3/8: Should S.F. cops focus on leash laws or more urgent matters?

> Tuesday, March 8, 2005
> 6:30 pm
> Hall of Flowers, Golden Gate Park (9th Ave. at Lincoln)

Begin forwarded message:
> Hi all,
> Rec & Parks' Dog Advisory Committee (DAC) meets next Tues 3/8 at 6:30
> pm at the Hall of Flowers. The anti-doggers are billing this regular,
> bi-monthly meeting as a citywide hearing on enforcement of leash
laws.
> A well-known anti-dog activist
[a very, very creepy man who sometimes hides in the bushes--M]
> is trying to ensure the meeting is stacked with people demanding that
> the police enforce on-leash areas in City parks. He wants the police
> to come to your park and give you a ticket for having your dog
> offleash, even if you and your dog are not bothering anyone else in
> the park. Indeed, he wants you ticketed even if there is no one else
> in the entire park. He wants to keep people with dogs out of our
> parks. He wants to be the one who gets to say who is allowed in our
> parks and what we can do once we're in them.
>
> We all know that dogs in parks are not a big public safety issue.
[In fact, the presence of dogs has significantly cut down on the
presence of dog dealers and muggers in parks like McLaren.--Mara]
> We all know the cops have a lot more important things to do (like
> stopping murders and gang violence) than constantly run to the parks
> because four senior citizens have their poodles offleash.
> We all know that anti-dog people are calling the cops and saying
there
> are vicious dogs in the park to pursue personal vendettas and harass
> people they don't like.
[Absolutely true--I've seen it happen--Mara]
>
> But the DAC doesn't know that. We need dog-friendly people to show up
> at the DAC meeting on Tuesday to let the DAC know that demands for
> enforcement are a waste of resources.
> Let them know:
> We are taxpayers who want nothing more special than simple access to
> our neighborhood parks.
> Responsible dog people control their dogs whether on leash or off,
and
> that the vast majority of park goers are responsible dog people.
> Setting policy based on people's anecdotal experiences is folly. It's
> human nature to remember the one bad experience and forget the
> hundreds and thousands of experiences in which nothing bad happened.
> And let them know that in your park and in most parks in this city,
> dogs and dog people get along well with parents, kids, people playing
> soccer or football, and those just out for a walk.

> If you have kids and dogs (or just kids), please come. In the past,
> they've offered to let parents with kids speak first (so they can get
> home to their kids and not have to wait for their chance to speak).
>
> If you can't make it, please send an email stating your opinion about
> enforcement to the DAC via the email listed below.
dan.mckenna [at] sfgov.org