San Francisco Mayor Lurie launches new police unit in key downtown areas
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Visitors, residents and businesses in San Francisco can expect a larger police presence in some of the core parts of downtown after Mayor Daniel Lurie launched a new task force to revitalize the economy and make people feel safer.
Lurie announced the new "hospitality zone" at a press conference Thursday, saying the task force began operations last weekend. It's part of a campaign promise to create a dedicated police district to cover San Francisco's major commercial corridors.
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"This was the face of our city," Lurie said speaking inside the Yerba Buena Arts Center. "Downtown (is) a place that we can all admit is not what it used to be."
The unit will operate all hours of the day around Union Square, the Moscone Convention Center and Yerba Buena Gardens for the foreseeable future. It will feature two police captains and two lieutenants but the number of sergeants and officers will vary based on circumstances. Lurie said these areas were previously split up between different police districts, making coordination more difficult.
Scott said law enforcement officials in the task force will not be handling radio calls in order to respond to issues in other neighborhoods. He said this is a "fundamental" difference that will make a difference in operations. As for resources, a spokesperson from the police department said it will have to pull officers from other district stations. Scott estimates SFPD is down about 25% from recommended level of foot patrol officers.
"It's really hard when you're going from call to call to concentrate on problems," he said. "This effort will allow our officers to have the time they need to actually prevent problems from becoming problems."
When asked by ABC7 News about what metrics the city will use to measure its success, leaders said it will be a combination of crime statistics, occupancy rates, and the overall sense of safety from San Franciscans and tourists.
