Duboce Triangle Crime Discussed at Meeting

A meeting about safety in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood drew about 100 people who discussed two recent killings in the area and other concerns.

Residents were alarmed about a November 24 incident in which police said Michael Marquez, 22, of San Francisco, was walking with two other people near Henry and Noe streets around 12:30 a.m. when five men got out of a car. One of the men shot Marquez and took a cellphone, backpack, and wallet.

Marquez, who friends said was straight, was pronounced dead on arrival at San Francisco General Hospital.

In August, Bryan Higgins, also known by his Radical Faerie name, "Feather," died three days after he was assaulted on Church Street.

No arrests have been made in either case.

The December 8 meeting, held in the Gazebo Room at California Pacific Medical Center's Davies Campus, included Captain Raj Vaswani, of the San Francisco Police Department's Park Station.

"The latest homicide has highlighted neighborhood concerns," Vaswani told the Bay Area Reporter a couple of days after the meeting. "If the neighborhood feels unsafe it's my obligation to make sure they feel safe."

Gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the neighborhood, told attendees at the meeting that he is "very concerned" about recent crime in the area.

"I'm working very closely with the captains of the Park and Northern police stations to increase police presence in the neighborhood," Wiener said, referring to the two police districts that share jurisdiction over the area.

Vaswani assured attendees that Duboce Triangle remained a statistically safer part of town than other areas, but understands residents' apprehension.

"If you don't feel safe, that's reality," Vaswani said. "The statistics say that crime is down, but at the end of the day if someone is killed it doesn't make you feel safe."

The captain told the B.A.R. that he looks at more than crime statistics.

"I also look at neighborhood feedback from residents and merchants," Vaswani said.

At the meeting, Vaswani said that he couldn't reveal details regarding the investigation into the Marquez killing, but that there was headway being made in linking the suspect to other crimes in the area. He said that strides were being made in stepping up police presence in the neighborhood.

Vaswani also said that SFPD was trying to get help for homeless people, as residents were reporting an increase in crimes perpetrated by the homeless.

"I put out our homeless outreach teams," he told the audience. "I tell them to cite people and get them into shelters."

Residents were given an idea as to who might be targeted.

"We have seen robberies that are disturbing," Vaswani said. "The bad guys will hit clubs and restaurants because you're well dressed. Those are the areas the predators like. They also like quieter areas."

He pointed to the lights on the Castro and Haight Street shopping corridors, which helps to prevent robberies.

Vaswani said it was urgent for residents to report street lighting and street trash issues to 311, and to call 911 if they saw suspicious looking people in their neighborhoods.

Morgan St. Clair, of Safety Awareness for Everyone, talked about the importance of people making sure they are not targets. She advised keeping phones and wallets out of sight, and even carrying a "dummy wallet" to give to thieves. Such a wallet might contain small amounts of cash and canceled credit cards.

"Getting to know your neighbors is key," St. Clair said. "Many burglaries happen in your backyard."

St. Clair said that many of these incidents are "crimes of opportunity" and hopes that people won't offer thieves that chance. She said that she was available to help residents start a neighborhood group to work with SFPD toward crime prevention.

Greg Carey and Ken Craig, of Castro Community on Patrol, spoke about the volunteer street patrols their organization runs and urged people to take their training classes.

"SFPD is about 300-600 officers short," Carey said. "Our police are good, they respond to calls. But they don't have time to do prevention. That's where Castro Community on Patrol comes in."

For more information on Castro Community on Patrol, visit www.castropatrol.org