Re: BeyondChron reprint

Readers,

With respect to Mr. Shaw's remarks as quoted at the very bottom of this posting ( excerpted from his editorial partially reprinted at this website on 5/8, which can be viewed in full at http://beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=4489#more ), this is what I have to say:

I would like to remind Mr. Shaw that the SFPD does not presently enjoy a reputation for being a friend to San Francisco's disenfranchised populations --- no matter whether one cares to define the word "disenfranchised" in terms of economic status, skin color, housing or immigrant status, sexual preference, or any combination thereof. And I'm assuming Shaw would agree with me that a good percentage of the people living in the Tenderloin might be described as disenfranchised. Thus, I recoil at Shaw's implicit argument that folks who aren't down with an increased police presence in the Tenderloin are "elitists" taking the position that Tenderloin residents should "accept living in fear until progressive nationwide policies" [ sic ].

Moreover, I'd like to take issue with Shaw's claim that "San Franciscans would never accept a policy that forced people of a specific race to endure a disproportionate amount of crime."

Let's get real.

An alarmingly number of us are willing to ignore or overlook or tune out or outright accept crime targeting people along racial lines so long as the crime in question is perpetuated by the SFPD, or by a judge, or by Lennar Corporation, or by whatever other corporate and/or real estate interest, or by the San Francisco Housing Authority, or by politicians, or by voters, or by the DA ( and so on and so forth ) ... or so long as we don't know about it ... or so long as we don't CARE to know about it --- don't care to know about it because we have something to gain from remaining unaware and uninvolved; and/or because the truth hurts, and because the call for justice jeopardizes our comfort and security, and make demands of us, and forces us to reevaluate our priorities and venture into the unknown. ( I speak from firsthand experience. )

If Shaw is correct when he says that 'we' know that "the social, racial, and economic causes of systemic crime," then I'm going to say 'our' efforts would be best placed in confronting and tackling the systemic causes rather than cynically applauding more resources from City Hall to support a police occupation in the Tenderloin or in any other neighborhood --- resources all too readily procurable secondhand via a federal government eager to fork out blood money to municipalities based on those municipalities' performance in prosecuting drug-related and other charges that are disproportionately and unjustly employed against the disenfranchised and the oppressed.

As far as it concerns Shaw's praise of Tenderloin Captain Gary Jiminez, take what you will from Jiminez's words below:

TENDERLOIN POLICE STATION COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE FOR MAY 4, 2007

Dear Tenderloin Community:

We have a real uphill battle before us. With four homicides in our
district last month, we have made a supreme effort to stem the flow of violence in the only way we know how. We attacked the gang drug violence with such a Herculean effort that Tenderloin Station booked 420 adults in April. Our Department's Narcotic Division, Gang Task Force and Tactical Units assisted us in specifically targeting the gang drug dealers in the district. Yet, the drug trade continues with impunity on most every corner of our district. If you are convinced like I am that it is very clear that drugs equals violence and can see the tremendous demand for this terrible substance on our streets then you begin to fathom the extent of situation
we must address to win back our street.

Today with the Criminal Justice System in San Francisco so affected by its lenient philosophy and overburdening volume of cases, it is impossible to deliver any positive results with good hard police work. Especially in the Tenderloin where thousands of poor helpless individuals suffering from mental, emotional and substance abuse have been deposited in our district to be cared for by our wonderful service providers. At the same time you witness the hope and care dispensed by these services you see the streets
littered with so many hopeless individuals waiting to be victimized or to contribute to the criminal environment that permeates our streets. This is not a criticism of the system just a simple recording of facts as witnessed by an old street cop.

Let me share with you some of the madness that crossed my desk this morning via my frustrated officers.

A couple were lounging on the 100 block of Taylor Street when a
citizen upset over their mess struck one of the loungers with a 40 oz. beer bottle. One went to the hospital; one went into the revolving door of the criminal justice system and one remained lounging waiting for something to presumably happen.

A poor man who just received housing went out in the street bought
ten dollars of crack cocaine and just started to light up on a street
corner to celebrate his good fortune when along comes a Police Sergeant and arrested him for possession of the cocaine and crack pipe and being under the influence of drugs. The Sheriff's Department refused to accept the prisoner on the basis he was mentally ill (I could comment on this but any comment the reader devises would probably fit as well).

A man was detained with a carload of stolen property he had just
purchased at North Seventh Street and Market with the intent of
transporting the goods south of the border to sell for a healthy profit.

He was released for further investigation; because of the late hour the property plainly marked with the store price labels could not be verified as stolen.

Another couple camping on the 100 block of Taylor Street under a
makeshift blanket shelter refused to dislodge and required the beat
officers to charge them with a variety of quality of life violations and
seize their campsite as evidence. The crazy thing was the officer recently arranged housing for the female camper but she wanted to smoke methamphetamine with her lover on the street. They were given tickets and told to live happily ever after.

Not all is this bleak, on Tuesday May 8th at noon a group of residents plan to address the Tenderloin situation by peacefully marching from 201 Turk Street to City Hall where they hope to be heard by the Board of Supervisors. I admire their tenacity, I share their hope and I dream their of a safe and decent neighborhood.


May all your days be safe and happy!

Captain Gary Jimenez

__________________

Here is the text from Mr. Shaw's ediorial upon which I am commenting on above:


" . ...if getting key resources to the community, and a rapid response to high-profile incidents is a measuring stick, Newsom has treated the Tenderloin’s improvement as a top priority.

"One measure of Newsom’s commitment could be the huge influx of police into the neighborhood following two shootings on Hyde Street in recent weeks. While the police cannot alone solve the Tenderloin’s crime problem, and the recent crackdown on drug dealers is only temporary, in the wake of the murders the community needed reassurance that City Hall was paying attention.

"The community got this reassurance. And since the murders, widespread drug dealing on Hyde Street and Golden Gate Avenue is dramatically down, and has been reduced throughout most of the Tenderloin.

"A chief goal of today’s March against Crime is to keep it that way ... . Over twenty San Francisco neighborhoods have little or no sidewalk drug dealing because such activities have been “contained” in the Tenderloin. San Franciscans would never accept a policy that forced people of a specific race to endure a disproportionate amount of crime, so why perpetrate such disparate treatment based on people’s economic class?

"If it were Tenderloin residents primarily selling the drugs, then the “containment zone” argument would fall flat. But nobody disputes that dealers are coming here from outside the neighborhood (and the city) because the Tenderloin has for too long been viewed as a place where anything goes.

"We know the social, racial, and economic causes of systemic crime. But arguing that Tenderloin residents should accept living in fear until progressive nationwide employment policies is elitist, and in no way “progressive" [ sic ].

"SFPD Chief Heather Fong seems to only gets publicity when her Department screws up. But she deserves credit for giving the Tenderloin the best leader it has ever had in Captain Gary Jimenez. This guy appears to live and breathe crime fighting, and has inspired confidence that the police are behind the community.

"The 2007 March for Safety offers a critical opportunity for opponents of the city’s gentrification. The Tenderloin offers the perfect case study for showing that San Francisco’s low-income, non-gentrified communities can also be highly desired places to live.

"Some may doubt that such a vision is possible. Those of us in the Tenderloin disagree, and believe the neighborhood can still become a national model of a low-income community with a high quality of life."