting and selection process of the questions that happened.

You get the idea…  the reviews of last night’s meeting have been consistent.

Bernalwood is told that planning for additional meetings with the SFPD is underway, with the goal of using future sessions to focus more concretely on question-and-answers, updates, and crime-prevention strategies. That’s great.

Today, however, Bernalwood offers this visual summary of current neighborhood sentiment:

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UPDATE: 1/31 2:30 pm Neighbor Edie, who regularly writes those invaluable notes from the SFPD Ingleside monthly meeting, comes through with detailed notes on last night’s meeting:

Bernal Heights Community Safety Forum

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center

Speakers: Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center Executive Director Rachel Eboria and Director of Community Engagement Ailed Paningbatan

San Francisco Police Department Captain Timothy Falvey, Ingleside District
Supervisors David Campos-District 9, John Avalos-District 11, and Scott Wiener-District 8
San Francisco SAFE Program Director Irina Chatsova.
Sister Eve Volution and Sister Pat N Leather, The sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Attendees: Over 250 crowded into the BHNC main meeting room, the balcony, and stairs. More went home, unable to fit in through the doors.

SFPD Ingleside Captain Timothy Falvey: In Bernal Heights recently there has been an increase in robberies involving firearms. The latest was Tuesday night in the 200 block of Bocana. Three neighbors chatting in front of a house were approached by three men with a gun, who stole an iPhone with “Find My iPhone” GPS tracking app on it. A quick- thinking Bayview officer tracked the phone on his iPad, and radioed in that it (and the thieves) were in the Tenderloin, where electronics are commonly fenced. Tenderloin police spotted the car, but the suspects took off onto 101 south. After a chase, police apprehended the suspects. Now that they are in jail, police will ask the victims and witnesses of other crimes if they can identify them. They think there may be seven robberies in Ingleside connected to this group, and possibly more from other neighborhoods since these guys moved around (two robberies in Portola/Bayview area before they got to Bocana/Cortland).

They also are about to make an arrest in another robbery where the victim had a chance encounter a few days later with the person who mugged her and was able to identify him to the police.

Often an increase in similar crimes is caused by a small number of perpetrators. Once a few are arrested, the volume of crime decreases. Let’s hope that happens soon.

Falvey uses the “three E” approach to reduce and prevent crime, a focus on education, enforcement, and environment.

Education: Such as warning signs posted around the neighborhood, helps neighbors be aware of what’s going on and how not to be a target. For example, there have been at least 6 incidents at Balboa BART where thieves target i-phone users: drivers ask to borrow someone’s phone and then speed away onto 280 with it. Criminals have also been asking time or for directions to see if someone has a phone. Telling people makes them more aware and less likely to become another victim. Tips can be found in the Ingleside station newsletter.

Increase in recent trend of robberies and thefts in and around the Balboa BART Station and City College area. Be vigilant of suspicious vehicles pulling up and its occupants asking for directions and/or to use your phone and then fleeing the scene with your property.

Environment: Residents must be proactive and aware of their surroundings. In general, the neighborhood should notice street lights that are out and trim trees blocking street lights, clean up Residents should get motion sensors or leave their porch lights on, prune shrubbery, and notice who and what is around them.

Enforcement: Police patrols and undercover officers work with Violence Reduction Team (a plainclothes unit deployed to neighborhoods that are experiencing spikes in crime) to cover specific areas. Last night, from the time the call came in to the time the officer met with the victims was one minute 5 seconds because plainclothes officers were already nearby.

Supervisor David Campos: The City Supervisors are committed to providing all of the resources needed by community and police to make neighborhoods safer, and community policing involves police and citizens in enforcement and prevention. What can we do as individuals? Campos was a victim of a mugging five years ago; he made it easier for the criminal because he (Campos) was talking on his phone. Don’t get caught up in your phone and ignore the people or situations around you.

Supervisor John Avalos: Excelsior, OMI, Crocker-Amazon, and neighborhoods south of here have also suffered an uptick of violent crime – break-ins, robberies, and a murder, and Avalos shares concerns and strategies with Campos. This includes, first, providing adequate police resources, and there will be 3 police academy classes this year, and 8 new officers started this Saturday at Ingleside. Second, working within the community to increase communications among neighbors and with the police and develop neighborhood watch groups. Third, providing resources for people seeking alternatives to street life, such as youth development programs, high school alternatives, and workforce programs. Again – this uptick in crime is caused a small number of individuals. When we catch them all, the crime should go down.

