Crime in the inner sunset area of San Francisco (San Jose: apartment, violent crime)

[andyadhi01]

Hello,

I recently moved in the inner sunset area of San Francisco near the UCSF Parnassus area. So far I really like the area, the scenery and the excellent restaurants on 9th and Irving street.

However, I am worried about crime in the area. I walk around a lot and sometime at night when the streets are empty. I never felt unsafe but yesterday I heard a lot of gunshots from my apartment and there were lots of cop cars around. I do not know what happened but it was scary!

What do you think about the crime situation in this area? Do you consider inner sunset a safe area? Is violent crime an issue or is it unsafe to walk around the area?

Thanks!

[KRISTINsf]

It's quite safe. That random gunfire you heard was probably someone shooting into the air celebrating something or other. It happens in Cali.

[jbunniii]

I lived in the Inner Sunset (also near UCSF) for 3 years. Worst crime that ever happened to me was my bicycle was stolen from my open garage in the middle of my move out of the city. Very annoying, but that can happen pretty much anywhere. I never heard of any violent crime happening in the Inner Sunset other than this incident:

Murder charges filed in pizza slayings

[iTsLiKeAnEgG]

Sunset/Richmond are very safe areas. Maybe you've been a bit too sheltered, but simply hearing gun shots in the distance wouldn't put the fear in me. People have guns, its not something I can control and I'm fine with that as long as they aren't pointed at me.

[City Boy]

It's still the city. You're not sheltered from things like that.

[Jonotastic]

Inner Sunset/UCSF is a safe area =)

[BayAreaHillbilly]

To be completely honest, when we lived in the Inner Sunset, there was a small but unmistakable "Asian Gang" element (or perhaps to be more precise, wanna bes thereof). Mostly, you'd see a few rip offs (including our car stereo, but only once) and the odd drive by. Sh__ happens, and this variety happens in both the City and the burbs.

[footballer0607]

If anyone thinks that the Inner Sunset has a problem with crime, they probably haven't been to the Mission, the Tenderloin, Bayview/Hunter's Point, Western Addition, or Visitacion Valley.

[sonarrat]

I've lived in San Jose, South San Francisco, San Francisco (Sunset), Redwood City, Morgan Hill, Milpitas.. and only heard gunfire -ever- in the first two. Not frequently at all.

[rah]

Originally Posted by footballer0607

If anyone thinks that the Inner Sunset has a problem with crime, they probably haven't been to the Mission, the Tenderloin, Bayview/Hunter's Point, Western Addition, or Visitacion Valley.

Well you're comparing the Sunset to the actual seriously bad areas of the city for crime...the sunset is like Mayberry times 500 compared to them. But compare the Sunset to Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, West Portal, Twin Peaks, Diamond Heights, Seacliff, Forest Hill, the Castro, Cole Valley, the Marina, etc, and it definitely does have a few problems.

I lived in the inner Sunset for two years, and in that time there were 5 homicides within a 10 block radius of me (kinda high for a hood that has no problems with crime, don't you think?). Two of them were two guys who were shot and killed at a pizza restaurant on 19th and Irving because they didn't want to share their pizza with a drunk stranger and his friends (this one looks like the shooter and his buddies were part of that Asian gang element). Another guy was stabbed to death by his brother, and another guy was shot to death while sitting in his parked car near...18th and Noriega if i remember right. A fifth man was also shot and killed on Lawton Street but it was ruled self defense. A German exchange student was also nearly killed by a homeless man when she bought food for him and he then followed her home, and stabbed her in the face a bunch of times while trying to rape her. I've witnessed bums stealing bikes and escaping into the park, and been accosted by tough guy wannabes who likely would've been chewed up in the Mission or HP...but who were still threatening enough when in my face in their own "domain" of the Sunset. There are the occasional shootings like others have said, usually due to Asian gangs or drugs, or maybe the odd robbery gone wrong (i've been reading SF police blotters pretty religiously for the past 3 years, and I think some people would be surprised at some of the neighborhoods in which bullets fly). I read an article several months ago that stated some kids from one of these little asian gangs was going around with bats and beating and robbing other kids at random. What about the tons of brothels and weed growing operations set up in houses in the sunset? I don't really have a problem with prostitution as long as sex-slavery isn't involved, and i have no problem with weed either, but i know that lots of residents do not like the presence of that stuff in the sunset...the bi-weekly weed raids by the feds have to be annoying when they occur right near your house, especially if you don't approve of marijuana.

Anyways, in my experience most shootings in the sunset i've read about happen way in the outer sunset, or around the edge of the inner sunset, like around 19th avenue. Golden Gate park can also get kinda dicey sometimes at night (occasional shootings, robberies, even the occasional murder. There were two in Golden gate park last year, one a homeless man who was stabbed to death, and a another a man who was shot and killed, probably during an attempted robbery).

Of course this is all relative...Compared to SF's actual ghettos, the Sunset isn't a problem at all. It's middle class, quiet, close to the park, beach, is relatively cheap, it's not trendy, has some good food, and is a very safe place comparatively. I wouldn't think twice about going out alone at all hours of the night whether woman or man. I would however, keep my eyes peeled a little bit more than in Noe Valley, where i currently live. This is the city, crime happens, and it seems to happen in the Sunset a little bit more frequently than some other SF hoods that are also considered to be very safe...so while i consider the Sunset to be safe overall, especially compared to the ghetto (of course), I wouldn't ever put it at the top of the safety list. Not based on my own experiences, or from what I've read.

If the SFPD would only release neighborhood crime stats we wouldn't have to do all this speculating and guessing though would we? I guess it's a stretch to expect our police department to actually provide anything useful