Gun violence, bickering, and finger-pointing continues in Bayview

From SF Examiner,

"When an area like the Bayview is suffering the absence of permanent solutions to its most vexing problems, another task force could be seen as just another diversion," said Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi.

In response, Supervisor Cohen wrote an op-ed in Sunday's SF Examiner, writing,

The proposed task force will bring a more collaborative and transparent effort to address the causes of these acts and help put an end to cyclical gun violence. Concertedly, this task force will coordinate regular community programs and work to identify at-risk youths, who can eventually end up as perpetrators of these acts.

Supervisor Cohen continues,

The very day The San Francisco Examiner story came out [“Cohen’s gun task force questioned,” Aug. 7], my opponents issued a press release calling for their own Stop The Violence in The Bayview photo opportunity. 

Their flagrant and insincere use of tragedy in the Bayview for their own political gain is exacerbating the problems rather than working with me, the mayor, Police Chief Greg Suhr and others to create and implement real solutions.

An interesting use of words, referring to those who called for their own Stop the Violence in the Bayview event her "opponents".  That event, mentioned here in the Examiner, was organized by SEIU Local 1021.  Sure, it was organized and promoted by people who have in the past and are currently seeking the job of District 10 Supervisor, but this is the only way in which these people are Supervisor Cohen's "opponents".  Her colleague, Supervisor David Campos, certainly not a political opponent of hers, spoke at this event, but so did Bayview Police Captain Robert O'Sullivan, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi,  and her own aide Mawuli Tugbenyoh.  While some of these people may have different approaches to the problem, where the problem is concerned, none of us should look upon someone who's trying to solve the problem as an opponent - we're all in this together and as such, need to work together to find solutions.   Thus, in referring to them as "opponents" in the Examiner, Supervisor Cohen has herself turned these shootings and the problem of gun violence into a political game piece.  Turning it around and blaming her "opponents" for the political gamesmanship she herself is playing is just, well, politics, and does nothing to help the situation or solve the problem at hand.

Many of the people who came out on Thursday were the same people who protested at City Hall last month, asking for the Mayor and Supervisor Cohen to make solving the gun violence problem a more visible priority.  These are the same people who, according to longtime Bayview resident Dianne Smith, have "invited [Supervisor Cohen] on numerous occasions to collaborate with us in seeking practical solutions".  As ABC7 news reported,

In the meantime, many people in the Bayview are frustrated and angry and wondering when the next shooting will come.

Sadly, as much of this was being published and read and debated, that day came, as two more young men were killed on a sunny summer evening the Bayview, with the gunman still at large.  More on that at SFGate.

Whither goest thee, Bayview?

The Fourth of July is a time of revelry, picnics, and fireworks in most parts of the country.  But in the Bayview, it seems that year after year it's the unofficial start of gun violence season.  It may be hyperbole to liken it to a movie like "The Purge", but the increased level of lawlessness around this time of year, the acceptance of it, and the seeming lack of will to stop it, seems like this is the direction we're heading.

Just look at the summertime news from this year and last:

June 23, 2013 - Two Shot in Bayview
June 24, 2013 - Man Shot and Killed at Bayview MUNI Stop
July 25, 2013 - Bayview Drive-by suspects busted

June 25, 2014 - Man Injured in Bayview Shooting
July 4, 2014 - Four Murdered in Multiple Shootings
July 10, 2014 - Man Identified in Tuesday night Bayview Shooting
July 22, 2014 - Elderly Woman Injured In Bayview Shooting

Of course there are more and more people who do good and are trying their damnedest to make a positive difference by opening businesses and providing worthwhile experiences for people in the community.  But they are cut off at the knees by this apparent culture of acceptance that crime in the Bayview goes up in summer and there's nothing to be done about it.

I've heard people, including city officials, say some crazy things in response to community concerns over the recent shootings: "It's not too bad because it's only gang-bangers killing each other."  "It'll die down after the summer is over - it always does."  "The police like to take vacation in the summer, so we're short-staffed."

BRITE held a meeting this past weekend to discuss the violence with police captain O'Sullivan, but he couldn't make it - and sent a lieutenant in his place - because he couldn't get back in time from his vacation.   Another community group held a townhall a week earlier on the same topic, a meeting that few knew about until five minutes before it started.  Groups have recently protested at a Board of Supervisors meeting and on the steps of City Hall, calling on the Mayor and Supervisor Cohen to act.

