Police Training in former San Francisco housing projects

Beginning the morning of Monday, September 29, neighbors in the northern part of the Mission district, near the former Valencia Gardens housing projects at 15th and Valencia, who were home that morning, were treated to a live action show of the most disturbing kind. The sound of shouts and explosions could be heard. When looking out the windows facing 15th Street, neighbors could see police in full black combat gear running in various formations. About 30 visible and numbered police cars surrounded the former projects. Wooden planks were set up along the inner courtyard walls. They began exploding smoke bombs and testing out equipment. They proceeded to perform mock-stormings of the "barricades" and of individual empty apartment buildings. The officers were shouting orders like "open the door now!!" This went on for most of the day (with a break for lunch). Finally, at around 6 pm, they loaded the equipment back into the paddywagons and trucks also stationed there. The manuevers continued on into the following day on Tuesday and are likely to continue on into the rest of the week. No notification was received by the neighbors that such activity would be taking place. It was quite a frightening sight and made many of my neighbors and housemates feel unsafe walking around during the day.

Photos and short videos may be available tomorrow.