San Francisco police to step up mid-Market patrols after shootings
San Francisco police step up mid-Market patrols after shootings
San Francisco police step up mid-Market patrols after three shootings in a week.
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco police plan to maintain an increased presence in the mid-Market neighborhood for at least the next week following three separate shootings earlier this week within a two-block radius of Market Street.
Police patrols
Why you should care:
The increased security measures come as police acknowledge that some residents and business owners feel unsafe in the area.
Early morning patrols were already visible on Thursday near Market and Jones streets, where one of the incidents took place.
The backstory:
The first shooting occurred just after noon on Friday near Taylor and Turk streets.
On Saturday night, four people were shot near the Powell Street BART station on Market Street when they attempted to intervene in an argument between a man and a woman. The suspect pulled out a gun, shot the bystanders, and fled the scene. All four victims are expected to recover.
The third shooting occurred around 3 p.m. Monday near Market and Jones streets, leaving the victim with life-threatening injuries.
In a video posted online, San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood questioned Chief Derrick Lew about the city's public safety strategy.
"We know that visitors, residents, people don't feel safe right now," Lew said, outlining a high-visibility enforcement plan that includes increased foot patrols and special operations involving technical units.
Lew noted that investigators believe all three shootings are unrelated.
Police have arrested three suspects so far and expect to make additional arrests as the investigations continue.
High-visibility patrols are scheduled to remain along Market Street for at least the next week.
The Source: San Francisco police, visual evidence, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood