 |
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications
415-554-6131
*** PRESS RELEASE ***
Mayor Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Bevan Dufty to Convene Halloween Task Force
Task Force to review Castro Halloween planning and execution
San Francisco , CA – Mayor Newsom and Supervisor Dufty today convened a Task Force to review and assess the planning and execution of the Castro Halloween festivities this past Tuesday. The event this year was significantly scaled down in response to past incidences of violence – and security was greatly stepped up. Despite this heightened level of security it was marred by a shooting that injured 10 people. This latest incident reflects the concerns of the Castro community about the changes that have taken place in the Halloween festivities, which first began as a spontaneous gathering of residents in the late 1960s, but has since become a Bay Area wide attraction with an edge of violence.
In response to these concerns, the Mayor’s Office, Supervisor Dufty, the Police, Fire and Public Works Departments, the Sheriff, MUNI and the community came together over the last several months to plan a scaled down Halloween. This planning process called for new contingencies that were executed on Tuesday evening, including: over 1,000 City personnel on-hand, that included police, fire, sheriff and public works personnel; dedicated lanes for emergency vehicles; late night MUNI service and keeping the Castro Metro station open; dedicated entry points to the venue staffed by Sheriff’s Deputies; and a formal end to the event by 11:00pm.
“Halloween in the Castro has become a tradition for thousands of people –it’s unfortunate that a few bad actors can spoil it. Our first priority remains the safety of the community and the people attending the festivities – that’s we are convening this task force. We need to carefully consider and review all aspects of this event in partnership with the residents and the City.” said Mayor Newsom.
Supervisor Dufty said, “I am committed to working with Mayor Newsom, the City family and the greater Castro neighborhood to find a permanent solution. The City faces a dilemma in how to manage the safety of the enormous crowd while containing the negative element that has threatened public safety. The Task Force will bring the community fully into the decision making process.”
Led by Supervisor Dufty, the Task Force will consider the shooting that occurred and also include greatly expanded community input, as it looks to next year. Dates for the Task Force have not been announced but it is expected to have its first meeting later this month and meet going forward on a quarterly basis.
# # #
|
|
|