Supervisor Scott Wiener represents many neighborhoods, and Glen Park and the Bernal Cut are at the southern end of his district. There has always been a problem of robberies in GP due to the placement of BART and easy access to the freeway. Thieves also travel easily between Glen Park and Bernal. Weiner hopes to continue the combined neighborhood and police focus on awareness and control.

Sister Eve Volution and Sister Pat N Leather: The sisters of Perpetual Indulgence focus on community service and have been spreading general street safety information for many years, initially in response to homophobic acts. They suggest you get a whistle, wear it on a chain, and blow it if you are concerned or attacked. Wearing the whistle increases safety awareness; blowing it when attacked may give you a brief moment to get away, scare away the criminals, and bring out the neighbors to help you. The Sisters will be on the corner of Cortland and Andover on Sunday Feb 3rd to hand out safety tip sheets and whistles. Facebook: Stop the Violence, web site: the sisters.org

Community Q&A (30 min):
1. What to do about lack of lighting on Richland? First, contact 311. 311 is a one-stop-shop city service for neighborhood concerns. They will either send requests to the appropriate city agency, or redirect the caller. ALWAYS get a tracking number to follow the response. The 311 calls advise the supervisors and therefore can affect the budget. Second, tell Ailed Panangbatan, BHNC, who is organizing a safety walk to review the areas that are dark, covered with graffiti, and where criminals gather.

2. The Ingleside newsletter: How often sent out and updated? Police try to do it daily, but the person who started it is retiring and someone new will replace him. Newsletter not only has crimes committed, but comments on crime trends, and safety tips to counteract crimes. The crime reports, safety tips, safety forms and information sheets can be found and downloaded from http://www.inglesidepolicestation.com/

3. The discussion about gun violence is in the foreground now. Can we track this and use it to control gun activity? Campos: Guns are a priority for all the Supervisors. Campos’ office is using their portion of the supervisors’ discretionary budget for a gun buyback program. Avalos: As a city we must prioritize jail time for criminals who use a gun. We must also focus on the national level: Plan for the city to divest any funds invested with companies what manufacture guns. Falvey: in Ingleside has made 10 gun arrests in the past month. If someone has a gun in their house, they can call the police to pick it up, but if a burglar enters and steals it, it will then be on the street and could be used to commit crimes.

4. Drug sales in the neighborhood: What can we do about street-level drug sales? Police have undercover officers on the streets, so call the police. They will get drug dealers off the street to stop drug sales and thereby prevent greater violence.

5. How to better spread the word about happenings in the neighborhood? What do block captains do? Chatsova: Neighborhood Watch block captains have lists of contact information for all their neighbors and learn to use phone trees in emergencies to help solve problems. They also have quarterly meetings for ongoing training and discussions.

6. What do you do if someone pulls a gun on you to get the best outcome? If someone pulls a gun, you must evaluate the situation and make an immediate decision about your long-term safety. Remember, your stuff can be replaced, but your life cannot. Look for ways to escape, and people around to help you. Know you can get through this, so try to make yourself a good witness. Notice height, weight, facial characteristics, and license plates. Remember, criminals often wear layers of clothing so they can strip one layer off and change their appearance, even as they run away. However, they won’t change haircuts, glasses, or shoes.

7. Holly Courts is losing their director, and the tenants need a Director who is more tenant minded; the tenants ask to be part of the process in selecting that new Director. Campos: violence and public safety are connected, so if the Holly Courts tenants are affected, so is the rest of the neighborhood. Campos has asked for an audit of the housing authority to determine why residents still don’t have key cards after several years.

Irina Chatsova, Director of SFSAFE: SF SAFE can help individuals and groups start a neighborhood watch group, perform residential or business security assessments, and conduct classes in home and personal safety (including basic self-defense) for your neighborhood or community group. Most of this is completely free. 415-673-SAFE or http://www.sfssafe.org

Ailed Paningbatan, BHNC:
Hot Spot Walk: Upcoming – date to be announced. The BHNC is organizing another Hot Spot Walk for city officials and community representatives. The Hot Spot form follows on the next page of these notes. Use it to indicate areas of concern due to overgrown vegetation, poor lighting, garbage dumping, graffiti, drug dealing, etc.