Some in the community have told me that they believed our city's leadership had abdicated responsibility for working to fix the tough problems in the Bayview.  Instead, the message residents and business owners got was that we should let the thugs kill themselves (and if a few old ladies and school children get in the way here and there, so be it).  Clear out the bad apples in advance of the onslaught of new homeowners and renters who will change the face of the Bayview and drive out the problems without the city having to do much more than wait for it all to happen.

Today's announcement from Supervisor Cohen indicates that our city's elected officials and staff are listening and are ready to work, hopefully with ALL points of view, to come up with ideas and ways to work together to make some difficult decisions.

It's time we ALL stepped up to the challenge, because it's going to take every one of us to make things better.

Zero Shootings in the SE Neighborhoods Petition

From BRITE, a petition that I think we can all sign-on to at change.org:

The past few weeks have seen more than a dozen instances of gun violence in Bayview and Visitacion Valley. At least four of these shootings have resulted in deaths. 

The City's current efforts towards controlling gun violence in these neighborhoods are not working. Residents feel that the City accepts a level of violence in these neighborhoods that would not be allowed anywhere else. 

We are calling for the City of San Francisco to adopt a goal of Zero Shootings citywide and to adopt the following strategies to achieve this goal. 

• Increase placement of gunfire locator units.
• Commit to prosecuting every gun-related charge for which there is sufficient evidence (beyond a reasonable doubt) and physical evidence such as
• fingerprints, video or a gunshot residue test confirming a suspect's guilt.
• Commit to investigating every report of gunfire or activation of a gunfire locator unit as if it is an emergency.
• Commit to identifying the principal sources of firearms in Bayview and Visitacion Valley.  

The sheer number of guns taken from the street suggest that there must be significant weapon trafficking to our neighborhoods. 

We urgently request that the Mayor, the Chief of Police and the District Attorney meet with Bayview Residents Improving Their Environment (BRITE) and immediately begin implementing plans for a goal of Zero Shootings in the Southeastern Neighborhoods. We look forward to working with you.

Protesters gather at City Hall over Bayview shootings

From KGO:

As seems to happen every year, "a rash of shootings [mark] the start of summer violence."  Yesterday, a group of "San Francisco Bayview Hunters Point residents went to City Hall to demand more resources to help deal with the surge in murders. Families with loved ones who died in shootings and other violence in the Bayview are demanding the mayor do more to help reduce the crime where they live."



Organizers say they reached out to Supervisor Cohen and the Mayor, but that neither responded to their request to meet.  If that's the case, then that's really not cool, and the protest was the natural result of their frustration.  Our Nextdoor and Bayview Yahoo groups have been discussing ways of engaging both the SFPD and Supervisor Cohen, but not sure if either responded privately (because they certainly didn't respond publicly) to those posts either.

Also not sure if it was the same group organizing or not, but a town hall meeting apparently happened last evening to discuss the topic. Supervisor Cohen sent out a message via Facebook five minutes before the start of that meeting. In that post, Cohen says she can't claim credit for organizing the meeting.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but in my opinion, you're the elected official who SHOULD have organized it. You know who the stakeholders are and should know by now how to bring them together. You were elected in 2010 to lead on issues like this. Leadership is what the community needs from YOU right now.

Sixth Pedestrian Fatality of 2014 - Higher Number than the City's Murder Rate

From CBS5,

A woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash Thursday as she ran across Bayshore Boulevard to reach a bus stop, police said.  

The woman was hit by a white Dodge Durango as she crossed Bayshore near Visitation Avenue without using the crosswalk around 11:17 a.m., according to a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department.

Catcall

We have two young female guests visiting from Germany, and they arrived midday today before we got home and could give them an orientation of the city and our neighborhood.  In search of lunch, they headed down to Third St via Palou.  Upon their arrival at Third St, and as they were looking around for a place to eat, they were greeted by catcalls from several men hanging out on both sides of the street.  Catcalling - the abusive verbal harassment from men towards women passing by - has been part of our urban landscape seemingly forever.

Read "A Photographer Turns Her Lens on Men Who Catcall" for an interesting portrait of men who catcalled photographer Hannah Price.

