The crimes below are a small snapshot of what the officers of Northern Station are doing. For a more comprehensive list, visit www.sf-police.org; under Compstat, there is a link to CrimeMAPS.
FOLLOW THE MONEY
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 5:31 p.m.
2000 Block of Van Ness Avenue
When a woman tried to withdraw money from an account that had been flagged for possible fraud, bank employees recognized the woman from the previous day, when she had done the same thing. She was using what appeared to be a fake picture ID card.
While she filled out her withdrawal form, the employees notified the police and stalled her by going into the back of the bank to “get the money.” When police officers arrived, the woman tried to flee but was detained by the officers, with whom she unsuccessfully struggled. Officers collected the video and any physical evidence and booked the subject at County Jail.
HIT AND RAN
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 6:57 a.m.
Polk Street at Turk
A cyclist told officers an automobile had hit his bike, injuring him and dragging the bike for several feet. He said the driver got out of the car, spoke to him but he was too “foggy” to comprehend, and then the driver got back into his car and drove away. The biker was clear enough to take a photo of the subject and his license plate number.
Armed with the vehicle registration information, officers went to the home where the car was registered. The driver soon pulled into the driveway and was detained by the police. They did a “cold show” to the victim, who identified him (“that’s him, no doubt about it”). The subject did not have a California driver’s license but said he had to drive for his job. He said that he had heard the sound of something hitting his car; he stopped, got out, and asked the rider if he was all right and the rider said “yes,” so he left. He told the officers that he knew it was his mistake to not exchange information with the rider.
Officers ran a computer check on the driver and found an extensive record of arrests for driving without a license, driving under the influence, and hit and run. He was booked at Northern Station.
GOTTA GET YACHT-A HERE
Friday, Oct. 18, 10:54 p.m.
1 Yacht Road
The victim arrived at the harbor and noticed an open window on the rear deck area of his boat. He entered the boat, where he not only saw that numerous items had been moved about in the cabin but that there was someone sleeping in his bed and wearing the victim’s clothes. There were also a number of his belongings in a bag by the entrance to the boat, making it easy for the subject to bring them along when he awoke and left. The police arrived and took the apparently intoxicated male subject into custody. He was booked at Northern Station.
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT IN FRANCE
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 10:50 a.m.
Steiner Street at Vallejo
A caller told police that he was following a subject and watching him remove several items from an open Jeep. The caller found a park ranger, who detained the subject until the police arrived.
The witness told officers that he is a French police officer on a visit to San Francisco. He had observed the subject checking vehicle doors along Broadway to see if they were unlocked.
Officers searched the subject and found numerous apparently stolen items on his person; they were able to contact the Jeep’s owner, and she identified the items as her property. The subject was booked at Northern station.
HE NEEDS A NEW JACKET
Friday, Oct. 25, 2:45 p.m.
2300 Block of Van Ness Avenue
A caller alerted police to the presence of a burglary suspect. He said he recognized the subject from video footage when his own apartment had been burglarized, and he committed the subject’s face to memory. Also useful was that the subject was spotted walking down the street wearing the exact same distinctive jacket he had worn when he committed the burglary.
The victim lost track of the subject he was following, but an officer soon located and detained the subject. After a positive identification by the victim, officers arrested the male subject and brought him to Northern Station for booking. During a search of him, they found a professional lock-picking kit, a battery-operated saw, and bolt cutters.
SUDDENLY THIS TUNNEL APPEARED FROM NOWHERE
Thursday, Oct. 31, 7:02 a.m.
Church Street at Duboce
Officers arrived at the Muni tunnel and detained the driver of a car that had gone about 100 feet into the tunnel before stopping. A Muni employee had watched as the Toyota was driving at least 40 mph when it went into the light-rail tunnel. Trains were prevented from entering the tunnel.
The driver exited his car and stumbled about as if intoxicated, but he denied having consumed any alcohol or other impairing substances. The officers noticed several signs and symptoms of alcohol consumption, and the subject performed unsatisfactorily on field sobriety tests. The driver told officers that he had been driving, made a left turn, and suddenly he was in the tunnel.
He was transported to Mission Station, where he took an alcohol blood test. He was booked at County Jail.
