Crime

Thursday Eve: Community Crime and Public Safety Meeting at BHNC

/ Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

mcfaddenbhnc

As you might have heard, we’ve been addressing property crime and robberies in Bernal Heights lately, as burglaries, auto thefts, and thefts-from-autos have been taking a wearisome toll on Bernal neighbors. And sometimes, things get violent.

Following up on last week’s meeting with the Northeast Bernal Neighbor’s Alliance, and as part of an ongoing series of efforts to address crime and public safety concerns in Bernal Heights, Supervisor David Campos and the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center are hosting a community meeting on Thursday, January 28 at 6 pm.

Neighbor Ryan from the Northeast Bernal Neighbor’s Alliance says:

Supervisor Campos and Hillary Ronen are holding a separate meeting this week to address broader Bernal safety. If you didn’t make it to last week’s meeting, would like to continue the discussion with the other city agencies noted there, or don’t live in NE Bernal, I think it’s worth showing up!

Here’s their description of the event:

Supervisor David Campos is hosting a meeting to discuss the rampant car break-ins in Bernal Heights. Captain McFadden will present on how the community can work together to guard against and effectively report these crimes. Representatives from the Department of Public Works and the Public Utilities Commission will be there to discuss areas where additional street light is needed in the neighborhood. A representative from the District Attorney’s Office will be there to explain the office’s work to address this problem. Supervisor Campos would like to hear resident ideas to address the problem and will propose a plan to start addressing the issue.

Details
What: Crime & Safety Meeting
When: Thursday, January 28th at 6:00pm
Where: Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, 515 Cortland Ave

Feel free to contact Hillary Ronen, from Supervisor Campos’ Office, with any questions or comments prior to the meeting. Hillary.ronen@sfgov.org; 415-554-7739.

01-28 Community PS Mtg Flyer

PHOTO: Capt. Joseph McFadden at BHNC, Oct. 20, 2015 by Telstar Logistics

That Awkward Time Supervisor Campos Crashed a Community Crime Safety Meeting to Give a Campaign Speech

/ Todd_Lappin / 54 Comments

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Opinion Disclosure Warning: The post that follows describes a recent unpleasant encounter with our District 9 Supervisor. It is strongly opinionated. If that’s a turn-off, I apologize, and I recommend you skip this post. Thanks for your understanding. — Todd Lappin

 

Now that the notes from last week’s Northeast Bernal Community Meeting have been posted, I also wanted to describe an incident that happened during the meeting, involving David Campos, our D9 Supervisor.

Supervisor Campos was not involved in the planning and organization of last Thursday’s community meeting. (More on that below.) Refreshingly, however, he showed up at the meeting along with his aide (and D9 Supervisor candidate), Hilary Ronen. That was a good thing, because the crime problem in northeast Bernal is such that residents there need all the official attention they can get. But halfway through the meeting, Supervisor Campos kind of went off the rails.

During a Q&A period, Campos raised his hand. The moderator called on him to speak, and Campos stood up. He started in with a pronouncement that there was “an elephant in the room.” He repeated this a few times. It left people scratching their heads, because until that moment the meeting had generally been constructive and elephant-free.

After a pause, Supervisor Campos pivoted to a speech about how the reason a representative from the Mayor’s office (Jason Elliott) was standing in the front of the room was because of his friendship with Joshua Arce (the 2016 D9 Supervisor candidate who had helped facilitate the meeting). Campos began building up a head of steam around the idea that the Mayor sent his deputy chief of staff to the meeting only because the mayor something something something something something and then…

Then I stood up, and told Supervisor Campos he was way out of line.

Actually, I said a bit more than that, and in a much more emphatic way. Basically I urged Supervisor Campos to discontinue the theatrics, in no small part because the very community meeting he was attending had been necessitated by the fact that Supervisor Campos’s office has done a poor job of responding to Bernal constituents concerns about crime problems in Bernal Heights.

Here’s some backstory: The Northeast Bernal Neighbors Alliance was formed in no small part because many Bernal neighbors in that section of our neighborhood have been unable to get a response from Supervisor Campos’s office about their crime problems. Many emails to his office have gone unanswered. Many many. I know this because when Campos’s office ignores emails about crime problems from Bernal neighbors, many of those neighbors write to me instead. I receive a lot of these emails. Many many.  Bottom line: Last week’s community meeting happened because  a neighborhood that had been neglected by David Campos’s office organized a new neighborhood group to get some help without having to rely on David Campos.

Hilary Ronen was sitting next to her boss as things got heated, and she looked stricken. I felt bad for her, because it was mortifying.

