The GrowSF Report: Prop 47's impact on crime in San Francisco
The GrowSF Report: Prop 47's impact on crime in San Francisco
PLUS: Apply for $5,000 to improve your neighborhood
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of September 11, 2023:
- Prop 47's impact on crime in San Francisco
- Apply for $5,000 to improve your neighborhood
- Ditch your Clipper Card next year with mobile payments
- Where are all the homeless shelters?
PLUS:
- Round1 Japanese arcade & bowling coming to Stonestown
- Barberio Osteria brings Italian to Valencia Street
- Corzetti comes to downtown SF
Prop 47's impact on crime in San Francisco
This week we’re bringing you a special report on California’s Proposition 47, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, which has done anything but!
Passed in November 2014, Prop 47 turned thefts up to $950 into misdemeanors and decriminalized possession of most drugs, with the intention of keeping low-level nonviolent criminals out of prison and saving money in the process. But like so many good-sounding and well-intentioned laws, the unintended consequences have been dire. Property crime is skyrocketing, drug overdoses have spiked, antisocial behavior is endemic, and businesses are locking down or closing up.
San Francisco is uniquely hurt by Prop 47 because of a local policy called “citation release.” This policy, enacted by the Police Commission, means almost everyone who commits a misdemeanor is merely given a ticket and immediately let go. So even if the police show up to shoplifting in progress, the perpetrators most likely aren’t going to jail.
And Prop 47 is also why overdoses are skyrocketing. Prior to Prop 47, people who were unable to care for themselves and addicted to drugs would be picked up by the police and diverted to an Adult Drug Court which would not pursue prison, but would instead offer substance abuse treatment, require regular drug testing, and provide other social services. In decriminalizing most drug possession, Prop 47 removed the most effective way to help addicts recover.
For a deeper dive, please check out the full report.
P.S. GrowSF extends a special thank you to our summer intern, Leo, for the great research and write-up!
Apply for $5,000 to improve your neighborhood
San Francisco Beautiful is now accepting applications for their “Neighborhood Grants” initiative, writes Eddie Sun for The Standard. Qualifying San Francisco residents can receive up to $5,000 to beautify their corner of the city.
But applications are due by Tuesday, September 19, so don’t delay, apply today!
Ditch your Clipper Card next year with mobile payments
We get so frustrated every time we see tourists struggling with the Clipper Card machines. Why so complex?!
Well good news for future tourists (and all riders of BART and Muni) — according to Ricardo Cano at The Chronicle starting next year you can just tap your phone or credit card to the Clipper Card readers and pay normally, no Clipper Card account required! Get ready for hassle-free payments in summer 2024!
Where are all the homeless shelters?
As we reported last week, San Francisco may be allowed to clear tent encampments again, but that raises the question — where will people go? The Chronicle is out with a map this week showing where the City’s homeless shelters are located.
The good news is that the city has just over 3,000 beds and they’re 90% occupied, but the bad news is that they’re mostly concentrated in one part of the city, and we don’t even have enough beds for the entire homeless population (around 8,000). To actually solve our homeless crisis requires a few relatively simple steps:
Build more shelters & don’t concentrate in a single neighborhood
Compel people into drug & alcohol treatment and shelter
Build more low-cost housing in every neighborhood
Don’t allow street camping
It really is that simple.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Round1 arcade & bowling at Stonestown
Round1, a Japanese bowling alley company, will take over the old Nordstrom’s at the Stonestown Galleria. In a great city, every closure has a chance to reborn into something wonderful that reaches a new audience, and this huge Japanese-style arcade and techno bowling alley fits the bill! Sure to be a popular hangout for SF State and high school kids, Round1 is slated to open “soon”, so keep an eye out!
Barberio Osteria on Valencia
Barberio Osteria opened last night on Valencia street in the Mission, filling the former Ancora space at 557 Valencia, writes Dianne de Guzman at Eater SF. It opened yesterday, Friday, September 15th and serves “regionally inspired Italian cuisine.” Welcome to the neighborhood!
Another one to buck the doom loop: Corzetti comes to downtown SF
Locals don’t exactly flock to downtown San Francisco in regular times, and certainly not post-pandemic as Union Square and neighboring Tenderloin are hit the hardest. But numerous changes have been bringing downtown (slowly) back. The newest is Corzetti, just opened in the new Hotel G off Union Square on August 14, 2023.
It’s the latest from Adriano Paganini’s Back of the House, Inc. group behind many SF restaurant staples, including a Mano, Beretta, Delarosa, Flores, Starbelly and Super Duper Burger.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
GrowSF September Happy Hour
Join us for the September edition of our monthly happy hour!
WHEN: Tuesday, September 19; 6:00pm - 8:00pm
WHERE: Orbit Room, 1900 Market Street
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
Party for the Parks
The premier annual social event that raises funds for San Francisco parks and public spaces, will take place September 23, 2023, at the new Conservatory at One Sansome in downtown San Francisco.
San Francisco Greek Food Festival
San Francisco’s long-running and beloved Greek Food Festival, newly rebranded as “A Journey of Greek Culture,” returns to the Mission District this fall. The three-day food festival will offer for purchase a wide variety of freshly homemade Greek food, including Spanakopita, Moussaka, Gemista (stuffed peppers), Gyros, and other meat and vegetarian options. Greek desserts and wine will also be available for purchase, and vendors will be on hand selling a selection of items. Admission is free.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 15th -17th. 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Ends at 8 p.m. Sunday)
WHERE: Annunciation Cathedral
245 Valencia Street (between 14th St. and Duboce)
San Francisco, CA 94103
What we’re writing about
Historic queer bar The Stud finds a new home in SoMa
The Stud — at long last — has found a new home. The historic queer bar will soon begin a fresh chapter at 1123–1125 Folsom St., just a short walk away from its former home at 9th and Harrison, which closed suddenly in May 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new Folsom Street spot you might fondly remember for its recent Golden Girls pop-up. Now it’s a large entry room with a bar, a spacious courtyard patio, nice bathrooms, and a back room with a large bar and plenty of room to move around. We visited Sunday alongside 200 of The Stud’s closest friends.
Community Music Center is where SF youth hone their musical talents — for free
There is a lot of truth to the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” — especially when it comes to helping that child find and cultivate their talents and interests. One such “village” is a collective of teachers, mentors and musicians who have been doing just that for more than 100 years at the Community Music Center.
With a pair of locations in Mission and Richmond districts, The Center has been a place where children can play and perform to their hearts’ content regardless their expertise or casual interest. And the best part of it is they can do so free of charge.
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