Sup. Walton Seeks Funding for Vis Valley Public Safety Measures

District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, also board president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, introduced legislation recently to secure $250,000 to the Office of Economic Workforce Development (OEWD) to implement cameras and other public safety measures in Visitacion Valley as part of the District 10 Public Safety Plan, per his office.

Sup. Walton worked with community based organizations, and via town halls and meetings with residents, to develop the City’s first District 10 Community Safety Plan to support successful public safety work in District 10. The plan includes working with SF SAFE to install more cameras in the Visitacion Valley neighborhood, as well as increasing language access for limited English speaking residents.

“Residents of Visitacion Valley have been advocating for more public safety measures including cameras,” said Sup. Walton. “We are excited to bring these resources to the neighborhood to implement the public safety plan and we look forward to partnering with SF SAFE and the community on this.”

Rex Tabora, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Community Center (APACC) called the legislation “a big win for a community that has lived in fear for several years” and “a big blow to criminals who come to Visitacion Valley to perpetrate and victimize a vulnerable community.” He commended Sup. Walton for being “a supervisor who is willing to walk the street with his constituents and listen to their concerns,” noting that he went to City Hall and advocated for his

fellow colleagues “to bring resources where they are needed.”

"SF SAFE is proud to serve the diverse neighborhoods of Bayview as a consistent platform for community education, engagement and empowerment," said Kyra

Worthy, executive director of SF SAFE. "We support innovative public safety tools in the hands of residents that are guided by equity, informed through community consensus, and keep our commercial corridors and neighborhoods alike safe, thriving, and resilient."

According to Sup. Walton’s office, the legislation will be heard at the Budget and Finance Committee at the Board of Supervisors sometime this month. Community feedback will be welcomed during the Budget and Finance Committee hearing as well as after the legislation passes.

Jenny Mai of the Visitacion Valley Neighborhood Association said their area has many elderly residents and immigrant residents “who have limited English skills but we all share a common goal of wanting to feel safe.” She added that she is “happy that these resources are coming into the community to improve the safety."

-Kathy Chouteau