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SFPD tells Entertainment Commission that Broadway weekend crowds strain resources; cites safety incidents and recommends club cooperation on staffing costs
Summary
Central Station reported repeated weekend crowd-control incidents, staffing shortages that weaken response capacity on Broadway, several venue-related safety incidents (including a Vessel padlocked-entry safety call and a shooting-related 2008 event), and urged clubs to consider pooled funding for police details.
San Francisco Police Department Central Station staff told the Entertainment Commission on April 27 that weekend nightclub and bar activity in the Broadway/North Beach area continues to require substantial police resources and that staffing shortages constrain their ability to respond.
Officer Steve Mathias summarized recent Central District activity and notable incidents: large weekend crowds that in some cases prompted fights or ejections (including an aggravated assault connected to an event at 443 Broadway), a weapons-and-drugs arrest near the Impala following a traffic stop in which officers found a firearm and rock cocaine, and a safety call at the nightclub Vessel (85 Campton Place) where officers and the Fire Department entered after finding a chained, padlocked entrance and patrons inside in near-dark conditions. Mathias said that in the Vessel response, padlocked exits and darkness presented extreme fire-code and safety risks.
Mathias said staffing levels on busy nights were low — sometimes as few as seven officers on Broadway — forcing temporary redeployments and overtime. He told the commission that because nightclub events routinely require sustained officer presence and drain district resources, he supports a model in which establishments contribute to staffing costs through associations or pooled funds; some northern establishments have already used that approach.
Mathias and Captain Brown also discussed their contacts with venues over promoter behavior and safety concerns, including an earlier memo about a 2008 event tied to promoter Lloyd Lewis that raised fire-safety and crowd-control alarms. Mathias said he would follow up with records and hoped to meet with the promoter to discuss safety protocols.
Commissioners and staff agreed there are no simple administrative fixes while staffing shortages persist and called for further meetings with industry groups, police and city attorneys to address gaps between enforcement, public-health roles (smoking ordinance enforcement) and crowd-control needs.
Next steps: SFPD will continue outreach to venues and attempt to coordinate pooled staffing models for busy nights; the commission plans working meetings with police and industry groups to craft recommendations and improve communication.
