CRIME

According to the San Francisco Police Department’s digital map of incident reports, Noe Valley residents are continuing to face challenges with car break-ins, burglaries, and auto thefts. All three crimes saw an increase in March.

In the larceny/theft category, there were 21 reported incidents, four more than in February. They included 10 “smash-and-grabs” from cars, three stolen license plates, and one stripping of parts from a vehicle.

Thieves targeted nine homes, two properties under construction, and two unidentified properties among 13 burglaries in March. That’s an increase of three from February (10), but less than half that recorded last June (28).

Ten cars, three trucks, and one “other” vehicle were stolen from the streets of Noe Valley, bringing the March total of vehicle thefts to 14, four more than in February.

But perhaps the most disturbing trend in March was the rise in assaults. There were eight such incidents reported to police, compared to three the month before.

Overall, there were 76 criminal incidents across 10 categories tracked by the Voice in March, up from 55 in February.

We “scraped” the March data on April 14, 2023, at Data.sfgov.org.

jarring news to Church Street merchants and residents, who, again, were not alerted of SFMTA’s plan to place eight bulb-outs on a street that is already crowded due to traffic diverted from Sanchez Street, the J-Church Muni line, and bikes. The bulb-outs would block some driveways, and as merchants noted, would make it impossible for people to park and access their businesses, which are just beginning to rebound after Covid. It seems counter-

THE CARTOON BY OWEN

In other SFPD news, Mission Station, covering the northern half of Noe Valley ending at Cesar Chavez Street, has a new captain: Thomas Harvey. Captain Harvey will succeed Captain Gavin McEachern, who retired in April. A native San Franciscan, Harvey grew up in the Parkside District. Since joining the force in 2005, Harvey has gained experience serving at stations throughout the city, including the Bayview, Ingleside, Northern, Taraval, Mission, and the Tenderloin. He most recently served as captain at the San Francisco Police Training Academy.

To contact Capt. Harvey at Mission Station, call 415-558-5400 or email SFPDMissionStation@sfgov.org.

As for who’s in command at Ingleside Station, currently it’s Captain Kevin Knoble. Knoble has taken on the role of Acting Captain while Captain Derrick Lew continues special training out of state (likely ending mid-June). You can reach Capt. Knoble by emailing SFPDInglesideStation@sfgov.org or calling 415-404-4000.

Need to file a police report? Go to a nearby station or do it online at www.SanFranciscoPolice.org (look for the Get Service menu). You can also call 3-1-1 or 415-701-2311.

—Corrie M. Anders, Sally Smith

intuitive to block access to businesses at the same time the Upper Noe community is developing a plan to attract clients or visitors to independent businesses.

Ultimately, if the city has extra money to focus on the streets, my suggestion is it to start with fixing the very dangerous potholes that affect everyone, whether on foot or wheels.

Steffe Levin Sanchez Street resident

BAKER-FLYNN