San Francisco Mission resident demands more enforcement after suspected sex worker beats homeless woman
Video of a recent brutal attack by a suspected sex worker on a homeless woman in the middle of San Francisco's Mission District is raising questions about the city's efforts to crack down on prostitution in the neighborhood.
City officials have been trying to discourage the activity for over a year, even installing concrete barriers at one hotspot to keep johns away.
Neighbors tell KPIX the problem is just moving from one street to another and are calling on city officials to do more.
A woman who lives in that part of the Mission, who asked to be identified simply as "Jane" for fear of retaliation, is speaking out about the problem after taking the video of the assault.
"She was sitting on top of this woman, and she was beating her, hitting her in the head and the chest very hard and screaming," she said about the attack.
Jane captured the video of the suspected sex worker beating the homeless woman on Shotwell St. near 21st last Saturday afternoon.
She believes city leaders aren't listening to the neighborhood's complaints about the issues sex work in the Mission is creating.
"It's a problem that's being allowed to exist. They seem to accept it and we're suffering," Jane said.
Residents say prostitution and lawlessness have spiked in their neighborhood after the city made it more difficult for cars to enter Capp St., where soliciting of sex workers became problematic last year.
When asked what she wants the city to do, Jane replied, "I want to see enforcement."
District 9 Board of Supervisor candidate Trevor Chandler has been highlighting the issue for residents in the Mission.
"I'm not surprised, but I am horrified by it, because the neighbors have been talking about this for years and they feel like they've gotten no response," said Chandler.
He is calling for at least one police officer to patrol the street regularly and the immediate installation of license plate readers to deter sex workers and and those soliciting their services.
"I'm of the only candidates that supports the fully staffed police department," said Chandler. "And it's not because I think it solves all our problems. But it does allow the city to effectively address these quality of life issues.
In the instance of the attack on Saturday that Jane captured on video, San Francisco police said they arrested and booked a 24-year-old female suspect from Fairfield into jail for aggravated assault.
Police also said the victim was taken to an area hospital to be treated for minor injures and was expected to be ok.
Jane believes more can be done.
"They're not enforcing the law in the way," she said. "They perhaps would in some other neighborhoods such as Noe Valley or even Bernal Heights where I don't think these things would be accepted."
She and neighbors hope the recent incident and arrest will spur more enforcement by the city.
Anyone who may know someone who is a victim of human trafficking is asked to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 888-373-7888 or by texting "BeFree" to 233-7888. The San Francisco Bay Area Human Trafficking Hotline can be reached at 415-907-9911.
