The city is beginning to get tough on the quality of life problems that have been plaguing many parts of the city, where homeless individuals have obstructed sidewalks, relieved themselves in public, or littered the sidewalks with needles.
At a late-January community meeting in the Mission, San Francisco Police Capt. Gaetano Caltagirone announced that police would work with the district attorney to address the problem of homeless people who have received numerous citations for nuisance actions and who refuse to receive services. They will now be subject to arrest, after which the city will try to find them the necessary services.
Mission Local reported there was some resistance to the plan, with homeless advocates questioning the ability of the police to match people with the needed services. But Henry Karnilowicz, president of the San Francisco Council of District Merchants Associations, praised the police initiative, noting the harm to businesses and the quality of life from leaving the antisocial behavior unchallenged.
