Community Policing in San Francisco

Community Policing in San Francisco is about delivering Quality of Life issues. What we have going for us in San Francisco is a diverse community about 780,000, 11 Districts each with a Supervisor, and 10 Police Districts and each Police District has unique situations and problems to deal with. No District has a plan to deliver Quality of Life issues with a time line and standards.

In the day time our community grows to over 1 million people and when the sun sets back to the 780,000 that really makes up our Great City we call San Francisco.

Law Enforcement is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Community Policing. The community - if it is healthy, will have minumum interaction of Law Enforcement. The Civic leaders should understand this and the Supervisors should have planned a model a long time ago.

Everyone plays a role when genuine Community Policing is in place.

Trust is important and Quality of Life issues have to be defined.

The Business community, Civic Leaders, Church leaders, our Elders, children, Schools, Community Organizations, youth all play a role and in harmony. There should be no fear and health and safety issues should be a top priority.

Mayor Gavin Newsom has NO clue about Community Policing because he has not lived in areas before that are kept in the dark with no standard services. His cronies keep feeding him lies and the poor fellow is at a loss as to how to deal with reality.

In San Francisco 3 Districts each with Supervisor contribute to a lot of crime. The other Supervisors took their time to understand crime in those District that have too many killings and shooting.

If youth are NOT given opportunities they will resort to crime to survive. If parents are not given opportunities to uplift themselves then they will resort to crime - drugs, prostitution, and you name it.

If we do not care about education and economic opportunities - we will create a jungle with many preying on each other and too many killings and shootings. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to understand this situation.

We need a holistic approach - when one part of the body suffers the whole body suffers. When one part of San Francisco suffers we all suffer.

In San Francisco we have a Police Commission and they have no funding to tackle important issues. The Board of Supervisors have meetings and leave out the Police Commissioners. If the Police Commissioners say NO - then what happens?

We continue to incarcerate our youth and use the Jail System to bring about a cure. It will never work. We need to use the holistic approach and treat all humans with dignity. Give all humans an opportunity. Treat all youth especially with greater care.

We need to encourage Artists to play a role in the peace making and uplifting - music, painting, dancing, and so on. Artists are the soul of civilization.

We have Supervisors like Tom Ammiano and Sophie Maxwell that have no clue what really is happening in some communities. In fact many constituentents in their districts do not trust them.

The time has come to understand Community Policing and give the community a say in their own affairs.

Exta curricula activities, meeting opportunities, we need to bring people to the table and at places where they can have a meaningful dialog. We had it all over the City in the 1960s and 1970s - then what happened?

Politicians started dividing the community. Playing one community against the other - one race against the other - this nonsense must stop.

Our SF Police Department must wake up and unite to serve the people.

The Police is the servant of the people - if they think they are Lords then they better wake up and go some where else.

Mayor Gavin Newsom should embrace Community Policing because he has no other choice.

Last year over 106 people died. All over San Francisco there is turmoil and certain members of the community are going out of their way to bring peace. The Mayor has offered NO funding to a diverse group - he keeps giving money to certain " thugs " - the same folks that have NOT delivered before.

Everyone should understand the Housing Element, the Transportation Document, the role of SF Public Utilities Commission, the role of SF Redevelopment Agency, the pollution of the air, the water, and the land in our City. The role of any citizen to fight for what is right.

Our Board of Supervisors really do not appreciate Public Comment - they limit it to one minute or 30 minutes. It is fine for them to run their mouths - and spew diatribe much of it nonsense and a waste of time.

Today the poor are suffering - especially the mentally ill. The best care our mentally ill get is in the jails. This is a fact.

Those that are strong should fight for those that need help. We cannot call ourselves a Great City and behave like we have no compassion and cannot step up to the plate.

Women who are consensus builders and leaders should join with youth and men and make something happen. We cannot wait for the crooked politicians to lead they have failed and too many innocent folks are suffering.

San Franciscans have done well and will continue to do well - we have the fire burning and it is time for those that do not deliver to feel the heat:

http://www.franciscodacosta.com/articles/environ069.html


Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy