Good news for Taraval District residents: property crime and auto burglaries are down. In her most recent Captain's Note, Taraval Station Capt. Denise Flaherty writes that June saw 114 auto thefts in the district, down from 200 in January, and 25 burglaries, down from the 73 that had occurred in March. 

"I believe there are four contributing factors to the reduction of property crime," Flaherty says: data analysis, strong police work from the station's investigative teams, the assistance of the district attorney's office in prioritizing prosecutions, and the community itself. "The reduction of crime takes all four factors to be successful; no one factor can do it all by itself."

Here are some of the notable recent crimes that have taken place in the Outer Sunset. All information comes from SFPD reports, unless otherwise noted.

Man Assaulted in Church

At 9:26am on Sunday, July 24th, a man entered a church on the 1300 block of 43rd Avenue. He was asked to leave, and when he declined, a suspect then grabbed him and attempted to wrestle him to the ground. After officers responded to the scene, the victim said that he had a small laceration, “but did not want to press charges.”

Man Stalks, Throws Hot Tea at Former Partner

A woman who broke up with her partner was assaulted at her workplace at 10:19am on Monday, July 18th. She explained to police that the suspect, her ex, had become delusional and stalked her, calling her multiple times and accusing her of stealing his money. While she was at work, the suspect approached her and demanded his money. 

Because she didn’t want to cause a scene at work, the victim walked outside with the suspect. He then threw a cup of hot tea at her, causing what police describe as "burning sensations." After police arrived, the suspect was arrested. 

Man Tries to Steal Muni Bus

At 10:12pm on Sunday, July 24th, a Muni bus driver parked his bus at Sloat and 37th Avenue, stepping out to use the bathroom and take a break. While he was gone, a suspect boarded the bus, sat down in the driver’s seat, and started flipping switches, demanding to know where the keys were. Believing the suspect was attempting to steal the bus, the bus driver told the suspect to get off, and he was arrested after police were called to the scene. 

Falling-Out Leads to Death Threats, Slashed Tires

Two acquaintances who had fallen out over “family matters” got into a fight at 46th Avenue and Judah around 11pm on Sunday, July 24th. The victim had parked his vehicle in the area when he was approached by the suspect, who shouted that “he was going to kill him.” 

The suspect slashed the victim’s front tire with a knife and started chasing the victim. While the suspect did not try to lunge at the victim with his knife, he also refused to drop it. The suspect eventually fled the scene in a car. 

Motorbike Rider Arrested 

After reports came in of multiple off-road dirt motorbikes running red lights at 7:23pm on Wednesday, July 20th, officers followed the riders, who were going south on 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. 

The riders saw that the officers were following and ran the next red light, so that officers could not follow them in the heavy traffic. The riders also ran a second red light, but one rider stopped and was pulled over. Officers discovered that the rider had an outstanding warrant, a suspended driver’s license, and had never been issued a motorcycle license. He was arrested. 

Tomorrow: Community Meeting

Want to share your concerns with Capt. Flaherty or learn more about crime and safety in the neighborhood? Consider attending tomorrow's Taraval Station community meeting at the West Portal Branch Library.