Safety Walks: Neighbors, BHNC staff and members, and police conduct occasional Safety walks in the neighborhood and pass out flyers with tips on subjects such as auto break-ins and personal safety. For more information, to participate, or to suggest an area that could use a safety walk, contact Ailed Paningbatan-Swan at (415)206.2140 x 130 apaningbatan@bhnc.org

PHOTOS: Above, Top and bottom, Mark Johann. Center, Sam Burbank

Meet the Gentleman Who Allegedly Mugged Your Neighbors

/ Todd_Lappin / 81 Comments

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This is Thomas Sagaiga. He is 18, and from South San Francisco. Along with two accomplices — Jeremiah Ieremia, 22, of South San Francisco, and a 16 year-old from San Francisco whose name has not been released because he is a minor — Mr. Sagaiga was arrested on Tuesday night after a crime spree during which he allegedly mugged three victims on Bocana near Cortland in Bernal Heights.

According to the Bayview Station crime blotter, here’s how Mr. Sagaiga and his associates spent their evening:

Armed Robbery Arrest:
On January 29th at 7:30 pm, a 37 year old victim was robbed at Bacon and Girard. The victim told the responding officers that he was approached by three suspects as he walked home. One of the suspects pointed a gun at him as the other two stripped him of his coat and removed his wallet and smart phone from his pockets. The suspects then fled on foot. The officers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspects that evening.

On the same night at 7:30 pm, three 18 year old victims were robbed in the area of Silver and Girard. The victims told the officers that they had been walking in the area when three suspects approached them. One of the suspects was armed with a gun and ordered the victims against the wall. The other suspects then went through the victims’ pockets, stealing their bags, wallets, and smart phones. The suspect descriptions that the victims provided matched those of the earlier robbery on Bacon and Girard. The officers searched the area but were still unable to locate the suspects.

A short time later at 8:50 pm, several people were robbed at gunpoint in the Ingleside district in the area of Cortland and Bocana. In this robbery, three suspects were similarly described as in the two above mentioned robberies, with one brandishing a gun. The suspects stole wallets, smart phones, a laptop, and other electronics from the victims. This time, there was a suspect vehicle description provided to the officers. One of the officers was able to track one of the stolen smart phones via GPS to the area of 7th and Market, a location where stolen property is frequently hawked. This information was broadcast to Southern District and Tenderloin District officers.

Several minutes later, the suspect vehicle was spotted at 7th and Harrison by a Tenderloin unit. An attempt to stop the car resulted in a pursuit. The vehicle fled through the streets and onto the freeway, where the chase finally came to an end when the suspect vehicle became involved in a collision on southbound Highway 101 at the South San Francisco exit. All three passengers were positively identified and placed under arrest. Stolen items from all three above mentioned robberies were located inside their car. The two adult suspects were booked on multiple counts of robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault, possession of stolen property as well as other charges at County Jail. The 16 year old juvenile suspect was booked on similar charges at the Juvenile Justice Center. (SFPD Case No. 130083162, 130083015, 130083300)

Okay, so it’s not the most cinematic description, but it definitely tells the tale.

One fabulous detail that goes unmentioned, for example, is how exactly the stolen iPhone was tracked by the SFPD . One of Tuesday night’s mugging victims tells Bernalwood what transpired:

We got lucky and had a Bayview cop who happened to be down at Alemany who responded in a few minutes. [SFPD Officer Guzman from the Bayshore Station] got on his iPad and started tracking my iPhone. The got a hit on it and located the car. […] Officer Guzman used his personal iPad that he bought with his own money (no budget to distribute these) to track down the suspects.

Woa. The officer caught the criminals by making timely use of his personal iPad. Absolutely brilliant.

A suggestion: Let’s begin a collection to buy Officer Guzman a brand-new iPad Mini, compliments of the Citizens of Bernalwood. Dude totally earned it.

HAT TIP: Michael Aldax from the SF Examiner; PHOTO: Thomas Sagaiga, via Facebook. 

