1 year later, Poor Neighborhoods of Color under PD Siege

"Operation Impact", a sweeping, glamorized collaboration between Highway Patrol and Police Departments across the US, has typically focused its joined efforts on "Crime Prevention" in Poor Neighborhoods of Color, Bayview Hunters Point being PD number 1 target in San Francisco.

In our city, Operation Impact has repeatedly and almost exclusively targeted Bayview, Lakeview, Visitation Valley and the Mission... Sure, a year ago, such operation was conducted by SFPD on the privileged district of Richmond, as a demagogical strategy to deflate the rapidly growing awareness that Operation Impact is a blatant methodology meant to stereotype and compound oppression and criminalization of our most disenfranchized districts... But the raid on any privileged neighborhoods has not been repeated ever since.
Imagine that: What if Operation Impact would have to publicize comparable rates of arrest for drug possession, stolen cars, or outstanding warrants in North Beach, the Marina, Downtown Market or Chinatown? Surely it would have a disastrous impact on tourism flow, and bring unwanted attention to hi-crime areas which have not been subjected to criminalization...

3 months ago, while attending a Bayview ROSES (sponsored by the Bayview Precinct) monthly gathering at South East College on Oakdale St, I was appalled to hear Captain Bruce announce to the attendees ( mainly comprising Bayview Home Owners, Merchants, indicators and City Government officials who are Bayview residents):

(Jokingly) "There will be an Operation Impact this coming Saturday in Bayview. So it would be wise for you to stay home on Saturday not to be caught in the loop!". His statement was greeted by grateful shucckles and praise for his outstanding crime prevention efforts. God forbid the most privileged elements of our Bayview community would be accidently exposed to the wrath of Operation Impact ! Incidently, notice of upcoming Operation Impact on Bayview or any other District for that matter never appears on PD various newsletters (sent daily to PD mailing lists), until AFTER Wednesdays, which is the day SF Bayview National Black Newspaper gets out on the streets. Hmmmm........

So much for PD "Transparency & Accessibility", the new mantra Chief Heather Fong has been pushing through as part of SFPD Public Relations Protocole since the beginniing of her tenure. The Mantra applies to the ruling class, Brown, Black or White, as advertizing "transparently" Operation Impact for Poor folks and People of Color would undoubtedly impact CHP and SFPD success rate at "catching the Bad Guys", and foul their criminalization strategies all together. At least, THAT is obviously transparent.

If Operation Impact is here to stay, shouldn't the People of San Francisco go to the Police Commission and require equal cracking down on all districts? One might argue that it would still be at PD discretion to let folks go with a slap on the hand in more fortunate districts... Only: Remember COPWATCH? Any of us can freely exercize their "Constitutional Right To Observe", with a camera cell phone, a video camera, a tape recorder, down to a cheap Walgreens camera! If we notice any blatant differences in level of intervention or post Operation Impact reports when it comes to arrests, and citations statistics, we shall file with the SF Office of Citizen Complaints and report back to the Police Commission!

We, Bayview, and other Poor neighborhoods of Color, do not have to remain the ruling class sacrificial lambs ! Power to the People !

If you are interested in Joining our efforts against SFPD siege on Poor, Black and Brown, call Idriss Stelley Foundation at (415) 595-8251 (24HR Crisis Line) or write to iolmisha [at] cs.com