This message from James, one of the owners of the Stuff Vintage Modern store one-block away from our apartment, was posted to the Yahoo group for the McCoppin Hub Plaza area, which is in District 6. There's been a wave of crimes in our neighborhood, of which I had no clue till reading this note.
After Stuff was broken into and ransacked early one morning last week, I stopped in and introduced myself to the owners and expressed sympathy over their recent loss. I also mentioned the home invasion burglary we suffered last year.
We spoke, of course, about the myriad problems with the plaza and recent cosmetic changes by the City, including erecting a fence that is now down after no visible work performed by the Department of Public Works. Here are excerpts from James' email:
Subject: Wishing to Speak at meeting
RE: Sup Kim's Western SoMa Neighborhood Coalition Mtg
THIS THURSDAY, April 23rd @ 6:00pm
Location: Red Cross Building Community Room, 1667 Market Street @ Gough Street
(former Cafe Trieste)
To Supervisor Jane Kim and others attending the upcoming meeting, I really wish I was able to attend the [Mission station police] captain's community meeting last Wednesday night however I was the victim of the latest smash and grab from a gang of thieves. This brazen crime was shocking to the community and our neighborhood as seen all over the news. This occurred Thursday morning on Valencia street.
I was even more shocked to learn I beat the police to my store by 30 minutes - even after seeing several police drive right by my store. Then I was even more shocked to learn that Thursday morning the entire southern station only had 2 officers on duty during the crime that victimized me and the small businesses I support within my store - that is why they were so late in arriving.
[After cleaning up the robbery mess] just before I was ready to leave Thursday evening right in front of my store just as a father walked by with his small child around 10:30pm my neighboring restaurant's employees were robbed at gun point as they walked on the sidewalk home by two thugs. That same day another business near by store was robbed of there cash from there store.
This all happens just after a month when I emailed everyone about the horrible situation at McCoppin Park nearby where the homeless took over and made such a mess of the park it was closed up and fenced in since the damage was so bad.
I had emailed about the park shortly after the warning by a city official regarding a hatchet wielding man and then a death in the park. I learned during all of this that the city in significantly understaffed for Police. The city is supposed to have 2000 officers and only has 1600. What is being done about this rampant crime? What is being done about the shortage of Police, obviously they can't even solve all these crimes?
As of today I haven't heard from anyone from the city or Police in response to my inquires about my business being the victim of a string of smash and grabs.
The city should be flush with cash with all this incredible robust economy and property taxes from all the new record breaking home sales and new construction and businesses opening up in San Francisco.
I will be at this upcoming meeting to speak. I hope to hear some answers to these questions before city officials start to leave. I have copied many people so they are aware of the dire situation and so those attending the meeting will demand this be near the top of the agenda at the upcoming meeting.
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