Top law enforcement and community leaders joined the new Mission Station police captain on a visit to San Francisco's Castro neighborhood September 5 to identify what's working and what needs improving in the famed LGBTQ district. Liza Johansen, a straight ally, became the station's captain a few weeks ago, replacing Captain Thomas Harvey. Mission Station oversees much of the Castro.
"I'm so excited to be back on the beat," she said.
Prior to her new gig, Johansen had been a captain at San Francisco International Airport, as well as a night captain, which gave her responsibility for the whole city at night, according to Police Chief William Scott, who was also at the Castro visit.
"I think I have promoted her twice since I've been here — lieutenant and captain," Scott told the Bay Area Reporter. "Here's the thing about Liza — she's from the Mission. So, she understands where people are coming from and what they're facing. She grew up when things were not as calm as now, so she understands the history and has lived experience."
Johansen is the station's fifth captain in four years. She told the B.A.R. that she wants to set priorities for her tenure and put plans in place that can continue apace if someone else has to take charge.
"I've stacked my schedule for the first couple months," she said. "There's five-to-six items to work on and make sure progress is continuous so if another captain takes over after me they can continue and won't have to start all over."
Johansen and Scott brought up street sex trade and dirt bikes as issues to address; recently, five residents of Shotwell Street in the Mission neighborhood sued the city demanding more action be taken to prevent solicitation.
Residents were also angered by groups of dirt bike riders who rode into the city, including through the Castro, the weekend before Labor Day, as KGO-TV reported. Dirt bikes are illegal on highways and city streets without certain modifications, according to the California Highway Patrol.
But the big issue discussed during the walk was burglaries, which Johansen pledged the police will go after "until it's eradicated."
Police department statistics show that reported burglaries are down over this time last year 14%, but that's little comfort for Claude Gratianne, a gay man who is the CEO of ZGO Perfumery at 600 Castro Street. He told the B.A.R. he was burglarized early that same morning.
Gratianne was having a window replaced when the law enforcement and community leaders paid a visit. Security video Gratianne had showed him that the burglars "had lookouts" and struck at 3:40 a.m. when they "torched a hole in the glass" of his business' window, he said.
"Different guy punctured the glass, third guy came and those two guys helped themselves to everything on the counter," Gratianne said, adding that they left when an alarm sounded.
"They know when an alarm goes off to expect police," he said, adding they stuck around for almost a half-hour, leaving just two minutes before police arrived.
San Francisco Police Department Public Information Officer Paulina Henderson stated to the B.A.R. in an email September 5 that "at approximately 4:09 a.m., San Francisco Police Officers responded to the 600 block of Castro Street in regard to a burglary."
"Officers were advised that an unknown subject was observed near the business removing items from the premise[s]," she continued. "Officers arrived on scene and observed obvious signs of forced entry to the business. Officers conducted a walkthrough of the premise[s] and did not locate any suspects inside the building."
Gratianne recounted the tale to District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who joined the walk.
"I liked what the DA had to say," he said. "She reassured me she'd do her best to prosecute these criminals, and I had a good impression of her."
There've been a number of high-profile burglaries of businesses in recent weeks, especially in the Richmond and South of Market neighborhoods.
"It's an organized gang," Gratianne asserted. "If they can bust the gang, they can make a dent in these burglaries of businesses."
Jenkins said she heard "a number of public safety issues that need to be addressed" on the walk, and that businesses can help on the burglary front, for example, by installing cameras.
Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said that he's hopeful for Johansen's tenure at Mission Station.
"It's a tough, tough, tough job," he said of being Mission Station captain. "They really do have some very serious public safety challenges in different neighborhoods. In the Castro and Noe [Valley], I'm hopeful we can make a deeper dent in retail theft, that they can help reduce the use of drugs in public spaces, and get people who need help into care."
Castro a model of community policing
Castro neighborhood residents, businesses, and other stakeholders are very protective of the area, which represents a model of cooperation between neighbors and the authorities, several officials told the B.A.R.
"Castro is definitely a special place," Scott said. "A lot of people come here ... and they want the streets safe. We're going to give them the best service we can give them."
Greg Carey, a gay man who is chief of Castro Community on Patrol, a volunteer safety organization, agreed with that assessment. His community-led, queer-led organization was honored by the FBI earlier this year, as the B.A.R. previously reported, as a model of community leadership.
"I call it the fabric of safety," Carey said. "There's five or six different groups with the same purpose but different methods — the [Castro Community Benefit District] ambassadors, our volunteers, beat cops — all of these things help make an impact. One of our slogans is visibility as a safety presence. The more people see people in different uniforms, the more it prevents trouble."
Jenkins said that the community isn't afraid to put her feet to the fire, either.
"I absolutely do think the Castro is one of the most proactive neighborhoods when it comes to public safety," she said. "They advocate their needs to law enforcement and with us, and I'd say while every neighborhood wants us to ensure they are safe, they [the Castro] are empowered, they want partnership, they want to feel heard, and if you don't, they will hold you accountable."
One Castro denizen holding his elected leaders accountable is Billy Lemon of the Castro Country Club, a recovery community space on 18th Street. Lemon said that in order to get a workplace restraining order against Zero Triball — who is accused of perpetrating a reign of terror in the neighborhood through harassment and alleged assaults, as the B.A.R. previously reported — he had to pay almost $20,000 in attorneys fees.
Triball was most recently implicated in a now-viral incident in which two nudists protected tourists from an attack allegedly by him, as the B.A.R. reported.
Lemon took Jenkins, Scott, and Mandelman aside to pitch Jenkins his proposal for a city fund for those in need of restraining orders for their workplaces.
"That's probably my problem," Mandelman said, as it may require appropriations from the Board of Supervisors.
Added Lemon, "It feels like a win; if you can get business leaders behind you, it's an easy solution."
Lemon was glad they came by.
"I am always happy when city officials find the curiosity to come by," he said.
No arrests have been made in the ZGO Perfumery burglary case; the incident investigation is still active, and anyone with information is asked to contact 415-575-4444 or text a TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
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