This past weekend, we noticed that the police had setup a mobile command unit outside of Dolores Park. Now it appears that the police are getting serious about people enjoying themselves in the park. From Dolores Park View:
At 5 pm this evening I spotted two mountain bike patrol officers issuing citations for public drinking to two men sitting on the lawn just above Gay Beach off 20th street. These guys were neither obviously drunk, rowdy or committing any other nuisance.
The officers told me that Mission Station Chief, Steve Tacchini had issued new orders this morning ordering the drinking in Dolores Park to be brought under control. “Park neighbor had come to him complaining” the officer said.
Up till today, officers patrolling the park have told me they would not issue citations unless the offender was noticeably drunk, belligerent or violent. Public urination was another quick ticket to court. Captain Tacchini told a group of Mission Dolores Neighbors at a August 7 meeting in Supervisor Bevan Dufty’s office that I attended, that while violence would not be tolerated, citing people for drinking and smoking in Dolores was not a priority. Something must have happened in the two weeks to have changed his mind. (link)
Seriously? The voice of one idiot is more important than the hundreds of people that enjoy this park everyday?
