The lion's share of the Castro neighborhood will remain within the Mission Station police boundaries, it was confirmed at the Castro Merchants Association's monthly meeting March 6. A previous proposal would have shifted the entire LGBTQ neighborhood to Park Station, which already serves a portion of the area, but police brass have decided to leave the boundaries where they are.
The merchants also heard from Dyke March officials about officially restarting the event this year.
The news about the police boundaries was on the mind of many in attendance.
"Yes, staying in Mission," said Dave Burke, a straight ally who is the public safety liaison for District 8.
"You get to keep these guys," he added, gesturing to two San Francisco Police Department officers and a sergeant who were standing beside him.
"You want us or not?" Officer Jose Canchola jokingly added. "They were trying to move us."
As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported last fall, SFPD officials raised the idea of changing boundaries of several police precincts throughout the city, including moving the Castro fully into Park Station, which currently serves the neighborhood north of Market Street.
A report last month indicated the boundaries would not change after community leaders expressed concern about the idea.
"I think it's the right call," gay Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman, who as District 8 supervisor represents the Castro, stated to the B.A.R. at that time "Castro residents and merchants have worked closely with Mission Station on the various public safety and quality of life issues impacting the neighborhood. There are established relationships and protocols, and I understand the community being reluctant to start from scratch with a new station."
Nate Bourg, the merchants' treasurer who led the meeting and is running to be the association's president next month, asked if the Mission neighborhood utilizing so many police resources as drug sales and open air drug scenes move there from the Sixth Street corridor downtown and other areas is to the Castro's detriment.
SFPD officers at the meeting said that, actually, the Castro has a leg up on other neighborhoods because it has officers walking a foot beat, which allows for a faster response.
"I will say that North Beach, Chestnut [Street], and Castro have the benefit of having a foot beat," Canchola said. "Let's say one of you guys call. We're the foot beats. We're going to respond as soon as we can; if there's anything crazy in the neighborhood, we can help respond to it. Other than that, North Beach has a foot beat, those are the few neighborhoods that have a foot beat."
SFPD Officer Alfredo Oropeza said people displaced from camping downtown have been coming to the Castro, too.
"We're identifying them, offering services, continuing to offer them till they do get up, pack their stuff, and walk away," Oropeza said. "New individuals, new faces on the street, they're usually there for a day or two and go back to wherever it is they came from."
Dyke March soliciting donations
M Rocket, the Dyke March's interim project director, said the group that has assembled to restore the annual Pride eve march for queer women through the Mission and ending in the Castro is soliciting donations.
"Last year, the media said the march was canceled, but the truth is there hasn't been an organization effective in terms of the Dyke March since before the pandemic," Rocket said. The march did not officially take place last year.
"2019, that was the last year there was a rally and a big community effort that happened. The remaining organizers stepped down two weeks before Pride last year," Rocket added.
There've been three town halls thus far to plan the event's June 28 return.
"The community is very energized," Rocket said. "We have about 200 volunteers already and we're making it happen. The expenses are astronomical to start from ... scratch, which is where we are, and we really need help to make it happen."
People can donate through a page on the march's website or through using QR codes that will be posted in the Castro.
Other items
The Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, the public elementary school in the Castro, is also seeking money; a fundraiser will be held Saturday, March 22, from 5 to 9 p.m. at The Cafe nightclub titled "So you think you can drag?" Mandelman notably dressed in drag for the event last year.
Kate Sylvester spoke about the event at the meeting and said the school – which the San Francisco Unified School District attempted to close last year – is facing budget cuts. SFUSD faces a $113 million deficit, and the school board voted unanimously last month to send preliminary layoff notices to hundreds of employees.
Mandelman told the merchants during the meeting that city departments have been given the directive to find 15% cuts across the board. This may lead to cuts in grants for community benefit districts, like the Castro CBD, he said.
"We've anticipated this is going to be a rough year," Mandelman said.
The CBD's executive director Andrea Aiello, a lesbian, was not at the meeting and didn't return a request for comment.
Mandelman secured the association's support for his legislation, which is before the supervisors' Rules Committee March 10, to establish an entertainment zone (which would allow liquor sales for outdoor consumption) in the neighborhood.
Mandelman said the Office of Economic and Workforce Development would decide the parameters of whether it would be for special events only or 24/7, though he would not support the latter.
The next Castro merchants' meeting on April 3 will be open to the public and feature public comment. It is also when the election for the association's board and officer positions will be held.
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