It was mortifying because Campos showed everyone in the room that he was looking at the meeting through the cheap lens of political gamesmanship, instead of listening to what Bernal residents were telling him about the crime problem in their community.

Fortunately, just before things got too hot, Buck Bagot intervened to redirect the conversation. (Note to History: Buck is a Bernal treasure.) Then the meeting resumed. There was no further speechifying from Supervisor Campos, although he did often try to politicize the issues discussed in the room by blaming others for this or that.

Look, it’s great that Campos’s office has finally decided to engage with his northeast Bernal constituents. But his effort to turn a grassroots community meeting into political spectacle was inappropriate. The most important take-away from last week’s meeting was that our Bernal neighbors need all the help they can get. It’ll take a lot of on-the-ground organization, and a lot of interagency coordination, and a lot of hard work to make northeast Bernal a safer community.

Last week, David Campos signaled that he’s more interested in scoring political points than he is in doing the real work required to be part of the solution. Yet hope springs eternal: There’s another community meeting about crime and public safety this Thursday, Jan. 28, 6 pm, at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, and David Campos helped organize this one. Bernalwood will provide full details about that meeting tomorrow.

GRAPHIC: Northeast Bernal  Crime Incident Map, May 2015 to January 2016, via SFOpenData. David Campos photo via Wikipedia.

Notes from Last Night’s Northeast Bernal Community Meeting

/ Todd_Lappin / 13 Comments

nebernalmeeting

Here are my notes from last night’s full-house community meeting about crime problems in northeast Bernal, held at the Precita Center:

Community Meeting on Crime and Public Safety
Organized by the Northeast Bernal Neighbors Association (NBNA)
January 21, 2016

Speakers:

  • Terry Milne – Northeast Bernal Neigbors Alliance
  • Capt. Joseph McFadden, Captain, SFPD Ingleside Station
  • Jason Elliott, deputy chief of staff to Mayor Ed Lee

Bernal Neighbor Terry Milne kicked off the meeting by explaining that NBNA was formed to solve some of the crime problems that aren’t being addressed by city officials. The goal of NBNA is to increase political representation in this part of Bernal, to provide a cohesive message in City Hall, and to make sure neighbors in northeast Bernal get their issues addressed. Want to get involved? Join the network.

NBNA thanked Joshua Arce for helping to organize the meeting.

D9 Supervisor David Campos was present, along with his aide, Hilary Ronen.

Comments from Capt. McFadden

Ingleside 2d biggest geographical district in SF

Why does crime happen in NE Bernal?

  • Lots of criminals come here from out of town
  • Gang activity
  • Easy freeway access

Northeast Bernal has coverage from a radio car, as well as some coverage from undercover units.

McFadden showed a map of burglaries (homes robbed) that illustrated a strong cluster of crime in the far northwest corner of Bernal, right around the Peralta/Holladay corner.

McFadden noted that it is hard to secure a felony conviction for a car break in. To do that, prosecutors in San Francisco require a witness who saw

  1. someone break a window
  2. the person take something
  3. the person left the scene.

Missing any one of those and the crime is likely just a misdemeanor. The San Francisco district attorney (who is independently elected) does not make it easy to secure prosecutions.

Recent example: Ingleside recently arrested 3 recidivists who are responsible for at least a dozen car break-ins. They will likely get misdemeanors or probation.

Obvious reminder that nevertheless bears repeating: Don’t leave anything in your car. “Not leaving anything in your car” means don’t leave anything at all in your car. Period. Remove your phone charger and charging cable when you park, because they signal to a criminal that they should break into the car to see if there’s a phone is there. Smartphones can fetch $100 or more, and are easily fenced.

Video evidence is a godsend: Video recordings are hugely helpful, both for catching criminals and facilitating prosecution. “Gigantic,” McFadden says. Security cameras are a great investment, and the SFPD has very good systems for managing and distributing video footage to officers on the beat. (NOTE: If you have an exterior-facing camera, you can register it with the SF district attorney’s office here so they can collect more evidence after crimes take place.)

McFadden showed a recent home security camera video of an auto break-in on Coleridge Bocana in Bernal Heights. The perp began by casing a few cars on the street. Then he began shining a flashlight into a few car windows. (NOTE: That demonstrates clear intent to commit a crime, and thus would warrant a 911/urgent call to SFPD) Then he called his friend in a getaway car, who showed up in moments. Then he smashed a window, grabbed something from the car, and drove off with his friend. Total elapsed time: About 2 minutes.

