In light of recent shootings in the Mission District, Mission Local set out to talk to our neighbors and hear their perspectives on the violence.
“It’s a lot of gang-related violence,” said Ricky, a Mission resident who lost two friends to gun violence recently. “The crime is unbearable, what goes on. The crime needs to stop with everybody getting murdered.”
Yet according to data, there has been a decrease in gun shootings in the community. Some residents feel at ease, citing that the abundance of people on the streets makes them feel safer when roaming the neighborhood. A few people even offered their own solutions to violence and community fear.
“When people talk about crime, one of the solutions they talk about is more police,” said Andrew Libson, a teacher at Mission High School. “I would just say that police is not an answer. If you want to reduce real violence, you’ve got to give people opportunities.”