UPDATED: Suspects in Custody After Brazen Gunpoint Robbery on Bocana and High-Speed Chase on 101

/ Todd_Lappin / 89 Comments

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It happened again last night on Bocana at Cortland, just up the street from Chuck’s corner store. Another brazen robbery at gunpoint. This time, Neighbor Jean’s husband –  the same Neighbor Jean who typed up the notes from last Saturday’s ad hoc safety meeting! — was one of the victims:

9pm just 30 mins ago, my husband, and two neighbors were robbed by 2 of them at gunpoint at Chuck’s on the corner of Cortland and Bocana. One neighbor resisted and was pistol whipped, he is ok.. police came almost imediately, they must have robbed another as they took off and now all 3 are going down to the station to ID the A**holes. MAYBE they have all been caught now and this nightmare is over, I just cannot believe my husband was the latest. I hope this is good news..willl post later when I hear what happened at the station. They were 2 black youths, wearing a black hoody and a grey hoody.

Bernalwood has learned that three suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery, and they are being held for identification.

For further information on tonight’s incident, the arrests, and the prognosis for the recent rash of muggings, we will likely have to wait for additional updates from SFPD Captain Falvey at tonight’s 6 pm community safety meeting at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center. Attendance, indignation, and probing questions are strongly encouraged.

UPDATE: 1/30/13, 7 am: More details emerging from our neighbor-reporters on how events transpired last night.

After the mugging, the criminals sped away — badly — in their getaway car:

It looks like these goons pulled a hit and run on richland avenue after fleeing chuck’s at cortland and bocana. two parked cars were hit by an out of control speeding car going downhill at richland near murray. one car was bounced off of and the other hit severely and knocked 6 feet forward and three feet onto the sidewalk with tons of rear end damage and a badly bent wheel axle. some neighbors said it looked like a silver/grey toyota ? pulled the hit and run. the car owners want these dbag lowlife clowns brought to justice and put in prison for felony hit and run added to whatever other crimes they committed tonight.

But a high-tech theft was thwarted by high-tech cops. A victim describes how the suspects were caught:

We got lucky and had a Bayview cop who happened to be down at Alemany who responded in a few minutes. He got on his iPad and started tracking my iPhone. The got a hit on it and located the car. After a 90mph chase winding through traffic on the freeway,  the suspects got in a car wreck and were caught by the police. I consider myself very lucky not only to be unhurt,  but to get almost all my stuff back. And the streets of Bernal are a little safer in the process. Thanks to Officer Guzman of Bayview for his quick response and thinking and thanks to the officers of the Ingleside station for their thoroughness and professionalism. And to the two rookie cops that were involved,  welcome to the force!

Neighbor Jean provides some encouraging details about the identification of the perps arrested last night:

2am. just got a call. ALL items stolen from the mugging tonight were retrieved in the perps getaway car that was involved in the crash and high speed chase on 101.  Except my husband’s Italian 101 book. Trying to bring levity here…they were the ones who committed the crime at 9pm this evening.  Apparently tonight was a very busy crime night, so more answers to come tonight at the meeting, but there could be others, but these guys fit the description of the recent brazen muggings by gun point in Bernal.

UPDATE: 1/30/13 4:15 pm

Michael Aldax from the SF Examiner has been covering the Bernal muggings, and he’s working on a story. He kindly shared this information with Bernalwood about the three suspects arrested last night:

The 16-year-old is from San Francisco. Not named because he’s a juvenile.

Thomas Sagaiga, 18, of South San Francisco, (Phillip & Sala Burton High grad) and the driver Jeremiah Leremia, 22, of South San Francisco are the others.

Thank you, Michael! We will link to his story when it becomes available.

PHOTO: Chuck’s corner store at 10 pm on January 29, 2013, shortly after police left the scene. By Telstar Logistics

Wednesday: Attend the Community Safety Meeting with a SFPD Captain and Three City Supervisors

/ Todd_Lappin / 36 Comments

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Tomorrow night, Wednesday January 30th, at 6pm, the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center will host a Community Safety Forum to discuss the recent wave of strong-arm robberies in Bernal Heights and surrounding neighborhoods.

An all-star cast of City officials will be in attendance, including SPPD Ingleside Captain Timothy Falvey, D9 Supervisor David Campos, D11 Supervisor John Avalos, and D8 Supervisor Scott Wiener. All Citizens of Bernalwood are strongly encouraged to attend.

In a letter to the public released yesterday, Captain Falvey provided a summary of the SFPD’s response to the crime wave, and an update on arrests and investigations:

I have received numerous emails from the community about this increase in robberies in the Bernal Heights neighborhood. I want to assure you that the members of the San Francisco Police Department’s number one priority is the prevention of violent crime. We do this through many avenues.

