Sideshows were front-of-mind for community members who attended Tuesday night’s monthly meeting at the Mission Police Station.
When newly appointed station Captain Liza Johansen asked the attendees for questions and concerns, sideshows came up as a point of interest for many.
Sideshows are unsanctioned car-related stunt shows, often involving huge crowds, loud noises and reckless driving. Many cause heavy traffic bottlenecks around the area, and sometimes injuries. The Mission is no stranger to sideshows and, over the past two years, stunt shows have been on the rise.
According to SFPD open data, 29 stunt shows or instances involving a stunt vehicle have been reported so far this year. Ten of these have taken place somewhere in the Mission, generally on Sundays, according to police.
Johansen says that in prior years, all the police could do is observe them as they took place. It’s unclear why they could not make arrests for public disturbances, or ticket drivers for traffic violations.
Johansen, however, said that on Sept. 24 the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed legislation that will increase penalties for people who participate, promote and attend sideshows or stunt driving.
“They’re thinking, if they don’t have an audience, what’s the purpose?” Johansen said, referring to the legislation that includes penalties for observers. For sideshows that occur in the Mission, Johansen said the best she can do right now is to gather intelligence, which could lead to arrests down the line.
Johansen urged community members to reach out with any information or new “out-of-the-box” ideas for the Police Department to combat this issue.
Audience members seemed content with Johansen’s multiple offers to meet individual community members to talk one-on-one.
Sgt. Robert Trujillo opened last night’s meeting with an update on gang-related violence in the neighborhood.
Trujillo oversees the Crime Violence Reduction Team (CVRT), formerly known as Gang Task Force, which handles crime related to, or caused by, gangs in the Mission District.
Trujillo said there has, of late, been a notable rise in gang violence in the neighborhood.
According to a graph Trujillo presented at the meeting, such “gang-related crimes” include aggravated assault with a gun, shots fired, attempted homicide with a gun, and homicide. A majority of these crimes, he said, occurred between 16th and 17th streets.
Violent crimes in the vicinity of Mission and 16th streets include a lethal shootout on July 9, a gun homicide on July 19, a homicide on Sept. 4 and a Sept. 20 shooting.
Trujillo said that many of the crimes on 16th Street have “some sort of nexus with criminal street gangs, or connection to gang activity in the area.” The police game plan? Going after individuals, instead of groups.
“When we focus on the main crime drivers in an area, we see a decrease in crime,” he explained. Trujillo said this approach was successful over the summer in reducing gang activity on the 24th Street corridor.
“A majority of these crimes, he said, occurred between 16th street and 17th streets.” Presumably, of Mission Street, but maybe another one or two streets nearby.
This truly makes me want to scream. What if – hear me out – the police *policed* that ONE BLOCK OF MISSION STREET?! A block is about 700 feet long. Could SFPD possibly spare someone from their station to STAND THERE to inhibit criminal activity. That’s my “outside the box” idea – DO YOUR JOB!
This is absolutely crazy-making.
Hey genius. What do you think happens when they arrest someone and have to spend the next three hours dealing with the aftermath of the arrest (transportation, paperwork, etc.), or when they have an emergency a block away they need to respond to, or they have to go to the bathroom? Who’s watching the street then? We don’t have an unlimited supply of coopers to keep backstopping them, you know.
Mitch is definitely a cop. Do your job, Mitch.
“Your comment is awaiting moderation.”
– Is this your form of censorship or laziness?
Jack —
These comments are monitored in real-time and, you’re not going to believe this, nobody is poised over a keyboard on a weekend just waiting for that next comment to drop. Provided it meets the criteria, it’ll publish eventually and we’ll all be fine.
Yours,
JE
The police abuse their power and ever since the George Floyd protests, this abuse is most notably in the form of criminal negligence. We need a mayor who will hold the police accountable! If you agree, who are we voting for?
And yet they come out en masse in military style for peaceful protests? This makes no sense. They could easily lay down street spikes and box the perps in on four sides so they can’t just drive off after pulling their “stunts” (go to effing Hollywood if you want to be a “stunt driver”!!!). And then arrest everyone, confiscate their cars, and if the cars are stolen well then charge them for that too. What is the difficulty here???
Well, that’s alarming,
Sounds like she’s planning more sweeps like they did at Hill Bomb and are doing in the Tenderloin where the rest race spectators and addicts in that order.
Damn, they even are going after the corner delis whose only crime is selling munchies.
I’ve watched the biker group do those stand on one tire wheelies in front of Mission Police Station just to toss sand in their face and ride away w/Miss Olive on their back seat.
Toss paint balloons at em or use those outfits they use to play paint ball tag or whatever on a course.
Of course !
That’s the Course !
Tough problem for the Lady Captain.
Not as big as Gaza but still, a problem.
Let’s see her come up with a permanent 24/7 Valencia Foot Patrol armed with Paint Ball guns ?
Or, continue to hide under the desk.
Go Niners !!
h.