Half a dozen workers at shops and restaurants near the 16th Street BART Station said they have started to see slight changes in the area, but mostly at the plazas.
Before the RV-sized SFPD unit arrived in March, the southwest plaza was always overcrowded with vendors selling stolen goods, and sometimes shoplifters came into the Cricket store across from plaza to steal phones, said Cristy Garcia, who works six days a week at Cricket.
Now, she added, it has “calmed down” a little.
“Not that it’s 100 percent under control. It still gets crazy from time to time,” Garcia said. “Especially when it’s sunny and warmer, there’s more activity.”
Moe, who also works at a phone-repair store across from the mobile unit, agreed. Moe said there used to be more people selling stolen cigarettes, alcohol and cheap clothes. Every day he saw the same people around his shop, but now they are mostly gone, he said.
For Moe the mobile unit’s presence acts as a deterrent. “It might be just to make sure that they don’t sell nearby,” he said.
Another employee who works six days a week at the tobacco shop Smoker Friendly next door to Cricket, added, “Not a lot of people are selling no more.”
However, the employee questioned whether there is “actual change.” The police presence, he said, is pushing the illegal vendors and drug activity to the alleyways nearby.
“They are still around,” he said.
Girlie Pineda, who works Tuesday to Sunday at a variety store Dollar and Up, next to Moe’s phone repair store, said the police presence has “helped a lot.”
Pineda, who also lives on Julian Avenue, a block away from her shop, said recently she feels just a bit safer working and living in the area.
“I hope it stays,” Pineda said, referring to the mobile unit. “Especially at night when there is always drug dealing, stealing and robbery.”
“Universal Basic Income of 1k monthly for addicts and destitute”
Yeah, that’s real smart. Give them free money to buy more drugs.
Thanks for reporting .
The persons who want to decrimalize drugs are sick and evil. Either they are dumb or dont understand that they are supporting harming others . Who would do that .
Zero tolerance . Who in their right mind would support giving poison to another human?
The city needs to really take employees and police and assign them to every area and street in this city .
Daily , they should be out there and responsible for a certain area; like 8 blocks .
Cannot wait for this news organization to start daily reporting on the Lower Polk, Larkin area .
You will be shocked at the chaos and enabling of persons wasting their life on the sidewalks .
Also where are the jobs for these people ?
Where are the homeless and addicts ever to find work in the Tenderloin? Drug dealing is the only job?
They are wasting their time,
The solutions are same as everywhere else and opposed by Prison Industry.
Universal Basic Income of 1k monthly for addicts and destitute.
Decriminalize drugs.
Only one to try it locally was young Black mayor in Stockton.
It worked but forces of Reactionary LE (Law Enforcement) voted him out.
He got a genuine 50% increase in Crime for cheaper input.
Decriminalize Drugs which is already defacto case for upper income folks.
That works too and only someone like Daniel Lurie can stand up to the LE Attacks.
Make Police Chief a Very Powerful by Charter Design elected Job.
Hopefully, Mayor Lurie will agree after a year or two looking at the failed system.
go Niners !!
h.
H. Brown’s kind of thinking is how we entered a doom loop.
Mayor Lurie is how we exit it.
You’ve exited thinking.