Capt. Marsha Ashe: Police Beat

What do baseball and police work have in common? Teamwork.

How do baseball and police work differ? In baseball everyone knows the rules. And although you can argue a call, you can't argue the rule. In police work, rules can seem to change in mid-play, bases constantly move and crossing the plate does not guarantee the point.

What does remain constant, at least in little league and police work, is the love of the game and the dedicated focus of the players. A recent auto burglary case in the Richmond District provided a vivid illustration of this teamwork, resiliency and dedication.

An auto burglar began working the Stow Lake area in Golden Gate Park early in February. Like most thieves, this creature exploited opportunity and stealth. He looked for the obvious haul of electronics, leather jackets and briefcases left in plain view.

Sometimes he watched from nearby bushes as occupants locked personal valuables in the trunk of their cars. He knew most newer models have interior trunk releases so this posed little challenge to him.

Officers Gary Mendribill and Ivan Chavez, the two officers assigned to Golden Gate Park, quickly noticed an increase in reported auto break-ins. About this time, gardeners started to see a relatively well-dressed man in the area and became even more suspicious when the officers alerted them about the recent break-ins.

Early one morning, right after a break-in, the man was detained and identified by the officers, but he was released because the officers lacked enough evidence to arrest him.

A few mornings later, a Rec. and Park employee watched the man emerge from the bushes, break into a car and disappear back into the underbrush. The ball was now in motion with a clean pitch to the strike zone. Officers stepped up to the plate, swung and hit what appeared to be a home run. The man was arrested and taken to jail.

But what should have been a lasting victory for the officers ended up being a winning inning for the "shady" side because the clearly identified suspect was out of jail before the officers could complete their arrest reports.

In a perfect world, the bad guys/gals go to jail and stay there. In the real world, this jinx occurs with relative frequency due to conflicting priorities competing for finite resources (jail space). Crimes against property are not given the same consideration as crimes against people. Nor, I suppose, should they.

However, it's always amazing to see the truly fine officers of the SF Police Department dust themselves off after a perceived bad call and go back to work. Like I said, in the game of cops and robbers the rules seem to change but the devotion to duty of most officers remains inspiring.

This scenario, repeated two more times, would have frustrated lesser mortals. But often the difference between winning and losing is simply a matter of putting on your cleats and showing up, hoping to get into the game. This miscreant certainly continued to show up, stealing bases and whatever else wasn't nailed down. And the All Stars continue to show up, shoes laced and ready to play.

This petty crook probably saw his fourth arrest as little more than a tiresome interlude in an otherwise pitiful life of unfettered low-level crime. Wrong. Between arrests, officers diligently worked their case and managed to load the bases. With the assistance of auto detectives (inspectors), the District Attorney's Office and the thief's parole officer, his "winning streak" was finished. The thief is currently warming a bench in some state-sponsored dugout - like San Quentin.

Does that mean there are no more auto burglaries in Golden Gate Park? Sadly, no.

Although the numbers have been significantly reduced, auto break-ins remain the highest reported crime in the City. The standard tips are: Stay aware of your environment; store valuables in your trunk before you park; avoid, whenever possible, isolated of poorly-lighted areas; and make sure your car is locked and any items of value moved out of sight. These simple precautions will go a long way toward making you less vulnerable.

If you are a victim of an auto burglary, please take the time to report the crime. In San Francisco, there are several ways to report crime. You can come into the police station to file a report, regardless of what part of the City the crime occurred in, or call the non-emergency number at (415) 553-0123 and ask to file a report (generally done through a telephone reporting system).

Most insurance companies require a police report if a claim is filed. As a police department, we need this information to address the problem - either making an arrest or increasing patrols in the area. Public safety is, after all, a team sport too. And you are part of our team.

Until next month, stay safe.

Capt. Marsha Ashe is the commanding officer at the Richmond Police Station.