It's been a little over a month since Greg McEachern stepped down as captain of Northern Police Station. Now, a new captain is taking his place: John Jaimerena, who's been on the force for 22 years.
Jaimerena joined the SFPD in 1994. Prior to taking this role, he was a lieutenant in the Gang Task Force, with previous stints at Tenderloin Station, Southern Station, and SFPD's robbery detail. But the Northern District isn't new territory for Jaimerena—he worked as a patrol sergeant in the neighborhood from 2009 to 2012.
"My policing philosophy mirrors that of the SFPD, by working to keep an open communication with the community to best determine policies, priorities, and strategies," wrote Captain Jaimerena in a letter to his constituents (which should be released publicly soon). "My immediate goals include reducing both violent and property crime, as well as enhancing traffic safety."
Northern Station has had its challenges in the past year, with property crimes at an all-time high across the city. Car break-ins have become more frequent, especially in tourist areas like the Palace of Fine Arts and Alamo Square, which are both in the Northern District.
Map of Northern Station's coverage area. (Image: SFPD)
District 5 Supervisor London Breed said thefts are a top issue for her constituents. "One of the things I'm most concerned about are quality-of-life crimes," she told us this morning. "Homicides are down all over the city, but property crimes, car break-ins and theft are on the rise. I think that it's important that we are creative with options for addressing or preventing crimes in the first place."
One of these creative options is the addition of more beat cops on foot. Breed introduced the newly appointed Jaimerena to Fillmore businesses last week, and many business owners requested that more beat cops be added to the area. "Having officers driving around the neighborhood at night and walking the foot beats—those are important things to help deter crime," Breed said.
The merchants' wish has already been fulfilled—Jaimerena just added a couple foot beat officers to Fillmore Street, and says he has more in store. "At the request of the community, I plan on staffing more foot and bicycle beats to get officers out of police cars and engaging with residents, business owners, and especially the youth," he wrote.
Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr
Foot beat officers are now more readily available thanks to an overall increase in officers at Northern Station, which used to be severely understaffed. Former captain Greg McEachern told us that when he joined the station in 2012, there were only 90 police officers on staff. In the past year alone, about 30 more have joined Northern Station after graduating from the Police Academy.
If you'd like to meet Jaimerena in person, mark your calendar for Monday, April 4th, when the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Association's Public Safety Committee is hosting an event to welcome Jaimerena to the neighborhood, and to bid adieu to former captain McEachern.
The event will take place at 7pm, at the Korean American Cultural Center (745 Buchanan St.) A "taste of Hayes" will also be offered, with food donated from local Hayes Valley restaurants.
Locals can also meet Jaimerena at the next Northern Station community meeting, which will be held at the station on Thursday, April 14th at 6pm. Allison Burke, the SF SAFE Northern District liaison, will also be in attendance to discuss neighborhood watch programs, residential and business burglary prevention, and personal safety tips.
Northern Station is located at 1125 Fillmore St. It can be reached via email at SFPDNorthernStation {at} sfgov {dot} org, and via phone for non-emergency calls at (415) 614-3400.
