San Francisco residents gathered in anger and frustration Tuesday at a town hall meeting in the Marina District where city officials got an earful about the increase in crime and a decrease in quality of life.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Police Chief Bill Scott, Supervisor Catherine Stefani and several hundred riled citizens met at Marina Middle School and they agreed on one thing.
“A suspect barricaded on Geary Street with a gun, there was an armed robbery on Chestnut Street. This is unacceptable. This is unacceptable!” said Stefani.
The impetus for this meeting was the at least 17 car windows smashed on Filbert Street Sunday night. But there were other recent headline grabbing crimes in District 2. A photographer beaten during an attempted robbery at the Palace of Fine Arts and a child treated for fentanyl poisoning after playing in Moscone Park.
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“My 2-year-old granddaughter Victoria will never play in the park because you haven’t kept it safe!” said a San Francisco resident.
The chief said he needs hundreds more officers to deal with what’s happening not just in the Marina, but citywide.
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“We’ve had people attacked and beaten up because they called in a drug dealer. Not trying to scare anyone, but it’s my duty to tell you,” said Scott.
The loudest applause came when the talk turned to a crackdown on crime.
“A misdemeanor is still a crime even under Prop 47 and I can get someone a year in jail,” said a community member.
“What I recognize is that we are in a state where nobody believes there are any consequences for their actions. And I am working to make sure they understand that there are," said Jenkins.
There were also numerous complaints about the growing homeless problem, and the slow response time by city agencies.
When it was all said and done, there seemed to be an agreement to have another town hall meeting.
