Sep 10, 2008 12:02 am US/Pacific
Efforts To Stop SF Mission Violence Questioned
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―
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A body is covered on the sidewalk near the intersection of 24th St. and Utah in San Francisco Thursday night.
CBS
The dramatic rise in homicides in San Francisco's Mission District in recent weeks had the area's supervisor Tuesday calling for increased dialogue and coordination between police and the community.
Supervisor Tom Ammiano said Tuesday he had sent letters to each city department, including Police Chief Heather Fong, District Attorney Kamala Harris and Mayor Gavin Newsom, asking for their collaboration with community members to help stop the violence.
"This really has to be a coordinated effort," he said.
Since Aug. 22, there have been seven homicides in the Mission District, with three fatal shootings on Thursday alone.
Fong announced Friday increased patrols in parts of the Mission known for gang presence and drug sales, but Ammiano said today that there was a perception among some of his constituents that officers have been deployed only "in front of the trendy neighborhood shops" on Mission and Valencia streets where there is little gang violence.
Ammiano gratefully acknowledged the police effort Tuesday, but questioned whether rookie officers had been detaining or arresting non-gang members as part of the operation and thus engendering distrust among community members.
Ammiano said he and community groups had a productive meeting with Fong on the issue Monday.
"The Mission District is very resilient," said Ammiano, "but of course, people are afraid, we don't want a police state."
"But if I don't know what you're doing and you don't know what I'm doing, this whole thing blows up in your face," he said.
In his letter, Ammiano said staffing levels in the Police Department's Mission Station were inadequate, and that a sustained redeployment of officers to the Mission was needed.
Fong said Friday that there was concern the redeployment of officers from other neighborhoods would just increase crime in those places.
Ammiano also called on the District Attorney's office and the Police Department to "explain the disturbing lack of suspects, arrests, and thus successful prosecutions with respect to violence in the Mission."
Police have not yet announced any arrests connected to the recent homicides.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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