San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announces new downtown "hospitality zone task force"
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie on Thursday announced another new initiative with the formation of what he's calling the city's "hospitality task force."
The plan will increase the police presence in some of the city's key economic areas. The unit is more proactive than reactive, focusing more on preventative policing measures rather than responding to radio calls.
The deployment will specifically be focused around Union Square and the Moscone Center, areas the city has has defined as "hospitality zones."
"Walking around the city I've been here on a business trip and for the past few days, I felt very safe coming down here to do my shopping," said visitor Monett Renfro. "And I think what shocked me was the presence of the police. At first I was scared, but then I realized that you've got a lot of high-end stores here so it does make me feel safer as I'm shopping."
In town from Chicago, Renfro had no complaints about her visit to San Francisco. She said the visible police presence at Union Square gave her some extra peace of mind. And now there is more on the way.
"That's why today, I am proud to announce the San Francisco Police Department Hospitality Zone Task Force," Mayor Daniel Lurie announced to a crowd in South of Market.
Lurie says the new task force will expand on the kind of security that has already been deployed in the city's central tourist zone, only it will be expanded towards South of Market and Civic Center. It comprises an area that's covered by three different police districts, so this will be a unified operation. And it's already rolling out ahead of Lunar New Year and NBA All-Star Weekend.
"It's going to continue after that, every single day," Lurie said. "The hospitality zone task force will provide residents and visitors with the security they deserve 365 days a year."
In making the announcement, the mayor -- and others -- acknowledged that this is partly an effort to change minds at a time when crime is declining.
"But what we know is that it's not enough for us to see the data that crime is dropping," said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. "People have to feel safe. And that's about your perception."
And from one visitor's point of view, the perception of San Francisco is already changing.
"It' really changed throughout the years," Renfro said of her visits to the city. "I feel like since I've visited probably within the last five years, I don't see as many homeless and the drugs in the streets here in the city. So I feel safe."
There was also a bit of cheerleading at Thursday's press conference, as the mayor and Union Square leaders touted a turning of the page. As the district attorney said, so much of this is perception.
The announcement came a day after Lurie revealed the city's new "drug arrest triage" center in SoMa where police and other city agencies will deal with people detained for drug-related crimes.
