The ECS Project

Dear Jane

Jane,
I’ve lived in SOMA for the past 4.5 years.  Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of people sleeping on the street and break-ins on my block (4th and Bluxome).  Walking down Bluxome, you will find broken glass every 50 feet from recent theft.

My wife I have personally just experienced some very troubling events.
– Last week, my wife’s truck was broken into while parked on Bluxome.
– Just today we were walking down the street when a mentally ill man approached us while yelling “i’m going to kill you!!” and then proceeded to follow us for a block.  I called the police and reported the incident.

There are now dozens of tents under 101 on 5th street. I’m not sure if the increase is due to the recent shut down of the homeless camp in San Jose or something else.  Regardless, I want to know what is being done to address the problem.  My roommates, my wife and I now feel unsafe in the neighborhood.  It is getting out of control.
Thank you,
Miguel and Claire Drumond

— Jane Kim’s email —

Hi Miguel and Claire,

Thank you for taking the time to email me regarding this issue. Regarding the auto theft and threat, I have cc’d our Southern Station Police Captain DeFilippo to follow up with you.  Please do file a complaint with SFPD so that we can account for these types of incidents and in which locations. SFPD does disperse its officers based on data so it is always helpful to report them.

Second, yes, with the increased construction in our District and increased residents reporting encampments along our freeway, our office is finding that homelessresidents are more visible and spread out than before.  Many encampments have been taken down after complaints from our residents.  The City, in response, has opened a new temporary emergency shelter at 1950 Mission between 15th and 16th to serve our encampment population (groups, couples, homeless individuals with dogs and wheelchairs that our regular shelters cannot intake) this week.

I hope this will help many of our homeless neighbors into shelter beds and eventually into housing.  As you can imagine, many do not trust the City (we have limited shelter beds and the shelter system can be frustrating) and refuse our services.

The new Navigation Center is a concerted efforts by many different CBO’s to reach individuals our traditional shelters have not been able to reach or develop relationships with.  Please continue to report criminal incidents to SFPD and homeless individuals that need our help to the Homeless Outreach Team (dial 311).

Thank you for taking the time to write me.

Jane

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Here’s Jane’s contact info if you want to write her, too: jane.kim@sfgov.org