SFPD removes 24/7 command unit from 16th and Mission crime hotspot

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — After six months stationed in one of San Francisco’s most problematic areas, the SFPD mobile command unit is now gone.

The SFPD bus that had a 24/7 presence at the 16th Street BART plaza has been removed.

“It used to be right here, I really liked that it was nice and clean and it’s too early to say if it’s going to continue like this,” said Rodrigo Lopez, President of the Mission Street Vendors Association.

The police command bus was deployed to the Mission neighborhood in March to deter illegal vending operations and open-air drug use, promising SFPD officers 24/7 in this hotspot. Lopez is concerned that its removal will worsen conditions in the area.

“With the command, we feel like we had a tool, we had someone close to us in case something happened,” he said. “So, if the bad actors showed up, they see the command and they would think twice before doing something.”

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Mission Station Captain Sean Perdomo confirmed they spent 44% of their monthly overtime budget on the bus. Now business owners in the area are wondering what the plan is.

Kitava is one of the restaurants right across from the 16th Street Bart Plaza location, where the command bus was parked. Owner Bryan Tublin says he wants action and accountability.

“I don’t care how the money is spent or how it’s been used for,” Tublin said. “What I want is accountability for the conditions on our streets, and accountability for the folks who are destroying themselves on our streets, and people who are doing things they shouldn’t be doing on our streets.”

In a statement, SFPD says they are beginning a new strategy to address crime in the area by removing the bus and replacing it with more officers “in the alleyways and in front of schools.” They say this could be more efficient, and the strategy was developed after community meetings.

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“Part of the new strategy involves deploying a Youth Engagement Officer, who will address quality-of-life issues around schools, work with our law enforcement partners like BART police, as well as our city partners and private security in the area,” the statement said.

Tublin has been contacting the city for months asking for more interventions, not less coverage.

“It is a concern that folks coming into the city for drug tourism and folks who are not from the city know that they’ll be held accountable in other neighborhoods but not held accountable in the Mission,” Tublin said. “It is a concern that they will think they can do it in the mission again.”

The office of Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission District, sent this statement:

“After learning that the command van had left, we visited 16th Street and talked with the Mission Police Captain. He assured us that foot patrols remain a priority in the area and that BART Police continue to be actively present. We also connected with the Department of Emergency Management, which is actively deploying their community ambassadors a program we strongly advocate to be fully funded, as it represents a comprehensive and effective approach to community safety.”