Reminder: Don’t call 911 from you cell phone, because mobile 911 calls go to CHP dispatch, far, far away. Add these numbers to your mobile phone address book:

  • SFPD emergency landline (for crimes in progress): (415) 553-8090
  • SFPD non-emergency: (415) 553-0123
  • SFPD Ingleside station number: (415) 404-4000

SFPD dispatch pro tips Part 1: If you’re not getting the help you need from an SFPD dispatcher, call back and try a different dispatcher. If you’re still not getting enough help, demand to speak to a supervisor. Or the supervisor’s supervisor. Still not getting a response? Call Ingleside station, and ask to speak to the platoon commander. Don’t cry wolf, but do act VERY persistent.

SFPD dispatch pro tips Part 2: When you report suspicious activity or a crime in progress, try to provide some specific details that make it easier to identify the subject. Don’t say “4 door white car,” say “4 door white car with a spoiler on the rear deck and small round taillights.” Or, “he was wearing a shirt with a Nike swoosh.” Ignore jackets and hoodies; those are easily shed. Look for details about pieces of clothing that are hard to remove: Pants, shoes, base-layer shirts, etc.

In response to a question about SFPD jurisdictional issues, McFadden said that Mission Station and Ingleside will soon (do already?) share a radio channel. Previously, Mission and Ingleside used separate frequencies. Being on the same channel will help improve coordination.

Jason Elliot – Mayor’s deputy chief of staff

Big Picture: Violent crime is down, property crime is up

Thanks to Prop 47, big policy questions are being asked.

More police officers will help with quality lot life crimes. Plan in place and funded to get SFPD up to 2000 officers, or the full complement as determined by a study that was conducted in 1970 (That’s not a typo. There was much eye-rolling over this.) SFPD should hit 2000 officers next year, and that will mean more officers in radio cars to focus on property crime.

The Mayor’s office hopes to pilot some new approaches, perhaps in Bernal Heights:

  • Received for a grant to assist with vehicle crime abatement
  • Gang task force grant
  • One potential program might make it possible to increase police presence at times when data shows peak crime activity

Hopefully there will be more detail on this, TBD.

Also:

Ailed Quijano Paningbatan-Swan from the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center added some helpful comments.

Good lighting reduces crime. BHNC helped instal lighting around Holly Park, and it helped.

She encouraged NE Bernal neighbors to organize Hotspot walks, in which neighbors go for neighborhood walks with SFPD and city officials to highlight areas of concern. That helps build community while also making city departments and leaders accountable for making improvements. Contact Ailed at BHNC for details.

Other Ideas:
Neighbors expressed interest in closing the steep stairway from the 101 interchange up to Peralta and Holladay. Also want to close the overpass across Bayshore. The City officials present did not provide clear guidance if this was even possible.

Many neighbors (and Ailed from BHNC) emphasized this key idea:

GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS!! Communities are stronger when people have face to face relationships. Say hello. Exchange phone numbers. There is a common perception that some new Bernal neighbors keep to themselves. (Editorial Note :This may be true, or it may be bullshit, and/or the demonization of new residents by the Old Guard certainly doesn’t do much to encourage community participation, but nevertheless: If you’re new here, take the time to say hello. It’s a gesture that matters.)

One final comments came from a Bernal neighbor who grew up in Bernal. A former gang member, he settled down once he started a family. He said: “If you don’t know your neighbors, they won’t look out for you.”

Reminder: If you want to participate in the Northeast Bernal Neighbors Alliance, sign up here.

There will be another community meeting about public safety next Thursday, Jan 28 at 6 pm at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center.  Look for additional details on that soon.

PHOTO: Northeast Bernal Community Meeting, photo by @ywxwy

Thursday: Northeast Bernal Crime and Safety Meeting with SFPD Capt. McFadden

/ Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

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As Bernalwood has previously reported, the residents of northeast Bernal are experiencing a particularly intense spike in crime. Meanwhile, the geography is such that our northeastern Bernalese neighbors live on the edge of two SFPD precincts, two supervisorial districts, and US101 (which is managed by Caltrans).  The net result is that their situation hasn’t gotten much attention from local officials.

To change that, an ad hoc group of local residents recently formed the Northeast Bernal Neighbors Alliance and scheduled a community meeting with SFPD Ingleside’s Capt. McFadden for Thursday evening, January 21,  to discuss what can be done.

Neighbor Ryan writes:

Northeast Bernal folk, as you’ve likely heard (and probably noticed), our neighborhood has become victim to a growing amount of crime. Car break-ins, burglaries, and now even violent crime are on the rise.

