Vehicle break-ins have been a long-standing thorn in Park Station's side, particularly with the large numbers of tourists coming through who may not be taking helpful precautions.
Last January, we reported on a surge in break-ins in the Upper Haight and NOPA. Last month, we reported that despite a decrease in car thefts, burglaries were on the rise in the Upper Haight (this followed a rash of car break-ins in the Lower Haight).
Park Station is addressing the problem its most recent newsletter, with Captain John Sanford personally asking for the community to help him address the issue throughout the month of June. He outlines three steps he thinks the community can take to curb burglaries: 1) Merchants are urged to ask customers and employees if they've left anything valuable in their cars, and if they have, to ask them to go remove it, 2) Merchants and residents are urged to be vigilant about spotting potential burglars, and call 911 if they see anything suspicious, and 3) He urges anyone reading the newsletter to text or email three people and remind them not to leave valuables in their cars.
He goes on to say:
Our tourist population appears to be the most vulnerable by leaving iPads, laptops, smart phones, etc. in their vehicles for all to see; so let’s show some love to our visitors from all around the world by assisting them in retaining their toys. It is my hope that the Park District community will stand together and assist us in addressing auto burglaries in our district. My goal is to reduce these burglaries drastically in the month of June. Once we demonstrate our success in June, I believe we have the capabilities of expanding our community alertness throughout the year.
If you're interested in being on a community awareness team and participating in their June initiative, you can email Captain Sanford at John [dot] Sanford [at] sfgov [dot] org.
Image via Park Station newsletter.
The last week of May saw 10 vehicle burglaries in the greater Upper Haight/Golden Gate Park area. Park Station reminds you: Close and lock all windows and doors, remove all valuables, including radio face pull-offs, park in well-lit areas and where your car will be frequently viewed, and use your alarm.
