On Friday, a restaurant in the North Beach area of San Francisco called “Hilda and Jesse” asked three armed uniformed city police officers dining there to leave because staffers felt “uncomfortable” with the presence of their “multiple weapons.”
Co-Owner Rachel Sillcocks wrote on Instagram, “Our restaurant is a safe space — particularly for queer and bipoc individuals. Furthermore, the fact that they were in uniform with multiple weapons on them made our staff uncomfortable, and potentially other guests, so they were asked to leave. We would happily welcome them off-duty, out of uniform and without weapons.”
“We’re sorry that the decision upset you,” she continued. “We understand your perspective and we hope you consider ours.”
Social media slammed the owners for their actions; the San Francisco Chronicle reported, “By Sunday, the restaurant had received a flood of negative reviews on Yelp, with hundreds of reviewers criticizing it for the Friday incident …”
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott responded to Sillcocks’ post, tweeting, “San Francisco Community engagement is a core principle of SFPD’s 21st century police reforms, and we are intentional about asking our officers to support local businesses and get to know those they’re sworn to safeguard.”
(1/3) Community engagement is a core principle of SFPD’s 21st century police reforms, and we are intentional about asking our officers to support local businesses and get to know those they’re sworn to safeguard. https://t.co/nJsk4hy0tB
— SFPD Chief Scott (@SFPDChief) December 5, 2021
“I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do — in their uniforms — to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe,” he continued. “The San Francisco Police Department stands for safety with respect, even when it means respecting wishes that our officers and I find discouraging and personally disappointing. I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do — in their uniforms — to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe.”
(3/3) I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do — in their uniforms — to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe.
— SFPD Chief Scott (@SFPDChief) December 5, 2021
Owners Sillcocks and Kristina Liedags Compton later apologized, writing on Instagram: “We made a mistake and apologize for the unfortunate incident Friday when we asked members of the San Francisco Police Department to leave our restaurant. … We are grateful to all members of the force who work hard to keep us safe, especially during these challenging times. We hope this will be a teachable moment for us as we repair and continue to build bridges with the SFPD. These are stressful times, and we handled this badly.”
The Daily Wire reported in late October:
More than 150 families have hired private security to patrol the streets of San Francisco, amidst a rash of home burglaries and car break-ins. Patrol special officer Alan Byard was hired by the families to patrol the Marina district, an upscale neighborhood at the northern tip of the city, known for its history as the staging area of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Patrol special officers are private security guards whose functions are overseen by the San Francisco Police Commission.
“It’s a nice area down here, people are afraid of what’s been going on,” said Byard. “They want a safe place to raise their kids. In the last year, I’ve had 10 of my clients move out of the city.”