New details in Lee killing help allay crime fears among some San Franciscans
SAN FRANCISCO -- The high-profile killing of Bob Lee reignited the debate about whether San Francisco is safe but news of a suspect's arrest -- including the fact that Lee knew his alleged killer -- has undercut the narrative that Lee was a victim of rampant crime in a city dealing with homelessness, a drug crisis, retail thefts and break-ins.
At a news conference Friday, district attorney Brooke Jenkins said that, at the time of the killing, people felt unrest and even more concerned about their safety.
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"I think now that we know the facts and understand that this is somebody that Mr. Lee knew -- that this was a targeted killing -- that this is not indicative of the state of affairs here in San Francisco on our streets," Jenkins said. "That doesn't mean we still don't have a lot of work to do from a public safety standpoint but I simply don't think Mr. Lee's murder factors into that equation."
Dana Bates and her daughter went for a grocery run at Woodlands Market on Main Street Friday night. She said she had a hunch the crime was not random.
"Before we knew all of the details it was very disconcerting and scary. Now that we know exactly what happened, it's definitely a different scenario and I don't feel any less safe than I did before," she said. "In fact, I feel like San Francisco is getting a bad rap that it shouldn't."
The killing of Bob Lee initially sent shock waves through the city's Rincon Hill neighborhood where violent crime is unusual.
"This was nothing to do with homeless or a dynamic that was conjured-up originally," Bates said.
Bates has lived in San Francisco for more than a decade.
"I find myself defending San Francisco often because I think there's, again, misconceptions," she said.
"I feel safe with my family because they're awesome parents," said her 10-year-old daughter Avery Turbeville.
Nora Titus lives a few blocks from where Bob Lee was stabbed. She said she has always felt safe walking in the area, even alone at night, but she became more vigilant in the days following the deadly attack.
"I think we need to be more careful about how we present San Francisco in certain lights and, obviously, we want to inform the public about things that impact their safety," Titus said. "We also want to do it in a way to ensure that the public feels safe and knows the facts before we stoke any fires."
Bates and her family are committed to staying in San Francisco. They recently bought a condo just blocks from the crime scene.
"We feel confident enough to come back to the city. We have to be in our offices now more often and we love it here. We think it's a very safe and wonderful place."