Almost immediately, a police cruiser pulled up and the officer inside asked our guests where they were going, if they were lost, and kind of admonished them for venturing into the Bayview.  The officer scared them a bit, telling them how dangerous the neighborhood is, that it's the most dangerous place in the city and that people routinely get shot there.  He then encouraged them to get into his cruiser so that he could take them to a safer neighborhood.  After dropping them off in the safety of the Portola, he bid them adieu.  

Initially upon hearing this story I thought, how could the police be spreading such a terrible perception of our neighborhood?  But then after my indignation wore off, and I'd gotten a fuller picture of the situation, that regardless of the negative perception he was spreading, I was actually quite relieved that the officer had been there and that he'd gotten in the middle of what he felt was a potentially bad situation.

Police are taught to intervene when something doesn't seem right, and I know I wish more regular citizens felt able to do the same (myself included).  The other day, CW Nevius wrote in the Chronicle about a similar situation in which he and his wife intervened and helped protect a couple of women being taunted by two men at a bus stop.  Comments were mixed as to whether they'd done the right thing, or if they were just being busybodies who could have ended up hurt.

For whatever reason, some men continue to believe that they are within their rights to make a woman (or anyone for that matter) feel endangered by calling out inappropriately to them.  Maybe they think it's a way to make themselves feel more like men.  These men think that their taunts show how manly they are, when in fact, they show the opposite.  A real man respects a woman and treats her accordingly.  If you google the phrase "man up", you get all these links to help you increase your level of machismo.  That's hardly manning up, in my book.  To me, you man up by taking responsibility for your actions, treat others with the respect you would like in return, and you show off your manliness by being the better man.  My nephew has done a great deal of volunteering with the White Ribbon Campaign, which works to teach men what it really means to be a man.  The reprobates on Third St this afternoon could use a little schooling in this area. 

I'm really embarrassed that our guests' first experience in our neighborhood involved a police escort out of it.  But I'll take being embarrassed over having something horrible happen any day.

Gun buyback

This weekend, the Coalition of California Cities and Gun By Gun are hosting an anonymous gun buyback:

Saturday, Dec 14
9AM - 2PM
1060 Tennessee St 

I'm no gun advocate - far from it - but assuming that the purpose of these buybacks is to get dangerous criminals to turn in their guns and reduce crime, do these things actually work?
Reading their FAQs, I'm not even sure that Gun By Gun thinks that their efforts are effective at reducing gun violence. Basically all I can tell that the gun buybacks do is a) take guns out of the homes of people who've bought them legally so that thieves who break into those homes don't find guns to steal and then use in a subsequent crime, or b) pay criminals to steal guns from people's homes.  If a gun that has been stolen gets turned in, of course the thief isn't going to use that money to buy another gun when he can just go out and steal one.  After turning in a gun (or five) and getting $100-200 each for it, does that change a criminal into a law-abiding citizen, or does he just go out and steal more guns, use them in crimes, and then wait until another gun buyback to get paid again for stealing them?

An oft-cited case in favor of gun buybacks is the massive one that happened in 1996 in Australia when it banned semiautomatic and automatic firearms and implemented a mandatory buyback of the newly banned weapons.  The results of the buyback show that while firearm suicide rates fell drastically, the drop in homicides as a result of the buyback was more difficult to show statistically.  But even though firearm suicide rates have fallen, the Australian Bureau of Statistics numbers show that suicides overall haven't, meaning people are just finding other ways of killing themselves.

So even if you allow that the nationwide buyback in Australia reduced firearm suicides and is a reason to do buybacks here, it's still significantly different than the small-scale gun buybacks we have going on here.  To match the scale of the Australian effort and be able to expect anything positive to come out of it, we'd have to see the buyback of 40 MILLION guns in this country. 

In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting last year, NPR pulled out a study from the mid-90's that seems to show they don't do much, writing,

A Harvard University study dating from the mid-1990s concluded that buybacks were largely ineffective in reducing gun violence because they weren't getting the right kinds of weapons off the street.

"The upshot of that study was that gun buybacks were listed in the category of what doesn't work."

The Daily Beast cited a 2004 report by the National Research Council that found “The theory underlying gun buyback programs is badly flawed.”  

So why continue doing them?

A Los Angeles Times op-ed called gun buybacks little more than a public relations move: “Really cutting down on the bloodshed will require meaningful legislation and tougher enforcement. That’s harder to pull off than a gun buyback program: Good PR almost invariably is simpler than good policy.”

