Limit on S.F. police pretextual stops won’t increase crime

Regarding “S.F. Police Commission bans pretextual traffic stops to reduce racial bias” (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, Jan. 11) and “Banning S.F. police from making pretextual traffic stops will increase crime” (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com Jan. 13): I listened to a wonderful presentation by former police Chief Harold Medlock from Fayetteville, N.C., in which he explained the implementation and evaluation of a similar program in his city a few years back.

The results of curtailing stops for minor issues were astounding in a positive way. The police officers had more time for citing those committing infractions related to unsafe driving and crashes (not accidents).

It was not found to be true that those pretext stops resulted in “arrests for illegal guns, drug supplies and violent felonies” as Frank Noto stated in his letter. And once the pretextual stops were decreased in Fayetteville, crime did not increase.

I encourage those who question this decision by the San Francisco Police Commission to learn more about what happened in Fayetteville under

Chief Medlock.

Susan George, San Francisco

Streets will be safer

“Banning S.F. police from making pretextual traffic stops will increase crime” (Letters to the Editor, SFChronicle.com, Jan. 13): As a longtime advocate for safe streets, I applaud the

San Francisco Police Commission’s decision to limit pretextual stops and deplore the opportunistic hijacking of pedestrian safety concerns by apologists for heavy-handed policing.

The letter from Frank Noto of SF Stop Crime repeatedly uses the term “accidents,” a sign that the group knows

nothing about true safety advocacy.

Credible groups insist that traffic injuries and fatalities are not “accidents” but rather preventable actions that can best be addressed through proven engineering approaches such as road design, pedestrian-oriented crossings and the like.

Both Walk San Francisco and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition support the new limits on policing as a way to reduce racial profiling and direct traffic enforcement to truly menacing behavior, such as speeding and red-light running.

No one has ever been killed or injured by a crooked license plate. Groups such as SF Stop Crime should stop masquerading as pedestrian advocates.

Spraying is cruel

Regarding “S.F. police investigate case of man spraying homeless woman with hose” (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, Jan. 10): The casual stance of gallery owner Collier Gwin as he sprayed water in the face of a homeless woman revealed a callousness that is abhorrent and unnecessary.

His defense that this homeless person has been bothersome in the past is no excuse to deny her humanity and treat her with cruelty.

Are his actions simply a reflection of a society that values capitalism over compassion?

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle 2022 The San Francisco Police Commission approved a measure Wednesday that would limit pretextual stops. Police in Fayetteville, N.C., did the same, and the results have been positive.