If you remember the summer of 2009, the police began enforcing drinking laws in Dolores Park through rumor and spectacle.  Then a leaked memo dropped, brought headlines to SFgate, the Examiner, and forced Bevan Dufty to actually come out of his hole to sit down with bloggers, journalists and park activists.  The result of the controversy was an absence of continued police presence well into 2010.

Suddenly last weekend, news spread of SFPD kicking out the commerce.  Then this week signs went up around the park telling people not to smokes and drink.  Was this a sign of a 2009 relapse?

Yesterday afternoon, a pack of 5 police officers armed with guns and dirt bikes went through the entire park, forcing people to throw out their beers, leash their dogs and stop selling ice cream sandwiches.

An aspiring hot dog vendor was cited by this officer, likely costing her all the money earned that afternoon.

Ice cream vendors were also asked to leave.

I watched police escort this harmless, quiet man out of the park.  He wasn't visibly doing anything aside from drinking a tallboy.

Is this waste of resources going to become a daily routine for SFPD?  Sure hope not.

UPDATE: SFPD confirms to Mission Loc@l that they are, in fact, stepping up patrols in the park and they have no estimation as to when they'll back off.

This account of being attacked was passed onto the Mission Dolores Safe Clean Green email list (the author was not attributed).  While the person's advice is 'fucking lame', it's still pretty alarming that people are being beat unconscious that close to Valencia.  Stay safe, everyone:

I was attacked yesterday while walking home on 19th street between Valencia and Guerrero around 2:30 pm, about half a block from my home. I was apparently followed, snuck up on from behind and beaten in the side of the head, then dragged down the sidewalk by my legs. I have a concussion and some bruises and scrapes, but no permanent damage (of the physical kind, at least). The attacker then went through my pockets and took my iphone before running away. It was broad daylight and there were people everywhere. I had not taken any alleys or side streets on my way home from the 16th street BART station. The suspect was apprehended (rare for this kind of crime) but I can't really discuss too many other details because the case is evolving.
I just wanted to pass on some information that the detective shared with me about street crime in the Mission as of late:

There has been a rash of street robberies in the past month or so, usually involving one or two men, some with handguns. They usually target people walking alone and rob them of their smart phones and wallets. Usually they strike late at night to early in the morning, especially on weekends when people often walk home inebriated and thus easier prey. Women walking alone are particularly vulnerable.

My case was unusual in that it happened in the middle of a workday with people around, but the police told me the criminals are getting more brazen.

Please, be mindful of your surroundings, even if you live in the “safest” part of the Mission, even during the day. Don't walk with your smartphone in your hand. Have your bags around your body. Don't walk home alone from the bars. If someone accosts you, scream like hell, but don't fight them- give them what they want and call the police. If you witness something happening to someone else, make yourself available to the police as a witness.

Dolores Park was pretty dead yesterday—the tide receding before the tsunami of out-of-towners hits this afternoon.  However, the lack of crowds didn't make our park economy slow down.  For example, newcomer “Alcohol in a Baby Stroller” dude was on the scene, hawking what is sure to be one of the sketchier things sold in the park.

It was nice to see Mission Loc@l's Rigoberto Hernandez do a follow up on the subject of the 19th and Dolores death trap (previously whined yelled about on this very blog).  Interesting take aways from the piece include that Supervisor (and mayoral candidate) Bevan Dufty does not support stop signs at the intersection and the city is considering putting “bulb-outs,” similar to the ones installed recently on Valencia St., on Dolores.

Personally, I think stop lights, or better yet a stop light, or even better speed bumps or 5 Sandinistas brandishing machetes and assault riffles enforcing traffic laws, would be a better solution, but anything is an improvement.