INTRODUCTION

The South of Market area in San Francisco is rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous places in the City. In fact, according to a recent article in the San Francisco Standard, the SFPD Southern District (which includes SOMA) is the only part of San Francisco that has seen an actual increase in shootings this year.

Setting aside the shootings – “mere” assaults, mugging, break-ins, vandalism, burglaries, and quality-of-life crimes happen so often that many community members don't bother reporting them anymore.

In response to this sad reality, we write to you today and ask you to please sign our petition in which we ask for resources that will help us create a safer neighborhood for ourselves, and for our families.

OUR COALITION

We are a coalition of residents, community organizations, and small merchants, and we have been working with the SOMA West Community Benefit District to address the above issues. Our diverse working group represents people of all ages and backgrounds. Many of us are long-time residents whose families have been here for generations.

On March 10, we took direct action and marched in a show of solidarity against violence and crime. Our unified message was “Silence the Violence.” More than a dozen organizations and hundreds of residents came together to voice our shared concerns.

Our marchers included United Playaz, San Francisco Street Violence Intervention Program, Community Youth Center, The Phoenix, Success Centers, Us4Us, SFPD, Westbay, SOMA Pilipinas, The Box SF, Deli Board, First Amendment Gallery, Urban Alchemy, South of Market Business Association, SOMA West Community Benefit District, and the Small Business Advisory Forum.

We all share the same concerns about safety in the South of Market neighborhood, and that is why we are asking you to please sign our petition.

THE PLAN

We know that marches alone don’t change what happens on the street. Therefore our community is proposing a simple three-prong road map that, in conjunction with increased SFPD liaisons, will decrease crime in our neighborhood. This road map falls squarely within official City policy.

✔️ Nighttime Public Safety Ambassadors
We propose a City grant to the SOMA West Community Benefit District (SWCBD) that is sufficient to hire and fully train at least ten public safety ambassadors. These Ambassadors will serve as a visible and reassuring presence in the neighborhood and will also observe and report situations that may be unsafe.

✔️ A Crossing Guard Program
As a neighborhood with multiple schools and afterschool programs, including Bessie Carmichael School PreK-8 Filipino Education Center, Presidio Knolls School, and United Playaz, our children’s safety while walking to and from school is paramount. Therefore to help ensure the safety of our children, we propose implementing a crossing guard program in SOMA.

✔️ Staffed Mobile Toilets
Everyone needs to use the restroom, and public restrooms are essential to keeping our streets clean and providing people with dignity. Staffed toilets are a common-sense, proactive way to help address the needs of everyone, including commuters, unhoused residents, delivery drivers, and taxi/rideshare drivers. Staffing the public restrooms ensures that they are kept clean and safe while also providing a welcoming presence and extra eyes on the street.

CONCLUSION
We are confident that these three grassroots and cost-effective initiatives will make the neighborhood safer for everyone. Please sign our petition.