Update on Burglaries in the Haight
The Haight (which is located within SFPD’s Park District) has seen a dramatic increase in burglaries this year. As of December 16, 2020, these crimes have increased 46 percent citywide, and “Park Station, which includes areas like the Haight, has experienced the sharpest increase with a more than 113 percent jump from 266 to 569 cases.” (source)
Thankfully, our SFPD officers have been working tirelessly and made a number of key arrests recently. However, as highlighted by SFPD Chief Bill Scott, one of the lingering problems is serial burglars continuing to offend after being arrested and released from custody. District Attorney Chesa Boudin cited the lack of social services when it comes to repeat offenders, saying the criminal justice system needs a “richer, more complex array of options to intervene in some of those difficult cases.” (source)
SFPD Park Station is continuing to work diligently to address this sudden uptick in burglaries. Below are just a few examples of arrests made from within the past two weeks:
January 2021 Update
Here is a more recent arrest for a repeat burglar:
As noted above, one of the reasons for the rise in burglaries is that serial burglars are repeatedly arrested and released. The example below highlights a case where a burglar, who was on parole and had prior burglary arrests, was caught by SFPD after another burglary near Stanyan and Carl. However, all charges were dismissed except the parole violation and after 10 days of “flash incarceration” the parolee was released back to the community.
We have learned from SFPD Park Station Captain Chris Pedrini that SFPD has compiled a list of 30 serial burglars, most of whom have multiple burglary arrests with charges pending. Park Station has partnered with Northern, Central, and Mission Stations to conduct burglary abatement to catch and arrest these individuals. We emailed Supervisor Dean Preston to ask for a comment on these developments, the recent arrests and burglaries committed by repeat offenders; however, we did not receive a response.
In their most recent weekly newsletter, SFPD Park Station included tips on Residential Safety, Burglary Prevention, and Garage Door Break-in Prevention. You can click here to read the most recent newsletter and click here to start receiving the weekly Park Station newsletter directly via email. Additionally, they have produced this video on how to protect yourself, your family, and your home from burglary.
Don’t forget to sign up for Safe Healthy Haight’s mailing list, follow us on Twitter, and join our Facebook group. Thanks to all of our members for the continued support, and let’s continue advocating for clean streets and a safe neighborhood for all.
