After seeing an increase in violent crime and gang activity in the Mission over the past few months, SFPD will ramp up their presence around the elitist yet gritty neighborhood. Spurred on by the four homicides that occurred in the district in the past two weeks, SFPD Chief Greg Suhr told the press yesterday that the department would be sending in more plainclothes and uniformed officers as well as additional patrol cars and motorcycle units to cover problematic spots like the 16th and Mission BART plaza.

"The temperature is hot right now between the Hispanic gangs," Chief Suhr said at a press conference yesterday, although he declined to specify which gangs exactly. Citywide, there have been 58 confirmed homicides this year, up from 44 homicides around this time last year.

To deal with this year's increased homicide rate, Chief Suhr said the department has been running an "interrupt, predict and organize" strategy, which we learned about when Mayor Lee made the mistake of suggesting the department explore a controversial stop-and-frisk policy. Suhr's strategy (which, funnily enough, abbreviates to "IPO") has been to crack down on parolees and known offenders.

In the last month alone, SFPD officers have made 20 robbery arrests, 29 aggravated assault arrests, and taken 14 weapons off the streets, the Chronicle reports. On Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing a 28-year-old man near 20th and South Van Ness.

As for non-police efforts in the District, Supervisor David Campos explained that the city had already secured $30,000 in funding for the Community Response Network which hopes to abate violence and prevent retaliation after gang-related incidents. As one CRN program director explained to the Examiner, the uptick in violence "definitely correlates with school... Whenever there is this new flurry of young men trying to prove themselves and be a part of something, and there is no alternatives, then we’re just kind of starting all over."

[SFEx]
[Chron]
[BCN/Appeal]