Dogpatch Liberation Front

The other day, someone pointed out that somebody else pointed out how the Amici's Pizza Delivery map appeared to be racist in its "coverage".  I, too, had pondered the rationale behind the Amici's map, and whether it had any rational foundation.  This had occurred to me in early 2008, the latter of two back-to-back banner year for homicides in San Francisco.  The old Amici's map was hand-drawn and difficult to line up with some of the Google Maps-based representations of the homicides in the City for 2007 and 2008.

But this newer version makes it easy to see if there is any logic behind it based on location of homicides in SF for 2007-08.  There are much less serious things that could happen to you in the course of delivering a pizza which are undesirable, such as armed robbery or assault.  However, I think most folks would agree that pizza is not worth dying for under any circumstances.

Taking the Amici's map and the 2007-08 maps from SF Crime blog, it is very clear that the delivery coverage is not based on distance or murders. The two white X's represent the two Amici's restaurants.  The circles are in radius equal to the furthest point in each Amici's delivery coverage.  The most apparent thing is the total lack of coverage in the Bayview area despite it being well within the area from a distance standpoint.  The current map is actually a retreat from the earlier one, which went all the way to Cesar Chavez.  However, that map had a special carve-out for the Potrero Hill Housing Projects.  Maybe they were still pissed at the Juice.

While the stack of murders in the Tenderloin/6th Street area appears to justify the 'No Deliveries After Dark' policy, all the shots ringing out in the Mission seem to provide no deterrence.  If you look at the numbers for the Western Addition and Bayview - the two no-go zones that are within actual or projected coverage areas - they are two of the districts in San Francisco with the largest African-American populations at 15% and 34%, respectively.  What does this mean?  I am sure something more complicated than simply race, but it certainly doesn't look good on paper.

Just keep in mind that you aren't necessarily any safer if you decide to go to the mountain when it won't come to you.

Folks who are considering shelling out a cool million for some lofts in the new Esprit Park development better make sure they have equal parts garage and car. Last weekend exemplifies the sort of feeding frenzy that goes on whenever Cafe Cocomo hosts a party, so new homeowners should expect to add side-window replacement to their Range Rover's cost of maintenance.

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That's right, twenty-one distinct piles of glass by a conservative count. Plus, I spotted another one I had missed today, but I don't know when it happened. Unfortunately, while last weekend is a new low (high?) water mark for car break-ins in a 36-hour period, it is by no means anomalous.

Having been victimized four times myself with car robberies in this Historic Dogpatch district, I am well acquainted with emergency $150 window replacements. And seeing the remnants of purse contents in the park almost every time I walk the dog, I know full well that a new batch of victims rolls into Cocomo every week.

The club loves to boast about "Plenty of Free Parking" on their website. Even the parking in downtown S.F. doesn't cost as much as a car window replacement. As long as they are pouring money into the club, Cocomo is happy not to pour adequate money into security for the blocks surrounding the club.

How do I know all these cars belonged to Cocomo-goers? Because no one lives down here. Yet. Indiana is totally devoid of residences from 19th to 22nd. There were nine smashed windows between 20th and 22nd on that street alone.

UCSF is opening a new data center in the middle of all this at 654 Minnesota. I doubt they will put up with it any more than the inhabitants of the 142 units at Esprit Park.

So what are the developers of Esprit Park, the UC Regents, the SFPD, and Sophie Maxwell going to do about it?

I suppose that the violent crime and murder rate in San Francisco is a lot more important. Oh that's right, Cafe Cocomo has murders, too.

It's time for Cafe Cocomo to get its act together or have its permit revoked.

TBA...