A police officer talks on a phone while walking past colorful fence panels in an urban area, with buildings, parked police cars, and a pigeon nearby.
4/07/25 Southwest 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.

Late on Monday morning, both 16th Street BART Plazas had a steady police presence. The usual mobile-command van and several San Francisco Police Department cruisers were parked on the southwest plaza. Two officers stood beside the vehicles and the plaza was clean.

At 11:20 a.m., three SFPD officers spoke with a Department of Public Works employee on the northeast plaza. A single police cruiser was parked nearby. By 1 p.m., police officers and the cruiser had vanished. In their place, a couple of vendors had laid out mats to sell bags and groceries.

At 11:25 a.m., Caledonia Street had two people near the east end. One rested his head against a wall while the other stood about 20 feet away, watching over their belongings. By 12:22 p.m., five people had gathered on the northeast side of Caledonia Street. A mid-sized vehicle drove through, and the group moved aside to let it pass.

Litter was scattered across Julian Avenue. A single person stood on the east corner. The sidewalks there stayed mostly clear, but the west side had more typical conditions: groups huddled along the sidewalk, individuals blocking parts of the walkway, and a concentrated amount of garbage. A reader sent in a photo of Julian Avenue at 10:30 a.m. 

At 11:30 a.m., one person on Wiese Street rifled through a bag tied to a metal barricade while another person leaned against a stroller stacked with items. By 12:40 p.m., Wiese Street had mostly cleared, except for a few pigeons clustered near the south end.

By 1:20 p.m., about half a dozen people occupied Capp Street. Pedestrians passing through occasionally stepped off the sidewalk and into the street to avoid individuals leaning against the walls.

A narrow alleyway with two people and walls covered in colorful graffiti. One person is crouched down, and another stands near an artwork. A large tree is visible in the background.
4/07/25 Caledonia Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Narrow alleyway with parked cars and a mural on one wall. A postal truck is visible on the street in the foreground. Trees line the right side.
4/07/25 Caledonia Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Narrow alley with street art on the walls, several people sitting or standing, and a parked car. Trash and debris are scattered along the sides.
4/07/25 Caledonia Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Person walking on a city sidewalk, carrying items under a blanket. Trees and parked cars line the street.
4/07/25 Julian Avenue, west side. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Street view with parked cars, trees, and buildings on both sides. A person walks on the sidewalk. A sign reads "16th St". Overcast sky.
4/07/25 Julian Avenue, east side. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
People gathered on a sidewalk near a brick building. Several are seated, some standing, with belongings scattered around. A parked car and a bicycle are nearby. Trees line the street.
4/7/25 Julian Avenue, 10:30 a.m. Photo by a Julian Avenue resident.
Street scene with people on the sidewalk, parked cars, and buildings. One person bends down near bags. Urban environment with visible wires and utility poles.
4/07/25 Wiese Street, looking north. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Pigeons flying and walking in an empty urban alley lined with painted buildings and metal barriers.
4/07/25 Wiese Street, looking south. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
A city street scene with a police car and an ambulance parked nearby. People walk by as a man stands facing the emergency vehicles. Buildings and power lines are visible in the background.
4/07/25 Southwest 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
A police officer talks on a phone while walking past colorful fence panels in an urban area, with buildings, parked police cars, and a pigeon nearby.
4/07/25 Southwest 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
People crossing a city street with an ambulance parked nearby, buildings in the background, and a painted crosswalk in the foreground.
4/07/25 Southwest 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Street scene featuring a red car, people walking, a mural, palm trees, and a colorful storefront in an urban environment.
4/07/25 Northeast 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
A street scene with people walking, police officers talking near a patrol car, and a graffiti-covered building in the background. A man in a gray hoodie walks in the foreground.
4/07/25 Northeast 16th Street Plaza. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Street view of a row of parked cars in front of a brick building with graffiti and a large vintage "Albens Flapjack Flour" mural. People are gathered on the sidewalk near the building.
4/07/25 Capp Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.
Urban street corner with a red building and mural. Two people cross at a yellow crosswalk while cars wait and pass by. A traffic light shows red.
4/07/25 Capp Street. Photo by Gustavo Hernandez.

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Gustavo Hernandez is a freelance photojournalist and videographer currently living in Excelsior District. He graduated in Fall 2024 with a double major in Journalism (Photojournalism) and BECA (Broadcasting and Electronic Communications Arts) from San Francisco State University. You can periodically catch him dodging potholes on his scooter and actively eating pho.

If you would like to be a community SNAPP Contributor, you can download our iphone app. Download Here, or you can Upload Your SNAPPS Here, or you can send photos to missionlocal@gmail.com.

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4 Comments

  1. Thanks for reporting
    The city has allowed many problems to fester .
    Vendors need to be registered as a business

    Homeless and addicts cannot exist in public or society, are impaired or selfish and will not go

    A physical presence of law enforcement , teams and policies and laws that deter and have consequences need to be imposed .

    In Europe , there are police walking around in pairs . Some have drug sniffing dogs . They hand out fines and people who are causing problems are removed rather quickly ,

    It has come to this here . Persons cannot be expected to do the right thing anymore .

    No common decency or respect for others or the community .

    Tired of the idiots and addicts who hang out all day destroying their lives and ours.

    Public loitering needs to be cleaned up.

    Cannot wait until you start reporting on the Lower polk and larkin area .

    You will be shocked at how bad it is .

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