A woman, reportedly mentally ill and homeless, is scaring people left and right in the Inner Sunset District with her increasingly aggressive out-lashings at random pedestrians. The woman, who has an animal tattoo on her face, has been on the street for years and appears to be getting sicker, according to the neighbors. Tickets are routinely issued and ignored. The recent incidents have people asking the age old question – what can San Francisco do to help those that refuse to be helped?
Example incidents include when a man was suddenly struck from behind with a board and a mother who was grabbed, shook and threatened by her while strolling her kid to the park. The mother, Simone Haas, called the cops and the woman was caught. “About five hours later, there she is in front of our house,” Haas said. “I called the cops again and they said, ‘Oh, yeah, we gave her a ticket.’ “
“It sounds like another example of the disconnect between law enforcement, service agencies and the justice system,” said Dariush Kayhan, the mayor’s homeless coordinator. “It’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion.”
Kayhan says the Mayor’s office is working with the courts on a system that would focus homeless outreach and increased punishment on the city’s 40 worst offenders. He hopes that the system will be put in place by the end of the year.
