Light at end of Mission violence?
By: Tamara Barak Aparton
Examiner Staff Writer
September 30, 2008
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| Flip the switch: Residents say broken streetlights at Treat Avenue and 23rd Street are allowing criminals to terrorize their neighborhood under the cloak of darkness. (Cindy Chew/The Examiner) |
SAN FRANCISCO — During a sunshine-drenched afternoon, the corner of 23rd Street and Treat Avenue seems almost idyllic. Shrieks of children’s laughter rises from a nearby playground. Residents stroll in front of tidy single-family homes and Victorian apartment buildings.
When night falls, however, it’s a different story, neighbors say. The corner, which until recently was dimmed by broken streetlamps, has reportedly been the site of multiple shootings and gang activity. Many residents say they simply don’t leave their homes at night.
San Francisco School Board President Mark Sanchez said two of his former students have been shot on the corner in the past six weeks, including Jorge Hurtado, who was gunned down early in the morning two weeks ago. Since Aug. 22, there have been seven homicides in the Mission district.
Sanchez, who is running for supervisor in District 9, which includes the Mission, said there was collective concern when residents holding a candlelight vigil against neighborhood violence gathered at 23rd and Treat and discovered the broken streetlights.
“When there’s a crime, whether it’s murder or otherwise, it should be noted by police that the lights are out,” he said.
The recent spike in violence brought in a flurry of calls about the lights, Public Utilities Commission spokesman Tony Winnicker said, prompting the agency to conduct a nighttime survey of the area and make repairs.
In the coming weeks, crews plan to increase the wattage of streetlights in the area, as has been done in other crime hot spots such as Sunnydale housing projects and parts of Bayview-Hunters Point.
“We totally understand the urgency of the situation. When things are brighter, people feel safer,” Winnicker said.
Similarly, Mission Police Station Capt. Steve Tacchini said police are finishing a neighborhood-wide environmental assessment that notes broken streetlights, tree overgrowth, spots where public drinking flourishes and places where garbage is dumped.
“The more pristine it looks, the less likely you’re going to have crime problems,” he said.
Nick Calabrese, who owns Cal’s Automotive Center on Treat Avenue, said residents have created a roster of phone numbers and e-mail addresses in order to notify one another of crime in the neighborhood.
Mission resident Ben Lowenstein, 23, said he welcomed a brighter corner but said “streetlights are kind of the last thing on our minds.
“I think the violence is the result of other things, such as a lack of funding for education and police services.”
Killings mount
There have been seven homicides in the Mission district within the last six weeks
Sept. 26: 15th and Potrero
Sept. 14: Valencia and Duboce
Sept. 4: 24th and Utah (double homicide)
Sept. 2: Treat and 24th
Sept. 1: San Carlos and 18th
Aug. 25: Treat and 23rd
Aug. 22: 25th and Folsom
Source: SFPD