We have increased our enforcement efforts in the areas affected by this increase in robberies. We have done this by increased uniform patrol, plain clothes operations, and have received assistance from other units of the San Francisco Police Department. We are deploying members of our Violence Reduction Team, Muni Task Force, and increased traffic enforcement in this corridor.

We have recently made an arrest in a violent robbery. Our investigators are following up with the prior crime victims to determine if this suspect was responsible for any of the other crimes in our district.

Also in response to the this recent rise in robberies, members of Ingleside Station, and particularly the beat officers on Cortland Avenue, have been handing out crime alert notices to the public to advise them of the public safety issue and been posting notices with the merchants along that corridor. Our aim here is to alert the public and educate them on ways to avoid some of the behaviors that criminals prey upon. On our website, Inglesidepolicestation.com, we have posted several flyers with crime safety tips.

Of particular concern to us is the frequency with which we encounter persons fixated on their iPhones and other electronic devices, rather than being aware of their surroundings. Many of our suspects target these valuable items.

I will be speaking at a community meeting on Wednesday, January 30, 2013. The meeting is at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (515 Cortland Avenue) at 6:00 PM. There, I will discuss these robberies and any other public safety concerns raised by the public.

Thank you again for your email. Please know that the men and women of Ingleside Station are committed to your safety and we continue working tirelessly to prevent violent crime in your neighborhood.

Sincerely,

Captain Timothy Falvey #1071
Ingleside Station

Wednesday. 1/30. 6 pm. At the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center on Cortland.

Be there.

Latest Updates: Neighbors, Supervisor, and SFPD Respond to Spike in Bernal Heights Street Robberies

/ Todd_Lappin / 37 Comments

CortlandCrimeAlert

Many things make Bernal Heights unique, but a recent spike in muggings and street crime is not one of them. According to the SFPD, a crime wave very similar to what we have witnessed recently in Bernal Heights is also afflicting our comrades in Potrero and Glen Park. There are unconfirmed reports of additional incidents over the weekend.

What does make Bernal Heights unique is the way close-knit Bernal residents rally to protect our neighborhood. There were two ad-hoc community meetings over the weekend, along with many good ideas shared about things all of us can do to make our streets safer — and increase the likelihood that the perps will be caught. Here are the highlights…

The first meeting took place on Saturday evening, and it was focused on immediate security concerns. Neighbor Jean took notes:

Well our impromptu meeting on the freezing library steps last night lasted about an hour and we had about 10 folks show up including myself and husband Jeff.

I collected everyone’s email and phone numbers and read aloud Campos’ response to my email and during the hour or so we were there, we must have seen at least 6 police cruisers go up and down Cortland.

The items that came up were:

– Safehouses on each block (clearly each block would get involved on their own and designate..)

– During this period, encourage folks to be perhaps not so cost efficient, but leave on their front porch lights for lighting up dark streets

– Cut back shrubbery that could hide perps

– Utilize the Good Life bulletin board for updates and announcements – next meetings, safety escort groups etc.

– Encourage all businesses on Cortland to post the orange Crime alert posters from the police dept.

– Bring Ingleside officers to our next meeting

– Invite the Guardian Angels into our hood until the perps are arrested

– Pay for private security vehicle to patrol during high crime time – weeknight evenings etc.

– Have merchants sell plastic whistles, let the Bernal population know that whistles are being implemented and if you hear one, identify where the attack is happening and call the appropriate 911 number

– Lastly, start the safety escort groups immediately. We talked about groups of no less that 4 volunteers, great excuse for dog walking. You can sign up to volunteer and then we meet at Good Life and wait hopefully wait for a few folks headed in the same direction to escort home. Also for the folks, like the female victim herself, that are afraid to walk their dogs at night alone now.

We talked about having another meeting perhaps at Progressive Grounds – earlier in the day, so no one is walking home in the dark!

Another ad-hoc meeting took place on Sunday evening. This turned out to be a larger event. Neighbor Buck wrote-up the minutes:

Kudos to Frankie and Joy for calling the community safety meeting tonight at 730 pm. I counted 48 neighbors in attendance. We used the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC) because Martha’s was closed.

