Heavy Police Presence & Small Crowds Characterize Scaled-down Halloween
Many Costumed Revelers Bemoan ‘Death of Halloween’

Jacob Del Rosario, left and Mitchell Onishi, right,
don their own police outfits Halloween night.

By Andy Sywak

Despite community anxiety and national media coverage about whether or not cancellation of the Castro’s annual Halloween event would proceed smoothly, the night ended without any major incidents. Once a free-for-all that stretched for blocks on end, those waiting for chaos to ensue this year instead found a Halloween as climactic as Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin.

On a cold, foggy Hallow’s Eve, an extensive police presence coupled with a crowd the fraction of ones in years past led to an evening with virtually none of the law-and-order problems of recent years.

A crowd between several hundred and perhaps 2,000 showed up, but at times it seemed there were almost as many out-of-costume bystanders holding video cameras as costumed participants.
For many in the neighborhood who had born the brunt of the problems in years past, this was a palpable sign of relief.

“Tonight is going well,” said Merchants of Upper Market and Castro (MUMC) President Steve Adams around 9:30 that night. “If this is as bad as it’s gonna get I’m OK with it.”

The nexus for festivities was in front of Harvey Milk Plaza outside the shuttered Castro Muni station. Revelers formed a circle, played music, danced and took endless photos of each other’s costumes. Even the police got in on the fun at times, with some officers posing with the outrageous and endlessly creative costumes that have typified Halloweens past in the neighborhood.

The night started slowly but reached a height between 9 and 10:30 p.m. By 11:30 p.m., the crowd had largely emptied. By midnight, one radio station reported only 100 revelers left.

The area surrounding Castro and Market streets witnessed a police presence
normally seen only at political events. Metal barricades were set up between the
sidewalk and the street along Castro and Market streets to insure no one entered the streets. Police officers, some in groups as large as 10, were situated at intersections – some with batons in hand.

“I would say the police presence this year is about equal to what it has been in the past,” said SF Police Department officer Pam Hofsass who has patrolled the Castro on and off during 18 years on the force.

“The difference being that in the past the focus was on managing the crowds and tonight we’re making a concerted effort to shut down pedestrian excess and keep business to a minimum.”

According to Sgt. Chuck Limbert from the Mission Station, there were only three arrests for public intoxication. One fugitive who turned up at the event was taken into custody as well.

Rose Berry of Virginia Beach, Virginia, had flown out to the City for the first time just for the Halloween event. “It’s kinda sad,” she said. “People want to celebrate. You can’t cancel something for one incident.”

Yet, the heavy emphasis on law and order did not curtail the costumed and the camera-toting curious from coming out.

Standing on the sidewalk in front of Harvey Milk Plaza, Alner Samala, 24, of Daly City had no complaints.

“I knew it was going to go on no matter what. Pretty much the crowd is not that bad,” said Samala. Still, outfitted in an all-black costume, he was disappointed not to find (or hear) a sound system.
Others who relished the anything-goes ethos of the past had a more glum outlook.

“We’re out tonight mourning the death of Halloween,” said a man dressed in Renaissance gear named Thomas. “Most people come out to enjoy the Castro, to enjoy the holiday for what they are. The City should be worrying about keeping out the trouble makers, not shutting the neighborhood down. We should enjoy this City for the diversity it offers, that’s what makes San Francisco what it is.”

“I came here to see specifically if a few business people and politicians could shut it down and they did,” said a long-time Castro resident who refused to give his name. “Hopefully there will be a heavy fall-out for what happened tonight.”

Two young men held up signs at Castro and Market streets reading, “Don’t tell us what to do, we’ll come out if we want to.”

San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who had endured much criticism from some in the community for the planning of this year’s Halloween, received an ovation when he took the stage at the monthly MUMC meeting Nov. 1.

“I am certainly not gleeful being here,” he said. “I wish we could have a celebration that would not overwhelm the neighborhood. I certainly don’t want to shut the neighborhood down again.”

In the months leading up to Halloween, Dufty’s office had asked businesses in the neighborhood – particularly bars and restaurants that would keep patrons after dark – to close early. By Oct. 29, 38 had agreed to do so.

He called the businesses that closed, “the turning of the tide” for keeping festivities mum this year and lauded the police effort. Indeed, the vast majority of bars closed its doors at 10 p.m., with the police in some instances exerting pressure on patrons to leave.

Not every neighborhood merchant was happy. Terry Asten Bennett, general manager of Cliff’s Variety store, said her store had seen a 23-percent drop in business from a year ago the same day. Part of the problem was that parking was prohibited along Castro Street at 1 p.m. with offending cars being towed. Police officers were even discouraging drivers from dropping off.

“There’s no reason to be that aggressive at 1 p.m.,” said Asten Bennett who said she had been paying her staff overtime that day. “People are not coming in.”

At the MUMC meeting, Dufty announced that next year the City might look into coordinating a regional Halloween event in conjunction with surrounding cities such as Oakland and San Jose.

Kyla Calvert contributed to this story.

Copyright 2007-2008 Castro Courier