And what about the cost?   Gun By Gun, who is putting on this weekend's buyback, gets funding from private donations.  But according to the Daily Beast article,

... successful buyback programs can be extremely expensive for local governments. “Let’s say you pay $100 per gun, and you get 2,000 guns,” says Jon Vernick, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. “That’s $200,000—would it be money better spent elsewhere?” 

Are places with stricter gun laws actually safer?  Do they have lower crime rates, specifically murder rates?  Legislators may be quick to tackle the problem by restricting the sale of certain types of firearms, thinking this is the right path to take, but does the research show this to be true?

From Boston Magazine,

In an independent research paper titled “Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder and Suicide?,” first published in Harvard’s Journal of Public Law and Policy, Don B. Kates, a criminologist and constitutional lawyer, and Gary Mauser, Ph.D., a Canadian criminologist and professor at Simon Fraser University, examined the correlation between gun laws and death rates. 

“International evidence and comparisons have long been offered as proof of the mantra that more guns mean more deaths and that fewer guns, therefore, mean fewer deaths. Unfortunately, such discussions [have] all too often been afflicted by misconceptions and factual error and focus on comparisons that are unrepresentative,” the researchers wrote in their introduction of their findings.

In the 46-page study, which can be read in its entirety here, Kates and Mauser looked at and compared data from the U.S. and parts of Europe to show that stricter laws don’t mean there is less crime. As an example, when looking at “intentional deaths,” or murder, on an international scope, the U.S. falls behind Russia, Estonia, and four other countries, ranking it seventh.  More specifically, data shows that in Russia, where guns are banned, the murder rate is significantly higher than in the U.S in comparison.  

“There is a compound assertion that guns are uniquely available in the United States compared with other modern developed nations, which is why the United States has by far the highest murder rate. Though these assertions have been endlessly repeated, [the latter] is, in fact, false and [the former] is substantially so,” the authors point out, based on their research. Kates and Mauser clarify that they are not suggesting that gun control causes nations to have higher murder rates, rather, they “observed correlations that nations with stringent gun controls tend to have much higher murder rates than nations that allow guns.”

So if gun buybacks and stricter legislation aren't the answer, how do we make our streets safer?   Improving enforcement is one way.  Another is giving people alternatives to crime so that they can feel useful and appreciated.  This means improved education and jobs training.  The problem is that these are difficult, time consuming, and don't come with a nifty flier and PR campaign.

In 2011, Supervisor Cohen supported legislation that amended "the San Francisco Police Code by adding Sections 4511 and 613.9.5 to add findings to ordinances: 1) requiring a handgun to be kept in a locked container or disabled with a trigger lock; and 2) prohibiting the sale of enhanced-lethality ammunition."  In response to the Newtown shootings, in 2013 she sponsored legislation that amended "the Police Code, Section 615, to require firearms dealers to report to the Chief of Police the sale of 500 or more rounds of ammunition in a single transaction."  And just last month, legislation she sponsored was signed by the mayor that amends "the Police Code to ban the possession of large capacity magazines for firearm ammunition; require that dealers advise persons purchasing a firearm of local firearms laws; establish a rebuttable presumption that the owner who has not reported the theft or loss of a firearm as required by law remains in possession of the firearm; modify certain requirements for ammunition sales; and prohibit the operator of a shooting range from allowing minors to enter the premises.

Fire in Silver Terrace

A large fire that started around 9PM continues to burn in the 1800 block of Oakdale Ave at Quint St in a row of houses. One of the houses has been for sale for some time, and was the site of a fire some years ago. No word as to the cause, but fire crews are still on-scene.

Bayview residents, fed up with Mendell Plaza, take action

Following the second Bayview homicide in as many days Wednesday, residents and businesses, fed up with a lack of positive changes in the Mendell Plaza area, collected 75 signatures in a 24-hour period from a diverse group of residents, businesses, and community organizations.  Those signature have been submitted along with a letter to city officials demanding leadership and immediate action in coordination between all interested parties in making the area safe and usable for all.

