In the heart of SF's tourist mecca lies immense fear and frustration. From the residents who live there and from a majority of business owners who never could have imagined what has transformed their once-quaint neighborhood into a semi-siege mentality, particularly on weekend nights.
North beach and the outer perimeter of Fisherman's wharf have suddenly become a hotbed of violence.
The recent shooting at Suede nightclub was just the latest incident in an area that is frequented by tourists, but as of late, is essentially devoid of the locals who are increasingly fearful of the violence that permeates the area. Especially on weekends.
Attempts to get comments from residents were frequently met with "please don't use my name." Business owners say many people now stay away for fear of being caught up in the mayhem.
"Its to the point now that my friends will not come to have dinner at my restaurant because they're scared", said a prominent North beach restaurateur. He requested, (twice) that his name and business not be used.
Although the homicide rate in SF has been noticeably down from last year, and the city is still perceived as relatively safe, the area around the wharf and North beach has seen a series of shootings, robberies, and fights. Even with increased police presence, the violence persists.
Especially on weekends.
The violence, according to some of the locals, and seen on message boards like Yelp, is tinged with a lingering degree of racism. Most of the violence has been perpetrated by young African-American and Asian gangs. A Yelper called it "North Beach gone 'gangsta.
"I don't go out there after 9 o'clock anymore on Friday or Saturday; its just too dangerous, " said a man who lives near Russian Hill, off Columbus. He requested anonymity. "If you go anywhere near the 'strip clubs or bars, you're asking for trouble."
Indeed many of the locals are staying in their neighborhood and only frequenting the area on weeknights and during the day.
Said a local businessman who operates a deli near Broadway, "If this continues, I'm gone. I don't need this. The police are hamstrung. They can only handle so much."
Attempts to reach Mayor Gavin Newsom for comment were unsuccessful at press time.
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as bad as it is getting, the real problem is across the bay in Richmond. Yesterday two people were shot while attending a church service. The gunmen just walked right in and shot the victims while they were sitting in the pew. Last year Richmond had more murders than the entire city of San Francisco! What the hell is going on?
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the inner city, Barronvon1. If I knew what the hell is going on, I'd be in a thinktank and the cities would be paying me significant $$.
ReplyDeleteThere is a concerted effort on behalf of SFPD to clean up particular neighborhoods that are obviously sliding into chaos. (Tenderloin, Sixth Street corridor, Hunters Point/Bayview). Despite a significant increase in police presence, the crime seems more blatent and terrifying. Community leadership is there to some degree, but the cost of their involvement has often been fatal.
ReplyDeleteThe answer may be found in a long term solution, though it also sounds terribly naive.
Education and parental influence.
It's about getting into the head of the young people in this community and promoting alternatives to gun possession, domestic abuse and addiction.
heartfeltman
dailyhelping.com
ps. Rich, I hope you don't mind but I added your blog to my preferred links.
Thanks HFM, why would I mind.
ReplyDelete