We’ve set up a community meeting and invited Capt. McFadden from SFPD Ingleside to learn about some new crime-fighting proposals for our neighborhood.

What: Crime & Safety Meeting
When: Thursday., January 21, 2016, 7pm
Where: Precita Center (Upstairs Classroom), 534 Precita Ave.

Hope to see you there!

The Northeast Bernal Neighbor’s Alliance is a new community group being formed to improve the quality of life and reduce crime in our neighborhood. Join us! Even if you can’t attend the meeting, please sign up here.

NBNAFlyer.A

IMAGE: Top, Bernal Heights crime heat map for the period from November 18, 2015 to January 18, 2016

Your Bernal Heights Crime Update for January 2016

/ Todd_Lappin / 17 Comments

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It’s a new year, with new data on local crime patterns. So for that, let’s go to Bernal’s valiant SFPD liaisons, Neighbors Edie and Sarah, who attended the most recent Ingleside Police District Monthly Community Meeting, held just before the holiday break. Over to you, Neighbor Edie…

Ingleside Police District Monthly Community Meeting
December 15, 2015

Captain’s Report by Captain Joseph McFadden: joseph.mcfadden@sfgov.org
(Notes taken by volunteer Edie Williams, who is entirely responsible for any errors)

  • SF SAFE and the SFPD have published a handy brochure on personal and property safety, preventing pick-pocketing and identity theft. There are copies in the Bernal Library and the Bernal Heights Community Center, or download one here.You can find more safety information from SF SAFE.

Recent Local Police Activity:

Bernal Heights has been seeing a lot of nefarious activity, due to the city’s attempt to push homeless residents away from the area of the Super Bowl, and thanks our easy access on and off the freeways at Bayshore / Cesar Chavez or Bayshore / Alemany.

Large encampments of homeless people are located at Highland Bridge and under the freeway at Cesar Chavez, with tents, bikes, and cardboard packaging (which police believe may have originally been packages stolen off neighbors’ porches.) There’s a SPFD lieutenant in charge of homelessness, and police are issuing citations for homelessness, but the courts are not putting them in the system, and there’s no place to put people in treatment if they were in the system–no treatment beds available, and way too many people waiting for them already.

Teens have been hanging out and partying in the area near the encampments, and in December there was a gang-related shooting on Holladay at Peralta. This may have been a setup, since the Norteño gang seems to be fighting even among themselves. What to do: The Captain asks that if you see any teen party or gang activity, call police dispatch immediately and ask for them to come check it out. If there’s no response, call the Ingleside station main number, (415) 404-4000, ask to speak to the PC-Platoon Commander, and tell them you’re still waiting for a police response.

Shooting of Mario Woods in the Bayview has generated a great deal of controversy, especially after the publication of video taken at the time of his death. The Captain believes that tasers would enable police to escalate force without killing the person involved, although tasers don’t always work, as they have to make contact with two points of skin to have impact. While the use of tasers is being discussed, the police have been issued shields for self protection.

Body cameras are coming, though not at the beginning of 2016. Police are currently developing protocols and policies for the circumstances police will wear the cameras, whether filming will include audio and visual or just visual, and how and where the data will be stored and used. They will then set up a pilot program in the BayView, Ingleside, Tenderloin, and the Mission. They must evaluate cameras, select a vendor, and then plan for ongoing future expenses for data storage and updating, etc.

The Ingleside has license plate readers on two patrol cars, which they’ve used to identify several stolen cars and arrest the drivers.

McLaren Park has seen a crowd of neighborhood motorcross bike riders ride through the park. There’s also a large group from Oakland that comes to SF and rides around the neighborhoods. Many are juveniles, they don’t wear helmets, and police believe it might be more dangerous to chase them and have them get hurt than not. Leaders in Viz Valley are identifying kids with bikes, and police will be notifying the families that if the kids are caught they’ll take away the bikes. What to do? Call the police if you see them start up, so the police can stop them before they’re out of control.

The “Wig bandit,” known for wandering through the upper Noe casing houses, was caught within a few hours once videos of him were on the news. Unfortunately, one resident chased him out of their house, but never called the police. He did report it on NextDoor, however. Please remember, Police are not monitoring NextDoor for calls for assistance. If you are the victim of or witness to a crime or potential crime, call the police directly before you post to social media. Contact phone numbers are below (and in the Bernalwood sidebar)

Videos are used frequently now as tools to help victims, witnesses, and the police. If you have installed a video camera, you can register it online with the SF District Attorney. The DA’s office will map the addresses into a database, so that when a crime is committed, the police can check the map, ask camera owners for a copy of their video, and possibly use the video as evidence in a trial. If you’re thinking of buying a video camera, the Captain recommends that you buy one that has a high enough resolution to convince a jury. Many cameras come with a 7-day loop, so have extra CDs and learn how to download the video.

