Petrelis Files

SF Police Commission:
Castro Halloween Safety Plan Needed

There is an overabundance of abdication of public safety to go around San Francisco and the annual nightmare of Halloween on Castro Street, which is officially canceled this year.

From the Mayor and his staff, to the Board of Supervisors, and most inexplicably the Police Department, answers are sorely missing about what safety measures will be in place on October 31, when thousands of revelers descend again on the gay neighborhood for a party, regardless of the politicians saying the Halloween festivities aren't happening this year.

I'm of the mind that public safety workers, like the SF police officers in charge of street parties, actually work for the public, an odd notion at times in this city.

Last month when Citizens for Halloween, a grassroots campaign, called a public meeting in the Castro to hear the city's plans for handling the massive crowds that will be here in a few short weeks, many concerns citizens showed up to learn about safety measures for that night. The local press turned out in droves and reported on the meeting. But there was one big problem -- the cops didn't show.

To help the cops with their assigned duties of working with the public and Castro neighborhood residents to protect everyone on Halloween, the Police Commission has put the matter on the top of the agenda for their Wednesday, October 10 meeting, 6 PM at City Hall in Room 400.

If you're at all concerned with safety and security on Halloween in the Castro, not to mention educating the cops on what the public expects of them for this and all street parties, get down to City Hall for the commission and speak up.

And if you can't make it, catch the broadcast of the meeting either on public access government channel 26 or on-demand, for free, on the city's web site.

Good thing this current crop of police commissioners are doing a tremendous job of making the department more accountable to the public the cops serve, and playing a vital role in improving policing on the streets of San Francisco.