San Francisco, CA
San Francisco District Attorney Jenkins’ crime crackdown brings hope to Tenderloin business owners
SAN FRANCISCO — Business owners in the San Francisco Tenderloin neighborhood said they have seen a drop in crime recently. And they’re thanking District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.
business owners like Jesus Kauil say they have seen it all: from people shooting needles in the bathroom to drug dealers running inside his business, trying to escape from the police.
“They would come in here looking to hide so that they wouldn’t get arrested, and there’s no way to tell them, don’t come in. So they would come in here waiting for things to calm down, and then they would go back out,” said Kauil, the owner of Los Yucatecos, a restaurant he opened three years ago on Ellis Street.
But he said, luckily, he hasn’t witnessed this in quite some time, at least over the last year.
“So I don’t see those people anymore, and that’s why I can notice and say, something is changing,” Kauil added.
He’s just one of many business owners and residents who are paying close attention to San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ actions.
On Wednesday, Jenkins released new data regarding her office’s efforts to combat drug trafficking in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.
“We have seen an overwhelming decrease in the amount of drug dealing going on in the Tenderloin. We still have a long way to go to get the Tenderloin to where we wanted to be. We still have trouble spots, but we have seen a massive change in the amount of activity during the day that’s going on,” said Jenkins.
Jenkins notes that these efforts have led to an increase in convictions. So far in 2024, there have been 128 felony narcotics convictions, with 92% of these being felony offenses compared to just 20% when Jenkins first took office in 2022.
“We are here to do a job, and that’s to make sure that our streets are safe and clean, and I want them to fear consequences. We have to have a healthy fear of consequences in San Francisco to get our streets to where we want them to be, and that’s another part of the commitment. No more we’re giving misdemeanors. We believe in true accountability,” Jenkins emphasized.
This is exactly what Kauil wants to keep seeing. He said the complicated quality of life in the Tenderloin means fewer customers. These days, he can barely get 120 people, while back in the day, he said he would get at least 400 daily.
“We like it here. We have great support. We have customers, but sometimes there’s a little fear, especially at night,” Kauil explained.
Despite the challenges, Kauil is hopeful. He’s not going anywhere and believes things will keep getting better because, ultimately, this is his home.
Brandon Crawford and Brandon Belt are among the most recognized and well-liked players in recent San Francisco Giants history.
The pair combined to help San Francisco win world titles in 2012 and 2014.
Crawford recently announced his retirement in November and will be honored in April. Belt remains a free agent but didn’t play last season. He hasn’t officially announced his retirement.
At Oracle Park, one of the best moments is when a Giants player hits a “splash hit,” which is a home run into McCovey Cove, which is behind the right-field seats. Typically, left-handed hitters slam balls into McCovey Cove — but it’s not easy.
Crawford and Belt played more than a decade for the Giants and combined, they only hit 14 of them.
Recently, the Giants put together a super clip of all 14 of their splash hits during their Giants careers.
Crawford played 14 seasons, 13 of which were with the Giants. The 37-year-old California native was a three-time All-Star selection, won four Gold Gloves and was the Silver Slugger at his position in 2015. He also played for the U.S. in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, where the U.S, won the gold medal.
The Mountain View, Calif., product finished his career with a slash line of .249/.318/.395/.713 with 147 home runs and 748 RBI. His best single season was in 2021, when he slashed .298/.373/.522/.895 with 24 home runs and 90 RBI. He was selected an All-Star for the last time, won his last Gold Glove and finished fourth in National League MVP voting.
Belt was primarily a first baseman throughout his career and played in 2023 with Toronto, where he batted .254 with 19 home runs and 43 RBI.
Belt was a National League All-Star in 2016 and finished in the Top 20 in MVP voting in 2020.
He has a career .261 batting average with 194 home runs and 697 RBI.
Locally owned and loved San Francisco establishments like tapas restaurant Cha Cha Cha and the Hong Kong Bakery are getting a hand from the SF Shines Improvement Project, the city announced.
A total of $350,000 in funding will be distributed between more than 50 businesses to support storefront improvements and equipment purchases from the project, which is administered by the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development.
Both new and existing small businesses can receive up to $10,000 apiece to make building improvements to reduce vulnerability to crime, attract foot traffic, ensure compliance with City requirements and stimulate economic growth.
Since it launched in 2022, the program has been vital to the City’s economic revitalization strategy, awarding more than $3.7 million to approximately 960 businesses, city officials said.
“San Francisco’s small businesses are at the center of what drives our economy and what makes our city so special,” said Mayor London Breed.
Onur Ozkaynak, owner of Cha Cha Cha, said he plans to redesign the bar at Cha Cha Cha and purchase a new pizza oven for his other establishment, Oz Pizza, with the grant funding.
“This investment has not only enabled much-needed improvements to my businesses but has also brought renewed hope for future growth,” Ozkaynak said.
Hong Kong Bakery owner David Huang said, “In previous years, our old freezer would stop working randomly, requiring constant repairs and careful maintenance.
“With the funds from SF Shines Grant, we will be able to purchase a brand new commercial-use freezer for our bakery,” Huang said.
The new unit will make it possible for Huang to more accurately control and maintain the desired temperature and deliver fresher food to his customers, the bakery owner said.
The program will begin accepting new applications in January 2025. Information on how to apply for an SF Shines grant is available on the Office of Small Business webpage: sf.gov/SmallBusinessGrants.
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