San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday the city's Police Department will increase the number of beat officers walking around Tenderloin and Mid-Market neighborhoods within the next two weeks.
According to Breed, the move is part of an expansion within the Police Department that will see a total of 43 police personnel assigned to walk the area, focusing mostly on Market Street between Fourth and Eighth streets.
"Community policing and service outreach are key to making our streets safer and cleaner for all of our residents and visitors," Breed said in a statement. "Not only can these officers focus on deterring criminal behavior, but they can strengthen ties and build trust with community members to ensure that we are all working together to make our streets safe for all."
In a statement Police Chief William Scott said, "The presence of our foot beat officers sends a strong signal that we prioritize community safety and engagement with the public. Residents, workers and merchants have let us know that our foot beats and mobile command center on UN Plaza have made the area safer and more family friendly. By stepping up our foot beat presence, we can continue to work with community members to ensure our public spaces are clean, safe and more welcoming for everyone."
The foot patrol officers will be working with the city's Healthy Streets Operation Center, which coordinates with different city departments to see that homeless individuals are connected with services and programs.
The dense area where the foot patrols will be concentrated includes a mix of housing and commercial buildings and is one of the city's most traveled areas, with the Civic Center and Powell transit stations serving about 73,000 people daily during the weekdays.