Problems Neighbors Are Reporting:

Neighbors report groups are gathering and lighting bonfires behind Pacific Super off Alemany. Police will investigate.

If you notice daily repeat traffic problems, email a description of them to the Captain. He’ll set up enforcement campaigns.

Monthly meetings are held the third Thursday of the month in the Ingleside Police Station meeting room, then the following month at a changing neighborhood site. If you have any suggestions for meeting areas (with some parking) within the Ingleside community, please let the captain know.

Upcoming Meeting Dates:

  • January: Wednesday, Jan 20th, 7-8:30 pm, Upper Noe Rec Center, 295 Day St. at 30th.
  • February: Tuesday, February 16th, 7-8:30 pm, Ingleside Police Station, 1 Sgt. John V Young Lane
  • March: Date to be announced, Jewish Home of SF, 302 Silver Ave at Mission.

SPFD Ingleside Contacts:
Emergency, dial: 911
Non-Emergency: (415) 553-0123
Tip Line: (415) 575-4444
Precinct phone (415) 404-4000

Email: SFPDInglesideStation@sfgov.org
District Station Website

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

UPDATED: Toddler Injured During Despicable Daytime Robbery and Assault

/ Todd_Lappin / 26 Comments

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A little after 3 pm last Friday, Jan. 8, a 2 year-old child in a stroller was injured during an armed robbery on Cortland Avenue near Prospect. KCBS reports:

San Francisco police said the assault took place at around 3:18 p.m. on Friday near the intersection of Cortland and Prospect avenues in the city.

Investigators said the man drove up in a black sedan, exited the vehicle with a gun and approached the woman. He knocked over a stroller, injuring the 2-year-old who hit her head on the sidewalk.

He then ripped the woman’s purse from her neck, demanded money and then struck her on the arm with his handgun.

The suspect then grabbed a tablet from the child and fled from the scene in the sedan, police said.

Both the mother and daughter were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Bernalwood is relieved that mother and daughter are doing okay, and we will update this story as additional details become available.

UPDATE, 10:30 am: Neighbor Sarah provides additional detail from Captain McFadden of SFPD’s Ingleside Station:

This happened near the community garden walkway at Cortland and Prospect. A woman was walking with her 2-year-old in a stroller. A car pulled up, and a juvenile (approx 13/14 years old) jumped out to grab the woman’s bag. In the struggle, the stroller got knocked over. The juvenile also took the kid’s tablet, then jumped back in the car, which sped off eastward.

The police believe they have an idea of where the juvenile may live – they think it may be one of the nearby public housing developments. The 2-year-old is OK, though I’m sure the whole experience was very frightening.  As reported, this was in the daytime, too – so rather surprising.

Tis the Season to Beware of Parcel-Delivery Grinches

/ Todd_Lappin / 10 Comments

Grinchthief

Fa-la-la-la-la / la-la-la-la, and ho-ho-ho, and a seasonal reminder: Keep an eye on any packages you get delivered to your home in the weeks ahead, or have them shipped to your workplace instead, because the holidays are prime season for grinchy parcel thieves.

Neighbor Lyndsey describes how a parcel theft unfolded near Holly Park a few days ago:

Hi Neighbors –

Just sitting here on the couch with the hubby watching TV and we heard what sounded like packages getting delivered – at 10:30 pm.

Then we heard our neighbor yelling at someone and turns out some guy was taking packages and mail from door steps all along our street near Holly Park. Our neighbor didn’t get a good look at the guy other than he was about 6 feet tall or so.

Turns out UPS delivered a package sometime this evening and didn’t even ring our bell. I’m going to leave a note to delivery folks to not leave packages on our steps now (definitely not convenient) but better than having things dropped and then stolen! 😦

Be on the lookout and hopefully with our neighbor and my husband yelling and running after the guy, he won’t be back. Best not to leave packages for the taking. Take care neighbors!!

IMAGE: FreakingNews.com

Fatal Shooting Escalates East Bernal Crime Wave

/ Todd_Lappin / 14 Comments

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A few weeks ago, Neighbor Daniel alerted us to a troubling wave of property crime plaguing residents on Holliday Avenue, along Bernal’s eastern slope. Yesterday, the crime wave turned violent, as Neighbor Eric tells Bernalwood about a shooting that took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning:

Wondering if you heard anything about the shots last night below the retaining wall on Holladay Ave? They woke me up at 3:20am. Then saw a man and a woman walking northbound around the corner onto Peralta talking loudly. This morning there is crime scene tape thoughtfully left like litter by, I can only assume, SFPD.

