Officers Arrest Armed Parolee, Net Illegal Firearm

Tenderloin Station Update - Captain Gary Jimenez
A Tenderloin Station plain-clothes unit, consisting of Sergeant Obrochta and officers Moylan, Montero, Lew and Conway, were on car patrol in the area of Ellis and Jones streets, an area saturated with violent criminals, narcotics and weapons. The Officers observed a group of suspicious persons along Ellis Street. They recognized one of the subjects as an active parolee known for violence and narcotics convictions. As they reversed their vehicle in order to contact the parolee, another subject ran eastbound on Ellis, clutching at his waistband. Recognizing these actions as being consistent with concealing a weapon, the Officers displayed their badges and ordered the suspect to stop. He didn’t. During the pursuit, the Officers saw the subject discard a fully loaded assault pistol on Eddy Street. The suspect was soon arrested, and the firearm was recovered. These dedicated Officers should be commended for hard work that removed an armed felon from our streets.

ShotSpotter Helps Make Arrests, Recover Firearms, at Western Addition Shooting

While the below update is a few weeks old, I’d like to share it with you, as it illustrates the effectiveness of the ShotSpotter system. ShotSpotter near instantaneously alerts officers on incidents of gunfire, allowing them to arrive minutes faster than by way of citizen reporting (assuming that there is a corresponding 911 call). Because the system dramatically improves response time, it often allows officers, as in the below case, to make critical arrests and recover dangerous weapons. My office, as directed by the Mayor, and in cooperation with the Police Department and Board of Supervisors, has rolled out ShotSpotter in select sections of the Bayview, Western Addition and Mission. We continue to monitor the succesess of this program, with the hopes of expanding coverage to other parts of the city. Of note, ShotSpotter is part of a larger Technology-Informed Policing (TIP) iniative by the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. Critical to the success of this program to-date, has been the hard work and leadership of Lt. Mikail Ali, who serves as Senior Public Safety Advisor to both Mayor Newsom and my office.

1/08/09, 1:25PM - Police officers detained three suspects in a gang-related shooting at Golden Gate and Fillmore. The shooting occurred following a funeral service for a recent homicide victim. The suspects fired into the procession of mourners as they were leaving the funeral home. The suspects were San Francisco residents, male, ages 21, 21 and 20. The gunfire was immediately detected by the ShotSpotter system and nearby plainclothes units, comprised of members of both Northern Station and Gang Task Force, quickly apprehended the suspects. No one was struck by the gunfire. Police recovered a Tech 9 assault weapon.

KVR

Armed Robbery of Gas Station

Bayview Station Update - Captain John Loftus
1/27/09, 6:17 PM - Officers McArthur and Borgen responded to a call for service involving an armed robbery at a local gas station. The victim, an employee, stated that there were two suspects, and that they had forced him into the garage, threatening to shoot him, prior to emptying the register and fleeing the scene. The victim provided a detailed description of the suspects, which was broadcast to those officers saturating the area. Sergeant Hagan and Officers Lyons, Kirchner and Coleman, all members of Bayview Station’s Cease-Fire Team, located the suspects, who matched the employee's description, and who were subsequently identified by the employee as the perpetrators. Further investigation determined that the two had been arrested previously for possession of a firearm, stemming from a 2008 incident.

Significant Decreases in Non-Fatal Shootings

A couple of days ago, I blogged on a 21% increase in gun seizures. Following up on this, and in advance of Monday’s BOS Public Safety Committee Hearing, I’d like to share another series of positive statistics.

City-wide, comparing 2008 and 2007, non-fatal shootings fell an impressive 36%. Mirroring and driving this, within the five geographically-defined Violence Reduction Zones, non-fatal shootings fell 33% (broken down by Zone below).

These reductions can be traced, in large part, to a determined focus on those discrete geographic areas in which statistical analyses – and practical experience – inform us that a disproportionate amount of crime occurs. By focusing resources and relying on smart and responsive deployment strategies, the Police Department has been able to maintain downward pressure on non-fatal shootings – not only within the Zones but across the City.

While some areas are still presenting a challenge, these are positive trends. They are the clear and quantifiable product of the dedication and responsiveness of the men and women of the SFPD. We should commend them for their efforts. It’s also important to note that while the Police Department played a large part in this, other stakeholders – community-based organizations, business owners, civic organizations – were as well key and deserve recognition.

Decreases in Non-Fatal Shootings by Zone

Zone	Area	% Chg
1	Tenderloin	-48%
2	Western Addition	-72%
3	Mission	-25%
4	Bayview (3 parts)	+2%
5	Sunnydale/Ingleside	-38%
	All Zones	-33%
	City-wide	-36%

SFPD Meeting Aggressive Gun Seizure Goals

We should commend the hardworking members of the SFPD, who seized 13% more illegal firearms in 2008 (1228) than in 2007 (1097).

In June 2008, Mayor Newsom and Chief Fong set a goal of increasing illegal firearms seizures by 25% for the following year. Between June and December 2008, the men and women of the SFPD increased seizures by a remarkable 21% – 780 in 2008, compared to 646 in 2007.

Taking guns out of the hands of criminals is one of the most dangerous endeavors facing our officers. We should all recognize their courage and diligence and thank them for a job well done.

City-wide Gun Seizures

Period	2007	2008	% Chg
Jun 1 – Dec 31	646	780	+21%
Jan 1 – Dec 31	1097	1228	+13%