Google Maps at Mendell Plaza - A typical day, complete with police activity

The letter has requested immediate action be taken at Mendell Plaza - at the Palou St T-Third MUNI stop and site of the Wednesday's homicide of 54 year-old Luther Robinson, chronic drug dealing/taking, drinking in public, harassment and threats - recommending that the plaza be closed down for 60-days. The proposal to close the plaza, signatories to the letter contend, would not only allow a cooling-off period, but would be a wake up call to those who use it for illegal activity that those in the neighborhood who want the space to be used for legitimate purposes will no longer tolerate the status quo.  They have asked that closure of the plaza be combined with a coordinated effort from multiple city agencies, neighbors, businesses, and advocacy groups to meet and start figuring out a way forward.

























It's difficult to say what effect this action would have long-term, and it's certainly not just this one single thing that will solve everything, but it's now in the hands of Supervisor Cohen, Mayor Lee, SFPD Bayview Captain Chignell and Chief Suhr to do something.  Knowing that there is a large and growing chorus of diverse constituent groups aching for change, it is hoped that everyone can come together to figure out some ways to start fixing the chronic problems plaguing the Bayview.

If you want to have your voice added to the signatories to the letter, or would like more information, please contact Dan Dodt.

Relight the Night

Taking care of quality of life issues is important to make sure we live in as safe a city as possible.  I've been a 311 junkie ever since the city instituted the service, and have taken to tweeting to SF311 simply because it's faster in getting these quality of life issues dealt with.  Basically, all they need is a description of the problem and it's exact location.  If they need to follow-up, they'll tweet you back.  Others love to use Blockboard to contact 311, but whatever works for you, I encourage you to use it.

Lately, I've started tweeting SF311 more and more about street lights being burned out.  Whenever I see one out, I'll tweet the following:

- exact location (eg. SW corner San Bruno Ave; mid-block north side Newhall btwn Oakdale and Palou)
- type of pole (metal or wood)
- pole number (if you can find one on it)

Some lights are maintained by the SFPUC, others by PG&E, and still others by the Port Authority.  Thank goodness that SF311 can figure out for us which.

If you see a street light out, especially if it's on your street, please call or tweet SF311.  A burned out street light invites people to do bad things in its shadow, so help make our neighborhoods safer by relighting the night.

SFPD Report lowest murder rate in Bayview since 2000

According to the SFPD, the number of murders in the Bayview Police District was eleven (11) in 2011. That is the lowest number since the year 2000. During most of the past decade we averaged twenty-five (25) murders per year. In 2009 there were thirteen (13) and in 2010 there were fourteen (14). They also report that Bayview Station police officers lead the City in confiscating firearms, most with arrests and many with suspects who are on probation, parole or have lengthy criminal records. Ten (10) guns were confiscated in the month of December with most of those resulting in arrests.

And now, for the midweek bad-guy report:

Bayview District Weekly Newsletter

Incidents of Interest:

On December 14th at 7:00 pm, officers responded to the 100 block of Atoll regarding a call of a theft of a firearm. They met with the victim who told them that her personal handgun had been stolen from her home several days ago and that she had just been able to get her 11 year old son to explain what happened. The officers talked to both parent and child and learned that the boy was looking out their apartment window while holding the box containing the firearm. During this time, a 12 year old subject that the victim’s son knew was a neighbor walked by the house and noticed the boy in the window. The subject asked to see what was in the box and the victim’s son complied, showing the other boy the gun. Suddenly the subject’s 17 year old brother, who was also a neighbor, came around the corner and snatched the handgun. He then ran off on foot.

The officers were familiar with both subjects and knew where they lived. They responded to their house but neither subject was home at the time. A search of the home was conducted with the permission of the boys’ father, but no gun was located. The officers searched the area and found both subjects walking about a block away. They were detained and transported to Bayview Station pending an investigation. The 17 year old admitted taking the gun, but stated that he in turn gave it to someone else who he identified to the officers. He was booked on theft charges at the Juvenile Justice Center. His 12 year old brother was released to the custody of his mother. An investigation into the whereabouts of the gun is ongoing. (SFPD Case No. 111000569)

Potrero Hill Crime Watch & Public Safety Meeting

Thursday, November 17, 2011 6:00pm-8:00pm
In the Downtown High School Cafeteria
693 Vermont Street at 19th Street

Speakers include:

Paul Chignell, SF Police Captain -Bayview Station
Malia Cohen, District 10 Supervisor
San Francisco SAFE
San Francisco Recreation and Parks
California Highway Patrol
Department of Public Works
Caltrans
SF Municipal Transportation Agency

It's not that scary!

