Article that appeared in SF Independent on June 11, 2000

By John B Shanley

Why is Taraval Station Understaffed?

Someone once said that politics is the science that determines who gets what, when and why. This is still true today and unfortunately the Sunset and Parkside districts have too long been neglected when it comes to getting a fair share of city services. We are NOT neglected, however, when it comes to shouldering our share of the city's problems. Taraval Police Station is responsible for covering almost 25 percent of the city's population, yet, even in these good economic times, Taraval Station has 20 percent less officers than it had just a few years ago. Because our neighborhood is not seen as a "problem neighborhood" resources are deployed at a higher rate elsewhere, while problems are permitted to be imported into our neighborhood.

The Sunset and Parkside districts have increasingly become a dumping ground for more and more halfway houses without any attempt to notify the public. We already have two "alternative" high schools, yet the school district is planning to install still another near South Sunset Playground. For those of you who donšt understand government-speak an "alternative" school is where the school district places students that are beyond their control. But rather than properly directing precious educational resources to becoming better educators, last May the school board decided to become landlords by approving the installation of 43 HUD funded Section 8 housing units, on the site of the Parkside Elementary School. These units will allegedly go to 43 public school teachers. What this does to assist the other 4,000 teachers in the district no one will say. This plan is HUD social engineering at its worst. Rather than pay teachers appropriately, the school board and HUD now want to turn teachers into public housing residents. What's next, food stamps for teachers?

The neighbors I have spoken with around Parkside Elementary School are none too pleased about this plan to dissect a school yard to build public housing without first going to the neighbors. These Parkside district residents received no advance warning of the plan and are rightly up in arms. Again, who was looking our for residents of our neighborhood?

So who will deal with the problems that these projects leave in their wake? - the San Francisco Police Department, that's who. Just a few years ago Taraval Station had 96 officers, today that number is closer to 75 officers, a ten year low. Many of the problems these officers have to deal with are youth related. This stems from the basic fact that there is not much for kids in the Sunset to do, and kids who do not have much to do are likely to end up getting into trouble. Our parks need repair and, more importantly, well run programs to provide young people with positive role models and worthwhile activities. As someone who has coached basketball and baseball and served as a summer camp counselor for kids from the Sunset, it is obvious to me that children want positive activities to be a part of, but our tax dollars don't seem to make it back to the west side of town once they hit City Hall.

Our Constitution is designed to prohibit taxation without representation, but prior to the implementation of District elections this November, residents of the Sunset and Parkside districts have had plenty of reasons to feel that they were being taxed without being represented by our San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

My first experience working for the government was as a District Representative to State Senator Quentin Kopp. It was challenging work because Sen. Kopp demanded 110 percent dedication and effort from his staff in responding to the needs of his constituents. I admired Kopp for his courage and independence in serving his constituents. Independence is a sorely needed quality on the Board of Supervisors. One successful crime prevention program that was recently canceled was the District Police Inspectors Program, which provided each district station with two plain clothes detectives who could concentrate on specific crimes that are of concern to a neighborhood. These inspectors, by knowing the neighborhood and beating the bushes, solved a case that involved $50,000 worth of vandalism at West Sunset Playground. Had the program not been canceled, these inspectors would presently be working to solve the recent savage attack on a young women at West Sunset Playground. But it has and these dedicated investigators have been sent downtown where they are of little use to the taxpayers of the Sunset.

I am proud to seek office as a law and order candidate because San Francisco has one of the finest police departments in the country. To me, more cops mean less crime. It is that simple. Community policing can eradicate crime before it happens. By working with young people, we can help steer them in the right direction early in life, so they can avoid being a police statistic later in life.