Theresa said the meeting went well. Besides COS Beck and members from the SFPD, MCC Jeff Barth and City Councilors Starr, Brekke and Neitzert were in attendance. They are trying to work on solutions for the homeless epidemic happening in their hood. I have seen it overflowing into my neighborhood and have seen homeless sleeping within a block of my home (I’m South of 14th and just a couple blocks North of Avera). I told Stehly tonight they need to come up with a permanent solution this summer so we don’t have to deal with this again NEXT summer. Many warned of concentrating that many agencies in once area, and now it is overflowing into the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.
Joe Batcheller, who heads DTSF, brought several ideas to the meeting, including the potential for hiring off-duty or retired police officers to provide foot patrols, or staffed kiosks that would provide a dedicated police presence in the area.
While I disagree with hiring ‘private security’ (the already paid, full-time officers need to dedicate more time there). But I do agree with the kiosk idea (which is really a precinct, not sure why people have trouble using that word?) I think one somewhere between the Banquet and the Dudley or at either location would be a good idea.