Frankie ran a great meeting. Folks decided to:

1) all call and e-mail Ingleside SFPD Station Capt.Tim Falvey to express concern, and encourage an active Police response;

2) organize a larger meeting, with a) the Captain (Caroline contacting); b) Sup. David Campos (Aneal); c) Campos to get DPW rep to attend; d) Project SAFE (Leon); and e) booking the Neighborhood Center for the meeting (Buck). BHNC also working to set up a meeting with the Captain. Folks expect to:

3) plan a safety walk like others organized in the past, with DPW, the Supervisor’s Office, and the Police, to get street and stair lights fixed and installed, trees trimmed, etc.

Meanwhile, in a comment posted to Bernalwood on Saturday, D9 Supervisor David Campos weighed in with his appraisal of the situation:

I wanted to thank all the Bernal neighbors who have posted on Bernalwood and have contacted my office about the recent muggings in the neighborhood. We take what has happened very seriously and please know that we are doing everything we can to deal with recent developments. I have communicated with a number of you but wanted to share the following information with this group.

I have been in communication with Captain Falvey and have asked him and our Police Department to dedicate additional resources to the neighborhood. To that end, the Police Department has assigned additional officers to the police station, including units from the City’s Violence Reduction Team. In addition to having more uniformed officers, the Captain has increased the presence of plain clothes officers and is increasing their undercover work. They are also working on a more long-term violence prevention strategy to sustain their efforts.

The Captain informs me that, unfortunately, the increase in muggings is happening City-wide and that many involve attempts to steal iPhones and other smart phones. I encourage you all to visit the Ingleside Station’s website to get more information about recent trends, including some tips on how to increase everyone’s safety.

So our elected officials are paying attention, our police are on the case, and our neighbors are taking measures to safeguard our streets. Apart from all that, what can every Citizen of Bernalwood do to assist? Our readers have contributed some good ideas.

Look for Lurkers. Neighbor Clio writes:

From the descriptions of the attacks, the perps have “come out of nowhere” running toward their victims. My neighbor apparently saw them lurking out of sight behind a tree (he just happened to turn around) – he said it gave him the creeps, but at the time didn’t know about the muggings.

So definitely, if we spot a group of two or three young men who appear to be lurking (as one person saw near the playground just before an attack on someone else) – RAISE THE ALARM!

Spot the Getaway. Neighbor Ted is watching for potential getaway vehicles; a key component of these street crimes. He writes about the area around Crescent, but such vigilance is a good idea for all the side-streets of Bernal:

This is a request to be on the lookout for suspicious vehicles along the Crescent corridor.

Sunday at 5 pm, I was driving up Crescent and turned North on Folsom to head toward Cortland. I saw two men getting into a car on Folsom (and pointed South, toward Crescent). Out of the corner of my eye, it looked like one of them was holding something that could have been a purse. As I drove up Folsom, the car pulled out, suggesting there was a driver already in it, waiting for the men.

At the time, I didn’t think too much about it, but with all the incidents taking place over the past few weeks, I’ve been turning this event over in my mind, and imagining that I had witnessed two armed robbers jumping into a getaway car. Now, I checked the police blotter and couldn’t find any incident happening at that time, so this was probably a big nothing. Still: it occurs to me that it makes total sense for these robbers to have a getaway car waiting near Crescent to they can jump on the 280 or 101 very quickly.

If you live near Crescent, please be on the lookout for suspicious cars . . . for someone just sitting round in the driver’s seat in a car parked on a side street pointed toward Crescent. Call the police to check it out. Get the license plate number, if you can do so in a way that feels safe.

Let There Be Light. Neighbor Kelly says:

It is a small gesture, I know, but I have been leaving my porch light on until about 11pm. My street is actually pretty well light, but I just feel like shining a little more light can only be helpful. Perhaps it will light up the “coming out of nowhere” places or perhaps it will allow someone to be able to better see and identify the license plate. I know, it is small, but perhaps, if everyone in Bernal left their porch lights on in the evening until 10 or 11pm, perhaps it would help…

Bernalwood will continue to provide updates as they become available, and our comment sections are open for Bernal neighbors to exchange information. Stay safe. Work together.

PHOTO: Safety poster on Cortland Avenue, by Steve Rhodes

Wave of Muggings Continues Near Cortland Avenue

/ Todd_Lappin / 125 Comments

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Every once in a while we are reminded that Bernal Heights — our Little Village in the Big City — is still a part of the big city.

