While it's been a relatively quiet, rainy January in the Upper Haight, there's still been the usual run of crimes, including assaults, civil sidewalk violations, and car thefts. There are also some new phone scams taking place, which Park Station has been warning about in its newsletters.
But first, some good news: Taking It to the Streets, the homegrown Haight nonprofit that employs homeless "street sweepers" in exchange for housing them, was recently profiled by KTVU. Streets has housed 50 people so far, and hopes to double its operation in the coming year.
Vehicle Burglaries/Thefts
There's been a spate of auto thefts in the new year. On New Year's Day, a motor home was stolen the intersection of Haight and Central. That was followed by a stolen vehicle at the intersection of Frederick and Stanyan on January 9th, and another stolen vehicle at the intersection of Haight and Stanyan on the 13th.
There have also been four car burglaries in the new year, all of which are under investigation. One of those was actually a hot prowl burglary of a Subaru Outback; the victim was sleeping while the suspect allegedly entered the victim's garage to burgle the Subaru.
Assaults
We reported earlier this month that there was a shooting at Haight and Stanyan, which seems to be the preferred corner to commit crime in the Haight. This was followed days later by a stabbing at the same intersection, this time involving a dog and a skateboard.
Other Haight and Stanyan incidents include a "fight with weapons" on January 3rd, in which the suspects fled the scene before the cops arrived, and a robbery with a gun on the 5th, in which the robbers were arrested.
As for the rest of the neighborhood, there was an aggravated assault at Carl and Stanyan on the 9th. A suspect hit a victim in the face with a metal object, and the incident is under investigation.
There was also an aggravated assault on the 10th at Fell & Cole Streets, with a suspect arrested for stabbing.
Finally, on the 15th, there was an incident at Page and Masonic in which a suspect allegedly beat two victims with a guitar and fled the scene. This incident is still under investigation.
Quality of Life Issues
So far in 2016, there have been eight civil sidewalk violations to report.
Additionally, there was an undercover marijuana bust on the Haight Street retail corridor on the 13th, in which the officers arrested the suspects.
There was also an arrest for meth sales and parole violation in Cole Valley on the 12th. The suspect was carrying individual baggies of meth, and officers determined he had intent to sell.
IRS, PG&E Phone Scams
SFPD Park Station wants you to be wary of two potential phone scams that have been reported recently.
The first is a call from someone claiming to be from the IRS. Here's what it looks like:
This scam is a telephone call where the caller threatens the unsuspecting victim with arrest and incarceration unless your “overdue” tax bill is paid immediately. The caller states in a pre-recorded message that you have an outstanding tax bill owed to the IRS and that payment must be made immediately to prevent you from being arrested and put in jail. A request is made for the unsuspecting victim to call a separate number for the balance due and to obtain prepaid debit cards to provide the payment information to the agent.
Park Station urges anyone who receives this call to report it to the IRS by calling (800) 829-1040.
The second is similar, and it involves PG&E:
The PG&E scam targets small business owners rather than residential customers. The party calling advises the business owner that there is an outstanding bill due, and that if it is not paid immediately, PG&E will send a crew out to the location to shut off the gas and electricity to the property. Again, the person called is advised to obtain prepaid debit cards, call back the “PG&E” agent and provide the agent with the numbers on the pre-paid debit cards.
PG&E says that they never call customers demanding payment via prepaid debit card, and urges customers to demand ID from any PG&E representative who comes to your door, and call PG&E to verify the person's name before allowing them to enter. If you receive a call or visit like this, Park Station says to call 911 to report it.
