CRIME: THE CAPTAIN'S VIEW
A refresher course on speeding
Hello, fellow crime fighters of the Marina District! A few months ago I wrote about traffic safety and the need for drivers to slow down and practice the defensive driving techniques that we were all taught way-back-when in Driver’s Ed.
Well, I don’t know why, but not everyone took what I wrote to heart. The good news: Year to date, our noninjury collisions are down 15 percent. The bad news: Our injury collisions are up 7 percent year to date.
We will be focusing strict enforcement on several areas of the district, but the first big operation will focus on the area of westbound Lombard to northbound Richardson (the Golden Gate Bridge approach). We selected this location in response to many community complaints, especially from the residents along Richardson who have heard, seen and felt property damage to their homes, fences, etc. It was also selected because of the number of collisions in this area, the most recent being a rollover head-on that happened Sept. 16 at 3:20 a.m. As a result of that collision, four 19-year-old North Bay residents went to the hospital. Luckily, all will recover. You may have already noticed a radar trailer parked on Lombard at Broderick. We parked it there with the goal of getting the driving public to slow down before they make the turn onto Richardson.
From late September through late October, we will be running a strict enforcement operation in that exact corridor focusing on speeders and drunk drivers. I have elicited the cooperation of our traffic company and the California Highway Patrol. Through the traffic engineering division of the Department of Parking and Traffic, I have also requested permanent radar speed limit signs for the medians along Lombard and Richardson similar to those along 19th Avenue – we’ll see if there is any money for that request.
What can you do? Help me get the word out to drivers to SLOW DOWN and, of course, don’t drink and drive. I saw a poster recently that showed the difference between a taxi ride ($20–$40) and a first-time drunken driving arrest ($9,000–$10,000). The poster looked a little dated, so I am sure the drunken driving costs are even higher today. Take a taxi!
On another note, most recent year-to-date crime stats show that Part 1 crime (homicide, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, auto theft, auto break-in, arson, and other thefts) is down citywide by 9 percent. In the Northern area (the Marina included), Part 1 crime is down 23 percent. It is attributed to the great work by the members of Northern Station, by help from outside resources (our Gang Task Force and others), cooperation from neighboring police districts as we pool our resources, and, equally as important, the cooperation from witnesses, victims, activists, and you.
Be safe out there, be aware of your surroundings, and conceal your iStuff.
Well, I don’t know why, but not everyone took what I wrote to heart. The good news: Year to date, our noninjury collisions are down 15 percent. The bad news: Our injury collisions are up 7 percent year to date.
We will be focusing strict enforcement on several areas of the district, but the first big operation will focus on the area of westbound Lombard to northbound Richardson (the Golden Gate Bridge approach). We selected this location in response to many community complaints, especially from the residents along Richardson who have heard, seen and felt property damage to their homes, fences, etc. It was also selected because of the number of collisions in this area, the most recent being a rollover head-on that happened Sept. 16 at 3:20 a.m. As a result of that collision, four 19-year-old North Bay residents went to the hospital. Luckily, all will recover. You may have already noticed a radar trailer parked on Lombard at Broderick. We parked it there with the goal of getting the driving public to slow down before they make the turn onto Richardson.
From late September through late October, we will be running a strict enforcement operation in that exact corridor focusing on speeders and drunk drivers. I have elicited the cooperation of our traffic company and the California Highway Patrol. Through the traffic engineering division of the Department of Parking and Traffic, I have also requested permanent radar speed limit signs for the medians along Lombard and Richardson similar to those along 19th Avenue – we’ll see if there is any money for that request.
What can you do? Help me get the word out to drivers to SLOW DOWN and, of course, don’t drink and drive. I saw a poster recently that showed the difference between a taxi ride ($20–$40) and a first-time drunken driving arrest ($9,000–$10,000). The poster looked a little dated, so I am sure the drunken driving costs are even higher today. Take a taxi!
On another note, most recent year-to-date crime stats show that Part 1 crime (homicide, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, auto theft, auto break-in, arson, and other thefts) is down citywide by 9 percent. In the Northern area (the Marina included), Part 1 crime is down 23 percent. It is attributed to the great work by the members of Northern Station, by help from outside resources (our Gang Task Force and others), cooperation from neighboring police districts as we pool our resources, and, equally as important, the cooperation from witnesses, victims, activists, and you.
Be safe out there, be aware of your surroundings, and conceal your iStuff.
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