While auto thefts and residential burglaries continue to be a matter of concern for residents of the Outer Sunset, April saw a decrease in crimes from March's numbers. In March, there were 73 burglaries, with 25 considered “hot prowls,” where victims were at home when the crime was committed. April saw a decrease in burglaries and hot prowls: 29 burglaries occurred, with 10 hot prowls.
Car burglaries also saw a dramatic drop. “For cases of Theft from Vehicle,” writes Captain Denise Flaherty in a community message, “we have seen our biggest decrease since January. In January we saw 200 cases, in February there were 157, in March 154 and in April we have seen our lowest number at 117 cases.”
Flaherty credits data analysis, which allowed the police force to “see on which days of the weeks they were more frequent and the times of those days when they were occurring.” Taraval Station then deployed more uniformed officers in the affected areas, and worked with officers from the Taraval Neighborhood Team (TNT) and Taraval Investigations Team (SIT) to build cases against suspects.
To read Captain Flaherty’s two May messages to the community, visit Taraval Station’s website here and here.
To keep residents informed on what’s going on in the neighborhood, Hoodline spotlights notable crimes and crime patterns. Here are some of the crimes that have taken place in the community over the past week, as culled from police reports.
Man Slapped While Parking
A man was slapped by an unknown suspect in the early hours of Sunday, May 22nd. The battery occurred at 3:04am on the 1300 block of 48th Avenue while the victim was parking in the driveway of his building. The suspect walked up to the victim, slapped him once, and walked away.
Stick-Carrying Man Seen Defecating Arrested
Around 3:20pm on Sunday, May 22nd, a known suspect with a stick at Wawona and 23rd Avenue was arrested after officers responded to reports. The suspect was in violation of a stay-away order. A witness also reported seeing the suspect defecate on the witness' front driveway. Police arrested the suspect and placed a probation hold.
Man Punched By Friend at Pizza Restaurant
A man exited a Muni train between Taraval Street and 46th Avenue, only to be be punched by his friend. According to the victim, his friend walked up to him and punched the victim multiple times in the face. The suspect was cited after further investigation by police. The incident occurred on Saturday, May 21st at approximately 8:50pm.
Woman Choked, Assaulted in Domestic Violence Incident
On May 20th, at 1:55pm, a woman was assaulted by a former partner who wanted to visit their son. According to the victim, the man texted her in the morning to ask if he could come over, which was in violation of an existing restraining order.
The victim responded “no,” yet later found the suspect trying to speak to their son. She told the suspect to leave or she would call the police, but the suspect took the victim’s cell phone and smashed it to the ground. He then pushed her onto a bed, tried to choke her and threatened to kill her.
The victim’s landlord heard the assault and went upstairs to investigate and remove the suspect from the premises. The suspect fled before responding officers arrived at the 1500 block of Irving Street.
Under-Aged Suspects Pepper-Spray, Rob Smoke Shop
On May 21st, a burglary occurred at a smoke shop on the 1900 block of Irving Street at 8:12pm. The victim, an employee of the store, was working behind the counter when he refused to serve several under-aged customers. According to the victim, one of the customers returned and pepper-sprayed him. While the victim pursued the first suspect, another entered the store and may have stolen several items before all suspects ran away from the scene.
