The cost of San Francisco Police Department overtime during the 2024 Dolores Park hill bomb last month has been unearthed through a public records request: Some $250,000, according to estimates provided by the department to Hazel Williams, an advocate and frequent filer of such requests.
That is more than the $143,000 in police overtime costs associated with last year’s enforcement, when dozens and dozens of officers encircled a group of 100-plus young people, most of them teenagers, and arrested them en masse.
Those 2023 arrests of 113 mostly young people, and the treatment of the youth under arrest that night, have led to an ongoing federal civil-rights lawsuit against the city that could put it on the hook for millions in damages.
This year’s quarter-million-dollar price tag is a far cry from those potential damages, which the city may pay out to the teenagers arrested last year who are alleging violations of their civil rights and mistreatment at the hands of police. The city is fighting the case in court.
The Dolores Park hill bomb is an annual unsanctioned downhill skating event that sees hundreds of people flock to Dolores Park to watch young skateboarders race downhill at precipitous speeds. Because it has resulted in fights, injuries, and a death, the city has sought to shut it down in the past.
This year, ahead of the event, the police department held a community meeting and press conference advertising a simple message: There would be no hill bomb in 2024, and skaters should stay away.
Nevertheless, hundreds of skaters and spectators arrived on the afternoon of Saturday, July 6. This time, they were bolstered by volunteer medics and veteran skaters who worked hard to clear a path for those zooming downhill and generally make the event safer.
While SFPD had set up barricades all along Dolores Street to block skaters from going downhill, they did nothing to stop them from using the steeper Church Street nearby, where skaters and fans quickly migrated. After a few hours as night fell, the crowds left of their own accord, and officers packed up their barricades in turn.
In the aftermath of the event, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the police operation this July was a “huge success.”
Williams, who often publishes government records obtained via records requests, asked for overtime costs of that operation and made the numbers public on Wednesday. The department responded to Williams with one sentence: “The total overtime cost is $247,229 for the 2024 Dolores Hill Bomb.”
In other public records released earlier this summer, Williams uncovered some $6,500 for the metal barricades assembled along Dolores Street to keep skaters at bay, and $4,300 for a recent installation of raised dots on the pavement.
Those pavement dots have been installed in various places on Dolores Street going back to 2020, after a 23-year-old cyclist was killed in a collision during the event. Skaters say the dots — round plastic bumps glued onto the street — are deadly, and can easily cause a skateboarder or cyclist to careen off the street at speed and crash.
Last year’s arrests occurred when officers attempted to shut the park down to downhill skating, and after crowds grew unruly when officers arrested two teenagers during a confrontation. The city has been firm that the enforcement was necessary, given glass bottles and fireworks launched towards officers that day.
But the skating community criticized the department for inadequate outreach prior to the enforcement; SFPD did not advertise the shutdown of the hill bomb, and dozens of skaters arrived to find themselves confronted by police barricades and officers in riot gear.
Many in the skateboarding community have urged the city to sanction the event, something officials say they would welcome, if a reputable skating shop or business were to step up and apply, which has yet to happen.
To be clear, last year, the police did not put on riot gear until fireworks and bottles were thrown at them. A lot is spent to try to stop it, but what is the price of serious injury or death to a skateboarder or pedestrian? Let’s sanction this thing, put money into making it safe, and move on already.
I’m a fan of Mission Local. But there is a part of this story that is missing. I saw some of the aftermath of last year’s Hill Bomb. There was an associated vandalism element that included coordinated graffiti bombing. I passed by a MUNI bus that was tagged so heavily inside and out it was rendered unusable. It was sitting emptied out on 16th near Dolores after the event. I’d never seen anything like it. I’m sure that the damage caused by the vandals exploiting last year’s event cost more than $250k. It sounds like the kids got to skate this year and be in community with each other, but the vandals that joined the event last year to tag and destroy were not able to participate. I’d call that a win.
Oh, the poor innocent “young people”, “youth”, and “teenagers”, the “skating community” who just want to have fun. They were police “victims.” Please. They, and ML embrace chaos and anarchy. The innocent “teenagers” loved the violence and vandalism last year. They caused it. ML consistently maintains a leftist, anti-cop, the-cops-are-the-problem line. Every dollar spent by the SFPD to prevent a repeat of what happened last year was worth it. No one is against an event. The question is, if the “skating community” (!) is so innocent and well meaning, why don’t they just get it together and organize, and appy for a permit for a city sanctioned event? No one is against it! Why don’t they do that? I suspect it’s because they prefer their outlaw status, confrontations with the cops are more useful. And way more cool, right? Besides, ML then gets to portray them as part of some larger struggle.
The day was a “success” in that there was no looting, widespread property destruction, or near-lethal injury. If $250K is what it takes to prevent mayhem on a Saturday afternoon, that is money well spent.
Such a waste of tax money that could be spent on community needs.
Joe,
Main Point is that SFPD and their boss, Mayor Breed do not respect the Sport of Skateboarding which is an Olympic Event hugely popular with the under 25 crowd mostly.
We have some of the best skateboarders in the World here and the cops arrest them.
It’s like arresting a young Michael Jordon for playing in a Pick-em game on a Panhandle Court.
Go Skaters !!
h.
so we tax payers were charged $250K for this event. how much would it have cost to organize an official event with the skateboarders?
Meanwhile, in the Mission, we’ve heard more gunfire around 16th BART over the past 8 weeks than in the past 35 yr. Mission Station abruptly cancelled last month’s community meeting. Ronen is AWOL. None of the candidates can be bothered to center increasing violence.
SFPD whines about being understaffed and underfunded, but lards up the rank and file with overtime to sit around and watch the hill bombers move one block over after exposing the taxpayers to civil liabilities from the previous year.
Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?
And we want to keep shoveling money to the cops…
This is INSANE. SHAME on the cops for this boondoggle that ended up costing even more by the time the lawsuits are done.
SHAME ON THE MAYOR, the COPS and Supervisor MANDELMAN
Thanks, skateboarders!