SF officials hope heightened security lures shoppers back to Union Square
SAN FRANCISCO -- Union Square is ready for the holidays. San Francisco officials want shoppers to return to take in all the sights and visit the stores that line the streets this season.
On Tuesday, city leaders unveiled their plan to bring business and foot traffic back to the area. It includes keeping parking garages and transit stops clean, changing zoning to bring in more restaurants and cultural activities, launching an "Only in San Francisco" marketing campaign and upgrading Union Square and nearby alleys to bring in more live events.
Joran Salazar and his friend were in the holiday spirit Monday evening in Union Square. He's visiting from Mexico City.
"I love the feeling of Christmas right now," Salazar said.
Salazar has been staying in the city for a month.
He said it was hard to miss the heavy police presence on virtually every corner in Union Square. Private security guards also make the rounds. KPIX 5 even spotted an ambassador, whose sole purpose is to add another layer of security and make tourist areas including the Ferry Building more inviting.
"I think they're doing their best effort to make people feel welcome to the city, and I love the fact that they are ambassadors," Salazar said. "They are trying to give you as much information about the culture and activities you can do in the city. So I think that is really helpful."
Other popular destinations like the Palace of Fine Arts are also getting more security. Supervisor Catherine Stefani said extra police will be deployed around the park and along Chestnut Street seven days a week, following the brazen daytime robbery of a wedding photographer earlier this month.
The supervisor also secured $300,000 to pay for police ambassadors.
"I feel safe, I didn't know about the robberies in the stores, but one thing is that I would never have a car here in San Francisco for sure, I would be afraid that someone would break into my car and destroy the window," added Salazar.
A group of shoppers from Stockton said they definitely noticed the increase in police officers.
"We felt a lot safer especially being a woman in San Francisco at night," Jasmin Bowen said.
The addition of ambassadors took Bowen by surprise.
"I was like is he doing tours or something? He just said 'hi' and I was like 'oh, hi'," Bowen said. "I'm not used to people saying hi to me on the streets like that. They just kind of look at you and keep walking, you're not used to people being so opening friendly like that."
Salazar planned to end the night ice skating with his new friend from Italy. The two met in San Francisco.
"I love that we can skate here. So it's a pretty good feeling of celebration," he said.