comments from community

I attended the Engineering Public Hearing of the San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Agency on Friday morning. This hearing was chaired by John Newlin, whom is an ex-police officer in San Francisco

The meeting started off with John Newlin giving the microphone over to those opposing the shelter on the inbound #19 line at the northwest corner of Hyde and Turk Streets. Their comments gave way to many inaccuracies and false characterizations. One person claimed he had never seen seniors and persons with mobility problems using the bus stop. Others said that the shelter was used by persons engaged in criminal activities, rather than seniors and others with mobility problems. Many of those in opposition are not Muni riders and are certainly not seniors or persons with disabilities.

Then Captain Gary Jimenez from the Tenderloin Police Station got up and said that he was asked by the SFPD Command Staff to speak against the re-installation of the shelter so desperately needed by senior and disabled riders. He basically stated that his command was unable (unwilling?)to deal with the sale and use of drugs in our neighborhood and rather focusing on the drug problems of the neighborhood he wants to penalize the frail elderly and mobility impaired residents of the area. He spoke of increased problems created by the methadone clinic, but the shelter is an easier target. If he was so concerned about what was happening in the neighborhood he could have patrol cars stationed on the northeast corner and have foot patrol officers focus on the drug problem on the northwest corner and the problem with sidewalk sales so prevalent on the northeast corner. If the captain feels he is not up to the job at hand, maybe there is a desk job waiting for him somewhere.

Muni Disability Services and other Muni representatives gave a wonderful presentation. The representative from the Mayor's Office on Disability was forceful in her comments on the need for this shelter. David Villa-Lobos dynamically spoke about the issue and emphasized the support of those seniors and persons with disabilities from the community that signed the petition.

When I came to the podium I spoke to the needs of seniors and the mobility impaired in regard to the shelters re-installation. My comments made it clear that the criminal activity in the neighborhood should be addressed by the police, as there is going to be criminal activity in the area regardless of whether there is a shelter there or not. I gave the analogy of doing away with the #14 line because there was a stabbing of a man that came to the aid of a senior woman that was being assaulted on a bus. I also stated that I had spoken to Muni staff about the charge of there being a problem and was told there had not been any serious reports in the matter.

John Newlin stated in his decision that we should come together and come to an agreement, but sided with the people wishing to discriminate against the seniors and disabled residents living in the area. Rather than making a final determination he could have continued this item to a future date. In my mind I have to ask would they do this in a more affluent neighborhood or whether the fact that the hearing officer (a former police officer) gave the captains comments greater weight.