The SF Appeal carried a brief description of the incident, with a few more details:

[The] shooting was reported at 3:20 a.m. in the 100 block of Holladay Avenue in Bernal Heights via a SpotShotter gunshot detection system activation, police said.

Police did not find the victim, a 17-year-old male, at the scene, but later learned he had been taken to San Francisco General Hospital by friends. His injuries are considered life-threatening, police said.

Your SFPD liaison, the fabulous Neighbor Sarah, reached out to Capt. McFadden from Ingleside Station to learn more about the incident. Capt. McFadden said:

The shooting appears unrelated in any way to the homeless encampment [under the US101/Cesar Chavez interchange] and is being investigated by our Gang Task Force. It appears that there are a group of juveniles who have chosen the area of Holladay and Peralta to hang out. My patrol and undercover units will be paying a lot of attention to the area in an effort to disperse any future gatherings.

Please advise neighbors to call immediately [415-553-0123]when people begin to congregate in the area so that we can quickly respond and identify those involved. It is of utmost importance to give a detailed description of subjects and their vehicles for the responding officers.

UPDATE: In the comments, Neighbor Shane adds that the victim in the shooting incident later passed away at the hospital.

PHOTO: Crime scene on Holliday Ave. on Wednesday morning, by Neighbor Eric

Northeast Bernal Neighbor Exasperated by Property Crime

/ Todd_Lappin / 30 Comments

brokencarglass

Neighbor Daniel lives on Holliday Avenue in northeast Bernal, just above the US101/Cesar Chavez interchange. He says property crime in that corner of the neighborhood is getting out of hand.

Neighbor Daniel tells Bernalwood:

We have had a rash of crime, especially car burglaries involving my car and cars none of my neighbors recognize. I’ve written Captain McFadden and Supervisor David Campos about it. Here is the letter I sent:

From: Daniel
Date: November 30, 2015
To: “joseph.mcfadden@sfgov.org”
Cc: david.campos@sfgov.org
Subject: Bernal Heights Crime

Dear Captain McFadden,

I, Daniel W. – homeowner at XXXX Holladay Avenue, am writing to express my concern with the recent car burglaries and other crime on Holladay avenue in Bernal Heights. The first incident occurred on November 9, 2015; a car burglary I witnessed resulting in an arrest by SFPD.

The second car burglary incident occurred on Holladay avenue today November 30, 2015. This incident was called in by my neighbor at  XXX Holladay Avenue. The perpetrator of this incident involved him threatening my elderly neighbor and resulting in his arrest. The arresting officer stated the SFPD had found a weapon in the car, and the weapon had previously been used to commit a crime.

A month and a half ago ago, my car was broken into on Holladay avenue. I did not call the police regarding that incident.

Several months ago, I had to call the police when a homeless couple with a dangerous dog were walking in my neighborhood creating a public safety issue. The responding officer had to discharge his weapon to stop the dog and apprehend the suspects.

I am very concerned with this uptick in crime in my neighborhood. I do not feel safe, and I would like to know what SFPD plans to do with regards to the rash of crime on my street in Bernal Heights.

Sincerely,

Daniel

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

Help a Bernal Artist Find the Art That Was Stolen With Her Car

/ Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

Plankstudioportrait4

You might remember Neighbor Carrie Ann Plank; she played a starring role last April’s post about Bernal Heights artists at the Hunter’s Point Shipyard. Well, Neighbor Carrie Ann’s car was stolen on Saturday night, and some of her art was in it.  Grrrrrrrr.

She tells Bernalwood:

My car was stolen from in front of the house last night over on Bronte. I’m an artist, and unfortunately, several pieces of valuable artwork were inside the car.

Car thieves probably are not interested in art pieces, so I’m hoping they were dumped somewhere nearby. Can we put out a call to my fellow Bernal dwellers in case anyone sees them? I’m desperately hoping my good neighbors have some information that may lead to recovery! Additionally, I’m the artist in residence currently at Bullseye Glass and all of my notes and sketches were in the trunk. Would love to get those back too!

Fingers crossed! Thank you for the assist in getting the word out.