I was just informed that after reading three month's worth of police reports on my blog, someone was beginning to think that the Bayview wasn't such a happy place.  I was also told that my blog is way serious.  I need to fix that, pronto!

Remember, the Bayview Station and the police newsletter covers a lot of ground, from Potrero Hill down through the Bayview and into Visitacion Valley and the Portola, so given that their district covers the most ground of any police station in the city, there's bound to be some activity to report.

Still, I wanted to pass along some numbers that we all received at the last Bayview Police Captain's meeting that I hope will bring some ease to those who think the Southeast part of the city isn't at least moving in the right direction:

Police have made the removal of guns from the streets their top priority in recent years, which is perhaps one reason why there has been a 20% decline in major crimes between 2010 and 2011.  This includes declines of 35% in homicides; 22% in aggravated assaults; 38% in arson; 30% in burglary; 34% in theft; 23% in auto theft; and 39% in robbery. Lesser crimes have also declined by about 24% over the past year.

If ever you're curious about crime stats, go to http://www.crimemapping.com/map/ca/sanfrancisco

From there, let's do a head-to-head-to-head between Castro (94114), Marina (94123), and Bayview (94124) crime stats for the last 30-days:

Crime Type	94114	94123	94124
Arson	0	0	0
Assault	148	38	82
Burglary	85	35	45
Disturbing the Peace	411	154	82
Drug/Alcohol	58	20	16
DUI	17	11	1
Fraud	44	15	22
Homicide	0	0	0
Motor Vehicle Theft	100	44	53
Robbery	59	14	23
Sex Crimes	18	13	5
Theft/Larceny	142	56	44
Vandalism	57	30	32
Vehicle Break-in/Theft	79	45	32
Weapons	47	3	28
Total	1265	478	465

If I was looking just at the numbers, I'd say the Castro is far more dangerous than the Bayview, yet the Bayview has this image problem that it is such a 'high crime' neighborhood, while the Castro is 'vibrant'. 

That all said, below is the SFPD's mid-week recap of nefarious events in D10:

Police rescue lost, stricken hiker in SF’s McLaren Park

From SFGate,

A lost hiker was rescued Monday night after police collaborated with a Good Samaritan and used cell phones and a police siren to find her in San Francisco's John McLaren Park.

The hiker had a seizure just before 5 p.m., which caused her to fall down an embankment, police said.

When she came to, she didn't know where she was and was trapped, said Officer Carlos Manfredi, a police spokesman. She had little to no cell service, and could only text her partner about her situation.

An unidentified Good Samaritan was walking the trail when she heard the hiker calling for help. Though the woman was able to find the hiker, she also couldn't direct police to where they were, Manfredi said.

Officers then began using their sirens to triangulate their location while the Good Samaritan stayed in contact with them with her cell phone. Police were able to find them within 20 minutes. The woman was  more than 50 yards down a steep hillside.

"Time was a factor," Manfredi said. "It was right around the time it was getting dark, and if it got too dark, it would have been that much more difficult to locate her."
The hiker was treated for minor injuries at San Francisco General Hospital.

Read more at: http://blog.sfgate.com/crime/2011/10/25/police-rescue-lost-stricken-hiker-in-sfs-mclaren-park/

whoa...

I feel the earth - move - under my feet
I feel the sky tum-b-ling down - tum-b-ling down
I feel my heart start to trem-b-ling -
Whenever you're around

4.2 3.9 Magnitude earthquake hits near Berkeley.

5-year old shooting victim needs your HELP!

Marlena was walking with her father and 7-year old sister near 3rd and Palou in San Francisco’s Bayview District on Wednesday, September 20th, when she became a casualty of a reckless shooting. The young girl attended the Bayview Opera House Dare to Dream ARTS summer camp and her Kindergarten class was scheduled to return to the Dare to Dream after school program two days after she was shot. Needless to say, that did not happen.

Can you imagine being 5 years old and experiencing the trauma and shock from being shot by a gun, forcing a dramatic change in your life that you were not ready for? Stopping you from school, from playing with friends, family and from enjoying life. Causing your family to have to deal with a great deal of stress, medical bills, loss of work, rental car expenses back and forth to many doctor appointments and fear for the well-being of your precious young daughter and her two sisters. Multiple surgeries, a full leg cast, stitches, metal pins, not to mention the psychological impact on her young life. Marlena will have many challenges to overcome before she and her family can return to a normal life.