The recent wave of gunpoint muggings continues on the side-streets around central Cortland Avenue. Several people have been robbed and badly shaken up. The crime pattern is consistent. No one has been too seriously hurt.

Last night a Bernal neighbor sent this message:

Tonight my girlfriend was robbed on Andover between Cortland and Ellert.

It seems to have been two of the same perpetrators who robbed the group [earlier this week]. Younger black males dressed in dark clothing (hoodies) with a gun.

She was walking down from the Good Life at about 7:30pm with another pedestrian walking up on the other side of the street across from the library. She was in the most well lit spot of the block. When she reached Ellert the perpetrators seemingly appeared from no where running directly at her. They ran across the street with the gun already out and and told her to “give them everything.” She immediately dropped everything that she had on the ground. Afterward, they said “You have four seconds to run,” at which point she ran as fast as she could into the Good Life to call the police.

During our time speaking with the police apparently two more robberies took place, with one victim being pistol whipped according to the officers.

Just wanted to give the community a heads up and let women know that they need to be walking with friends (preferably male) and that this stick up crew is particularly brazen. From what I could gather from the police these guys really don’t seem to give a fuck and are very dangerous.

Hide ya kids, hide ya wives.

Yesterday, in our previous post on this topic, Bernalwood also received this comment from a reader:

I just got home tonight, hoping that I was playing the odds that the muggers wouldn’t hit Bernal again. I got home alright but ran down to Good Life to pick up some things to find two cop cars and a terrified woman who had just been held up at gun point by four muggers on Bennington (next to GL). It seems these guys are getting braver and braver and staying in the neighborhood.

No one wants to change their lives to accommodate this behavior, but having myself been mugged by four people with a gun not too long ago, I can only say if you can avoid the possibility of ever having to go through that, do everything you can to avoid it.

In their “bravery” they’re going to make a very stupid mistake soon enough. I’m fairly confident with four of them, this can’t go on too much longer.

That’s seems like a wise perspective. Bernalwood has every reason to believe that the SFPD will take an aggressive approach to protecting public safety on the streets of Bernal Heights. This crime pattern will not last.

But for now, prudence is required.

When you are on the street, follow these wise personal safety guidelines. [PDF download]

If you live in South Bernal, watch outside your home. Note any suspicious activity. Write it down. Call the SFPD as required.

Add these SFPD contact numbers to your phone:

    • SFPD Cellphone Emergency: 553-8090
    • SFPD Non-Emergency 553-0123
    • Remember: Dialing 911 from a cellphone connects you with the California Highway Patrol, not the SFPD

Bernalwood will provide additional updates to this post as they become available.

ADDENDUM: Neighbor Darcy adds:

This week there was also a incident near Goat Hill Pizza in Potrero – 3 young man were mugged at gunpoint by three young men.

The officer on the Cortland beat said that multiple victim muggings are unusual. I wonder if these incidents are all related.
Questions that can be asked at a community meeting-
Ask our captain for concise descriptions, vehicle descriptions and when will the meeting be.

I encourage everyone to email David Campos, Captain Falvey and Greg Suhr- We need and deserve a concise plan. In years past Sargent Miller set up an undercover operation and caught a group of thieves that were mugging folks all over 94107 and 94110.

timothy.falvey@sfgov.org
david.campos@sfgov.org
Greg.Suhr@sfgov.org

SFPD Seeks Leads After Muggings Near Cortland

/ Todd_Lappin / 55 Comments

Police Telephone

The SFPD is asking Bernal neighbors to come forward with information in connection with a series of muggings that took place near Cortland last night. A Bernal merchant writes:

An officer from Ingleside just stopped by the store and told us that there were four young women mugged last night on Ellsworth near Cortland.

Three young men robbed the victims of their bags and phones – There is no getaway vehicle description. If you saw anything at 8:30 Tuesday evening near the church please contact Ingleside.

The young men had a gun. This is very disturbing news. The officer gave me a poster for our window of ways to protect oneself. Armed robberies of four folks at once is very unusual and daring.

Please note these contact numbers:

  • Emergency 911 (Remember: CHP answers 911 cellphone calls)
  • SFPD Cellphone Emergency: 553-8090
  • SFPD Non-Emergency 553-0123

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics