'Coming to the city, I'm sorry, it's scary'; Safety fears linger in wake of a violent week in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- Saturday marked the start of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco's Japantown. The popular event typically draws 200,000 visitors from all around the Bay Area over two weekends.
While many said they felt comfortable at the street festival given the large crowds, some say on a day-to-day basis, they don't feel safe visiting San Francisco.
Safety is on the top of mind after the recent stabbing death of tech executive Bob Lee in the East Cut Neighborhood and the vicious beating of former fire commissioner Don Carmignani in the Marina District.
San Francisco Crime:
- Update: Suspect arrested in brutal assault of former San Francisco Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani
- Cash App founder, MobileCoin CPO Bob Lee stabbed to death in San Francisco's Rincon Hill neighborhood
- Surging crime, dirty streets; Local residents say San Francisco's Mission District is in crisis
- Mayor Breed wants $27.6 million to help fund San Francisco crime crackdown
- San Francisco Marina District residents demand crackdown on neighborhood crime
- San Francisco Fillmore District residents fed up with with crime, homelessness, drug abuse
"Coming to the city, I'm sorry, it's scary," said South San Francisco resident Mimi Lum. "We don't come too often anymore."
Donald Fong and Lum are both retired. The grandparents moved to South San Francisco roughly 20 years ago. They love the Cherry Blossom Festival. It's one of the few times they come back to the city each year.
"After this, we're going home. We probably won't see this place for another year. I'm sorry. No, I do not feel safe," said Lum.
When they do visit, they come prepared with a pepper spray.
"When I'm walking around, I have (my pepper spray) all set, I'll turn it," said Lum, as Fong blew his whistle to demonstrate he was ready to use it anytime. "And I just walk around like this in my pocket. This is what I do. And he has his little whistle."
They said the city they knew and loved has changed for the worse.
"You can't even carry a purse, I don't. I'm scared. I don't wear my jewelry that I used to wear. It's just totally different now from back when I was living in Chinatown," said Lum.
"I used to be proud to be called a San Franciscan, a native Californian. Now I'm not. I'm totally disappointed," said Fong.
City leaders said statistics showed San Francisco is a safe city compared to other large cities, but Lum and Fong said they don't need to look at the crime statistics.
They pointed to the open-air drug markets. They said there's no stat for the type of street condition seen in the Tenderloin.
Lum said people selling drugs and doing drugs out in the open won't make it on any stat sheets, but just seeing it makes her and other people feel unsafe to walk down those streets.
"We need to really go aggressively after, especially the open-air drug dealing in the Tenderloin, not just from a local level, but from a state and federal level," said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. "And I think when that support kicks in, it's going to be a new day in San Francisco."
Breed attended the festival and took several questions from the media about Lee's slaying.
She said help is on the way from state and federal partners when it comes to the open-air drug markets. She plans to release more information at a later time.
Breed also pointed to the city's recent approval of $25 million in police overtime to deal with staffing shortage. The mayor also believes more street ambassadors would help restore safety.
"We're going to be adding more ambassadors to Irving (Street) and some other parts of other communities where they didn't exist before. So that is an alternative to policing, people who understand policing and have relationships and can deal with and be the eyes and ears on the streets," Breed said.
She said safety continues to be her number one priority.
Lum and Fong said words are cheap and change can't come soon enough.
"Ms. London Breed, I love you. But Jesus Christ, get your butt in action, please," said Lum.