We at the Bayview Opera House are asking you to not only take a stand for our community and help stop the violence, but to step up and help a young family in need:

• $2,500 would bring them up to date on their expenses so far 
• A donated vehicle or money to buy a car would accommodate Marlena's long recovery process
• Additional funds are needed to cover future special expenses

If you can help, please make a donation payable to the Bayview Opera House, Inc. and mark the memo line “Marlena.” ALL funds donated on her behalf will be turned over to the family. A tax-deductible donation receipt from the Bayview Opera House, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID 94-3136172), will be mailed to you for your records.

To donate online, please visit our website, www.bvoh.org, and click on Fund A Dream/Donate Now. 

Or mail a check to:
Bayview Opera House
4705 3rd Street
San Francisco CA, 94124
Attention: Marlena

For any further questions or information please call the Bayview Opera House at 415-824-0386.

We thank you for helping one of our families that really needs your support now!

The Bayview Opera House Staff and Board of Directors

Bayview police arrest suspect in shooting of 5-year old girl

BAYVIEW Station Special Announcement

BAYVIEW POLICE STATION-201 WILLIAMS ST, S.F. 94124. 415 671-2300

Captain Paul Chignell

October 13, 2011

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE:

We are pleased to announce that Bayview Officers in conjunction with Violence Reduction Team Officers arrested a suspect in the September 20, 2011 shooting of a five (5) year old girl at 3^rd and Palou Streets.

In the incident the victim was walking home from school with her sister and father. Gunfire erupted and the victim was struck with a single non-life threatening bullet to her leg.

Through investigative leads, video surveillance and community assistance, the Police Department was able to identify a suspect.

This arrest was made yesterday at 4:00 pm at Kirkwood and Mendell. A number of individuals ran from the officers but were captured, including the suspect wanted in the shooting. The officers also confiscated a loaded semi-automatic pistol in conjunction with the arrest.

Bayview officers have been searching for the suspect in the shooting since September 20^th. This arrest was the culmination of excellent investigative work.

The suspect's name is being withheld due to the fact that he is a juvenile. Taken into custody was a 16 year old male who is a San Francisco resident. He was booked for three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, inflicting great bodily injury in the commission of a felony, carrying a loaded firearm, inflicting great bodily injury on a victim five years old or younger and possessing a firearm concealable without registration. The suspect was booked at the Juvenile Justice Center.

We are committed to bring to justice individuals who commit violence in the Bayview community and to remove firearms from the streets.

That work shall continue.

Bikes belong on the Road!

I routinely dodge two or three cyclists pedaling on the sidewalk on my morning walk to work along Third St.  Cyclists (of whom I am one) often erroneously believe that they belong on the sidewalks because it's safer there.  Well, if you want to be on the sidewalk, folks, walk your bikes.  There are bike-friendly routes all over the city, and with a good helmet and by following traffic laws, you can pretty much be safe getting from point A to B around much of San Francisco.

More from Mission Local: Bikers Pedal into Pedestrians

Just how drunk was he?

From Huffington Post,

Now kids, here's an important lesson: don't drink and drive.

If you do, there's a chance (albeit a very small chance) that you'll end up alone, naked and cowering behind a bush in a stadium parking lot in the middle of the night.

On around 11:30pm Monday evening, an unsuspecting victim was drunkenly driving in the San Francisco's Portola neighborhood near the intersection of Silliman and Hamilton streets when two men, one of whom was brandishing a gun, instructed him to get in the back seat and take off all his clothes.

Now completely naked, victim was driven to his home by the two suspects who apparently knew where he lived, even though he claimed to have never told them its location.

Once at the victim's home, the suspects went inside and stole a bag full of the victim's clothes along with his wallet. The ransacking now complete, the trio drove to the parking lot of nearby Candlestick Park.

At this point, the victim had enough. He fled from the automobile, still naked and still very drunk, and hid behind a bush until his captors gave up looking for him, got into a different car and left. It was only then, his ordeal now finished, could the intoxicated victim get in his car and drive home.

"There were, to put it mildly, some inconsistencies in the victim's story, such as his inability to remember certain events," SFPD Spokesperson Officer Carlos Manfredi told The Huffington Post. "Something that horrific happens to you, you'd probably remember more details."

"Granted," added Mandredi, "he was drunk."