In January, we saw a rash of assaults and phone scams in the Upper Haight, as well as the dramatic capture of two escaped inmates in Golden Gate Park. How's February shaping up? Let's find out.
First up, SFPD Park Station is investigating a possible arson at 1614 Haight, the former home of Haight Street Shoe Repair. On February 18th, officers extinguished a garbage-can fire in the entry way of the now-closed shop.
The doorway of the former shoe repair shop, post-fire.
Also, last Wednesday, at around 4am, someone smashed the window at RVCA (1485 Haight). Katie Taylor, the manager at the shop, told us that their graffiti protector managed to keep the glass mostly intact, but it's still covered with plywood for the time being.
Taylor said that nobody was injured and nothing was stolen. Unfortunately, nobody saw the incident, so no arrests were made.
Assaults/Burglaries
As usual, the Haight has seen a number of burglaries, as well as a few assaults. There have been seven car burglaries in February so far—four of them in Golden Gate Park—and one vehicle theft. All are still under investigation.
The first of the month's robberies occurred on February 8th, when a victim reported a backpack snatcher at the corner of Haight and Stanyan. The victim was able to overpower the thief, who fled on foot.
On the 12th, a victim was walking down Frederick Street at Stanyan when a car pulled up and a passenger demanded her bag. The suspect then sprayed her with pepper spray, at which point she gave up her bag. The suspect drove off.
There was also an assault at Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park on the 15th. The victim was sleeping in a sleeping bag when he was approached by three suspects, who punched and kicked him. He suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and was taken to the hospital.
Finally, a home burglary was reported on the 600 block of Ashbury. The incident is being investigated.
Quality-of-Life Violations
In terms of quality-of-life violations, there have been four civil sidewalks (a.k.a. sit/lie) violations in February, all of them along the Haight's retail corridor.
There was a fifth civil sidewalks violation at Haight and Belvedere, but during the course of citing the individual, it was discovered that they had an outstanding warrant out of Colorado. The person has been arrested, and Park Station is waiting to find out if they can be extradited.
Finally, there have been two arrests for marijuana sales this month. One was at Haight and Stanyan, where officers saw someone smoking in the car, only to find a large quantity of drugs and money. The second was at Alvord Lake.
Capt. Sanford on Weed in the Haight
Finally, in case you missed it, Park Station Capt. John Sanford sent out a long missive in his latest newsletter, explaining why he continues to bust weed dealers in the Haight—even when the DA isn't likely to prosecute them. If you're curious about how the cops manage the intersection of everyday life and businesses with the Haight's international reputation for ganja, it's well worth a read.
As always, if you see any crime going down in the neighborhood, you're encouraged to send us a tip.
