Haight Is Lousy with Sit/Lie Citations

The new law against sitting or lying on the sidewalk has been anything but predictable. First, police were refraining from enforcing it because they didn't have the right paperwork. Then merchants complained that the bad publicity was worse than the vagrancy.

And now finally the tickets have started flowing, but loiterers haven't gotten the message yet.

Early statistics show that enforcement has been frequent in the Haight and around Fisherman's Wharf, as well as the Richmond and SOMA.

But the Haight is unique in that it seems to have more repeat-offenders than other neighborhoods.

Police first warn vagrants to move, and only cite them if they make a habit of hanging around. Statistics show that so far, the warnings may not be terribly effective, though that may change over time.

No citations have been made in suburbs like Taraval and Ingleside, which are technically part of San Francisco.

The Richmond tickets pose somewhat of a mystery. Like the suburbs, there's little in the neighborhood to attract homeless people. But the district also includes part of Golden Gate Park.

Have people been cited for sitting in the park? It's unclear. Currently, the SFPD doesn't have information on the location of the infractions, which seems like a pretty important piece of information.

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