San Francisco police brass on Friday issued another proclamation to skateboarders hoping to attend the annual Dolores Park hill bomb, saying that officers will be out in force on Saturday to prevent any downhill skating near the park and that attendees may be arrested.
“We do not intend to allow a hill bomb tomorrow,” said Chief Bill Scott at a 20-minute press conference Friday morning, held at the police department headquarters. He said officers will be “very heavily deployed tomorrow” and would arrest anyone conducting illegal activity. Command staff will “have the ability to call additional officers” if needed, he said.
“As far as we’re concerned, there is no hill bomb tomorrow,” he added.
The hill bomb, which annually sees hundreds of skaters flock to the park to skate downhill, was originally advertised for this Saturday, July 6. But the skater who posted the event online issued an update after police first warned of arrests last week, saying it was “Canceled!!!”
The department has since ramped up its plans for enforcement. Internal police emails obtained by Hazel Williams in a public records request showed that police solicited barricades to be installed along Dolores Street at intersections between 18th and 21st streets, and along the sidewalk in front of the park from 18th to 20th streets.
Scott said that “unfettered access to that hill is part of the problem,” and Assistant Chief David Lazar said “the barricade plan” and deployment of officers was “a way to tell the community there is no event.”
“The warning is now,” Lazar added, saying he was “hopeful that people have seen the social media posts that it’s canceled, and they won’t show up.”
The admonition issued Friday was the third time in a week-and-a-half that the San Francisco Police Department has sought to put a damper on the Dolores hill bomb.
The city typically deploys officers to the event and has installed raised pavement dots on the street to dissuade downhill racing; both cyclists and skaters say the street changes are dangerous and could cause a fatal crash.
Last year, officers were out in unusually large numbers, leading to confrontations with skaters. After members of the crowd threw cans and bottles at the police, vandalized Muni vehicles and buildings, and lit small fires, police began making arrests. The department is now facing a class action civil rights lawsuit for its mass arrest of 113 young people who were held for hours in the street without food, water, or bathroom access.
After the arrests, the city and the department faced criticism for their failure to warn skaters of the operation ahead of time. This year’s statements were an attempt to change that.
For Aaron Breetwor, a downhill skater and skateboarding teacher who has engaged in months of outreach to city officials on this issue, the police-first response was shortsighted. By cautioning people away and threatening arrest, Breetwor said only the most risk-tolerant would show up, creating a more volatile situation.
Plus, he said, the city has had months — if not years — to prepare for this event without involving police enforcement.
“There’s a Rolodex with at least a few dozen people on it that the city is aware of that could have been called in to support this effort 12 months ago — or 10 years ago for that matter,” he said, naming skate shops and advocates who could have formed a “a working group” to create a city-sanctioned event — something police brass and others say they would welcome.
“This whole conversation could have been started the first time this thing happened,” he continued. “So the city’s insistence on continuing to resort to police presence … is an act of willful violence.”
Scott, for his part, sought to quell criticism that the police department was against skateboarding writ large. He said the issue was with the assaults, vandalism, and property damage that had come to define the hill bomb in recent years — not all skaters.
“The San Francisco Police Department is not against skateboarding, it is not against people going out and skating around the city,” he said. “But what we don’t want, and can’t have, is a community that has been taken over.”
Harold, you sound really lame.
Oh yay more absurd overreactions, civil rights violations, and civil penalties to be paid by taxpayers in 3… 2…
So the police who corralled over a hundred people and have announced a “barricade plan” have a problem with taking over the community?
My favorite part is how little they’re willing to do for cars doing takeovers and theft. But skaters… Gotta get em!
Come on. Do something that will keep the city safe.
Ahhh, Mating Season in the Mission,
Low Riders and Drag Queens and Skateboarders all lookin’ for Love.
On other side you have the SFPD Cock Block Warriors.
Walked by there this morning and Mayor Breed’s troops have the crowd control metal fencing ready not just along Dolores but at 20th and Church too.
Looks like they intend to arrest everyone in the Park tomorrow.
No way an Elected Police Chief would use their Forces this way.
Whatever happens, don’t forget the Fault is all on London Breed who appoints the heads of both SFPD and SFMTA who together cooked up this Racist scheme.
h.
Incredibly reckless way to respond. Instead of setting up another showdown, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman should’ve accepted the many offers from community members to help make it a safer event.
Trying to shut this down with overwhelming force puts skaters, park users, and officers in the maximum possible danger. It’s obviously not about safety, but responding to affluent property owners who bought next to Dolores Park and now don’t want rowdy kids in their neighborhood.
A condo across the street from the park sold last year for $4 million (https://socketsite.com/archives/2023/04/massive-dolores-park-light-house-condo-sells-for-2m-less.html). These are not regular people like you and me who are complaining about the event. They’re executives, landlords and venture capitalists. Mandelman serves them, not us. That’s why he’s snubbed community members like Aaron who’ve been trying to help, and instead asked SFPD for what looks to be another disastrous crackdown.
why can’t people have fun anymore
Put your police resources into something more useful than harassing skateboarders… these people have a right to live life at their own risk… it’s called freedom.
Skateboarding should not be a crime! Cops love to stick their snouts in the way of everyone’s fun
It’s wild seeing this same confrontation play out year after year. The city spent $250K on overtime to arrest 113 kids, and for what? We’re organizing a Twin Peaks hillbomb for Palestine on October 11th, and Officer Quock at Park Station has been great to work with – showing that SFPD can actually collaborate with organizers when there’s real dialogue. While the actual hillbomb route isn’t permitted (liability issues), it’s been sanctioned by SFPD and SFMTA, and we have a fully permitted rally with DJ at Noe and Beaver.
The difference is night and day – we went through ISCOTT, have 70+ organizations in our coalition, and are working WITH the city instead of against it. Aaron Breetwor was right that this could’ve been resolved years ago with proper outreach. The Dolores crackdown just pushes things underground and makes them more dangerous. Props to officers like Quock who understand that community policing means actually working with the community. October 11th at Twin Peaks – showing there’s a better way to do this.
If people want to have a skateboarding event, that’s fine, but they should go through the normal permitting process just like anyone else. However, assaults, vandalism, property damage, attacks on MUNI vehicles and the SFPD are all out of line and the cops should come down on anyone who engages in such activity like a ton of bricks.
Thank you, SFPD.
I hope they again arrest any of these privileged teens who come down from Marin County to vandalize city property.
How about you pay the lawsuit from last year Harold?
@Harold what makes you think they’re from Marin County?
Dear SF,
I would like to have a big party, taking over public streets and holding athletic events that often cause serious injuries.
Please organize it for me and provide free security and medics. I have given you ample notice, so get to work.
If they come arrest them, a warning’s a warning.
People who are trying to organize a sanctioned event are doing something wrong, keep trying, don’t blame the police for your shortcomings.
No one wants to sponsor it for a reason. Cancel it until they get a sponsor and a permit like any other event.
These boarders do not consider the harm they cause people and pets that live in the area. My dog is traumatized by the noise and chaos that occurs when these intentionally disruptive boarders take over and do what they please. After an encounter with even a few loud boarders on Dolores or Church Street, she will try to avoid the area for days, depriving her of much needed exercise and socialization. I am sure there is a process they can go through to find a suitable location and pay for permits and porta-potties and clean up like every other group activity in San Francisco. Gay pride weekend Dolores Park was packed and outfitted with extra infrastructure and cleaned up before dark. Easter Weekend, same deal.