by Alexander Mullaney
An increase in gun violence and homicides in the Oceanview, Merced Heights and Ingleside neighborhoods has residents and community organizations calling on the city to reinstate the defunct police substation on Broad Street.
Of the numerous shootings and nine homicides that have occurred in OMI this year, many occurred on and around the Broad Street corridor.
The OMI is predominantly served by Taraval Police Station, which is located three miles away. The police substation provides officers with resources needed to perform duties and quickens response times to emergencies in the area.
“I think because the substation is catty-corner to ICY (Inner City Youth) might stop these young guys from shooting at each other,” said OMI resident Al Harris, who worked out of 103 Broad St., the former police substation, as the OMI’s safety coordinator for the city’s Safety Network program.
The office of District 11 Supervisor John Avalos, the San Francisco Police Department, city agencies and neighborhood organizations held a “Peace Forum” Nov. 15 to discuss solutions.
Re-establishing the police substation at 103 Broad St. was proposed as the best option to curb violence.
However, the police substation’s proposed use would be different.
Laurel Moeslein, senior case manager at Inner City Youth, an organization that provides educational and personal development services to at-risk youth, said this time around it will be a “community policing substation.”
“I think minimizing violence requires more than adding more police and a space for them,” Moeslein said. “ICY would like 103 Broad St. to be a community policing facility, a place residents can use for meetings and events related to public safety. This might include disaster preparedness, meetings with elected officials, police officers and general meetings about how to impact crime in the OMI.”
The original substation became defunct during command changes and periods of low staffing at Taraval Police Station and little interest by neighbors a few years ago, according to Mary Harris, president of the OMI-Neighbors in Action neighborhood group.
Laurel Moeslein, senior case manager at Inner City Youth, an organization that provides educational and personal development services to at-risk youth, said this time around it will be a “community policing substation.”
The Taraval Neighborhood Team, a special team of one sergeant and eight police officers tasked with combating crime in the neighborhood, is supportive of the substation.
Currently, TNT police officers have access to 103 Broad St., which is shared with OMI’s Family Resource Center, for its restroom.
Capt. Curtis Lum of Taraval Police Station is supportive of returning the substation but wants it fitted with increased security for the building and a computer connected to the SFPD’s network so officers can file reports.
“I don’t like the physical makeup of the building,” Capt. Lum said. “It’s not safe. Someone could drive by and shoot it up and our officers would be vulnerable. It needs to be fortified with bullet-proof glass and a wide hallway.”
Mary Harris and Moeslein plan to continue working with the city and other organizations.
Alexander Mullaney, publisher and editor of The Ingleside Light, can be reached at publisher@inglesidelight.com.