Here are the details:
2007 graphite Prius with a carseat, and here’s a few images of the missing work:

stolenart1

stolenart2

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UPDATED: Active Shooter Killed by Police at St. Luke’s Construction Site

/ Todd_Lappin / 12 Comments

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One of the sadder realities of contemporary life is the fact that the phrase “active shooter” has become a common expression used to describe deranged people who go on shooting rampages in public places. Last night, a frightening active shooter incident in northwest Bernal Heights ended when the SFPD killed a gunman who had stormed the St. Luke’s hospital construction site.

Here’s SFGate’s summary of what happened:

Police officers fatally shot an armed man who climbed to the sixth floor of a construction site in San Francisco’s Mission District on Wednesday and aimed one of his two guns at nearby St. Luke’s Hospital, authorities said.

The man fired at least one round before being shot to death, but police did not say whether that shot was directed at the adjacent hospital. No one was hit, police said.

The man, who wore white coveralls and appeared to be in his late 20s, ascended to the sixth of seven floors of the incomplete building around 4:15 p.m. after robbing a Big 5 Sporting Goods store in San Bruno, a little more than 10 miles away, said San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr.

He said the man had committed the robbery with a handgun and emerged with a second firearm — one of the store’s shotguns — as well as ammunition shells.

The horror ended when the man was killed on the roof of a construction elevator on the northwest corner of the unfinished structure. The building, which is slated to become a 120-bed hospital, occupies land that was originally the Jose Cornelio Bernal homesite in the mid-1800s.

UPDATE: 12 November, 3:30 pm: The shooter killed on the scene in the St. Luke’s incident has been identified as Javier Lopez Garcia, a 25-year-old San Jose resident. SFGate reports:

Investigators said that Lopez Garcia had made statements in both San Bruno and San Francisco indicating he climbed to his deadly perch next to the Mission District hospital Wednesday with a death wish.

“I’m ready to die. Today will be the day I die,” Lopez Garcia said at the scene, according to officials.

Lopez Garcia is believed to have robbed the Big 5 Sporting Goods Wednesday and made statements to the clerks at the store indicating he was suicidal, according to police.

About 20 minutes after leaving the Big 5 in San Bruno, Lopez Garcia arrived at the St. Luke’s construction site. SFPD Chief Greg Suhr adds that it’s unknown why Lopez Garcia headed to St. Luke’s. “That’s the million-dollar question,” Suhr told SFGate.

PHOTO: Police approach the body of the shooter (wearing white overalls) at the St. Luke’s hospital construction site, Nov. 11, 2015. Photo via @CBS12

Your Bernal Heights Crime Report for October 2015: The “SFPD Comes to BHNC” Edition

/ Todd_Lappin / 2 Comments

mcfaddenbhnc

As you may recall, the most recent SFPD Community Meeting with Ingleside’s Capt. Joseph McFadden took place last week at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC). Your Bernalwood editor was in attendance, and it was an informative meeting — as you’ll soon see.

Capt. McFadden was the guest of honor at BHNC, but the real superstar was Neighbor Edie, who took these wonderfully detailed notes. There’s a lot of useful information here about crime and public safety in Bernal Heights, so read on, read thoroughly, and stay safe. Over to you, Edie…

Captain’s Report by Captain Joseph McFadden
<joseph.mcfadden@sfgov.org>
October 20, 2015
at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center

Notes taken by volunteer Edie, who is also responsible for any errors made below.

Personnel: The Captain introduced Chris Schaffer (formerly from Bayview Station). Chris is one of three swing-watch lieutenants. He’s a dynamo and worked 8 years in the Bayview, and was formerly undercover.

Recent incidents, Problems and Questions:

1. Car Break-ins, House Break-ins, and Package Theft: There seems to be a high amount of recidivism now, where thieves are arrested and held briefly, then get out and do it over again. The holidays are coming, too, with increases in car and house break-ins, and package stealing.

Package theft usually happens during the day. Ask delivery services not to leave packages if you’re not home – find a neighbor to receive them for you, or ask Central Pharmacy, or Daniel’s on Geneva. Also pay attention to anyone following Delivery trucks as they drop off packages. Thieves have been following the trucks, stealing the packages they deliver.

Car break-ins happen most often late at night, so don’t leave packages, garage door openers, or any personal items in your car, either. Thieves use shaved keys or do a quick smash and grab, so take everything out. Some people even leave their cars unlocked with notes saying there’s nothing inside, so their windows don’t get broken. Car break-ins primarily happen at night–drug addicts take stolen goods to 7th and Market, get a little cash for them, get a fix, and do it again. Make it more difficult to break in or steal by using a club, and a thief will choose another car instead of yours.

House burglaries usually happen after 9am. The thief comes to the door and rings the bell; if there’s no answer, they’ll kick the door in, or go around back to break in a door or window. So, if someone knocks, even if you don’t want to, answer so they know that you’re home and leave.

