Community demands action to combat crime, homelessness SF's Fillmore District
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A small, but important meeting was held Monday night at the Third Baptist Church in San Francisco to discuss scenes like this one - rising homelessness and crime in the city's Fillmore District.
"It just seems as though no one really cares and that there's very little interest in trying to correct the problem," said Yulanda Williams.
Yulanda Williams feels the Safeway at Geary and Webster is an especially problematic spot.
She and several other speakers at Monday's event spoke about incidents they've had there involving the homeless.
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"When I go to the Safeway area, I'm always concerned about my own personal safety and also about the fact that my car is in a parking lot that is infested with people who are engaged in criminal activity," said Williams.
Monday's meeting, which was hosted by community leader, Rev. Amos Brown, was also attended by representatives from SFPD and several city departments.
All of them saying, they're committed to working together to find solutions.
An admirable goal, but one that will come with challenges.
"The reality is that the San Francisco Police Department is short about 540 officers. This is unprecedented," said Asst. Chief David Lazar of the San Francisco Police Department.
MORE: San Francisco police chief explains what's driving dire staffing issues
But those solutions, they say, will have to work for everyone - both local residents and the unhoused.
"Common sense compassion. Because a lot of the stuff we claim we are compassionate about, but when we leave people to their own self-destructive devices and when we let people cause harm to others, that's not compassion," Rev. Brown said.
Rev. Brown says he hopes to host several more meetings about the topic.
Determined to deliver results for people of the Fillmore.
"We throw a lot of money to homeless issues, yet we're not seeing or receiving any of the benefits," said Williams.
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