2. Ongoing problematic behavior by specific individuals: Bernal has a long-time resident with mental health issues who often threatens neighbors on the street. In ongoing situations, call for each incident: report the behavior, describe the person and the context, include days and times that incidents generally occur, plus any further details you have. Be specific. If you don’t get help when he threatens people, after 30-45 minutes, call the station front desk 404-4000 and ask for the Platoon Commander. You must also be prepared to stick around and talk to the police when they arrive. When you call in an incident, always ask for the CAD number so you can track response to your call.

3. Problem areas:
Around Alemany and Sickles: vandalism, graffiti, punctured tires.
Silver at Mission: Lots of kids getting out of school and hanging around. Kids get robbed, steal from each other. Neighbors are trying to track the incidents and get a handle on the situation so they and police can be more effective.

North Bernal: Neighbors say they are hearing gunshots more frequently now, mostly in the evenings, and recently there have been 2-3 incidents of people shooting guns off in the night, including at the Precita Park Cafe. Neighbors also say they’ve seen drug dealing in Precita Park, and a large and active homeless encampment at Cesar Chavez under 101.
Captain’s response: Shots fired: Bayview and Mission gangs have been committing robberies in Bernal and Glen Park. There are 2 freeways to get quickly in and out, so groups move easily from district to district. If you hear shots being fired, Shot Spotter may catch it, but you should call 911 anyway. Even if you can’t tell where they’re coming from, if many neighbors call, they can track the movement and figure out where they are. Besides, you don’t know but that someone might have gotten shot.

Precita Park Café window shooting is under investigation. Officers now think it’s not random, but might have something to do with an earlier altercation.

4. Deliberate reckless driving: At night, all over the city, groups get together in large open areas to do side shows – wheelies and other crazy driving. If you hear noise and can see the cars, get a license plate if possible.

5. Videos help to ID criminals and their cars. Please install video cameras, use them, and make copies of criminal activity to give the police. Police will distribute images of individuals and vehicles city-wide for officers to check daily. They may recognize then, and can keep an eye out for them as they patrol.

6. To email any city employee: first.lastname@sfgov.org

7. REMEMBER: when you describe someone, look for specific and distinct details (not a black hoodie, but the big eagle tattoo on his left arm) that would allow police to be sure they’ve got the right person.

8. Activity that happens really late at night often involves victims that are coming from gambling shacks. They’re watched as they leave with winnings or drugs, and someone takes it away from them.

Police academy: 5 new graduates are training at the station now, and a new class will graduate in November. There should be five new classes next years. Numbers at the station are holding steady at 100.

Halloween: Popular trick-or-treat corridors will have officers present to safeguard the kids.

Community leaders: The Captain introduced the community leaders present at the meeting. Sierra Desalvia, Community Boards; Ailed Paningbatan, BHNC Director of Community Engagement; Ayanna Weathersby, BHNC Community Engagement Coordinator; Joelle Kenealey, Co-Chair of the Community Police Advisory Board (CPAB) and President of the Outer Mission Merchants and Residents Assoc. (OMMRA); May Wong, President of the Excelsior District Improvement Assoc. (EDIA); Grace Breyley, Co-Captain of the Curtis-Newton NWG; Edward Whitmore, South Bernal NERT Coordinator; Bobby Cochran, Sergeant at Arms, Holly Court Resident Council; Jon Shepherd, SFSAFE.

Community Boards. Sierra Desalvia, Volunteer with the Community Boards Outreach Program.
601 Van Ness Ave. #2040. SF 94102 • 415 920-3820 • www.communityboards.org • M-Th 10am-5pm
Community Boards is the oldest conflict resolution center in the US. A non-profit, CB provides confidential, affordable voluntary conflict resolution between two or more neighbors, groups, or businesses, in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese. The mediators are trained volunteers, representative of the communities they are working with.

If you’re unable to resolve a disagreement, call CB and tell them your side of the story. CB will contact the other parties, and if all concerned are willing and able to participate, will begin the mediation process. Resolutions can be oral or in writing, and must be made and agreed to by all parties involved.

CB does not handle disputes where one or more party is unwilling to negotiate, if there are credible threats of violence, or if parties are not able to speak for themselves.

Next meeting: Nov. 17th, 7-8:30 pm, Ingleside Police Station, 1 Sgt. John V Young Lane
San Francisco, CA 94112

PHOTO: Capt. Joseph McFadden at BHNC, Oct. 20, 2015 by Telstar Logistics