Police to Remain Present in Castro for Halloween

Supervisor Bevan Dufty said 2008 will be “a year of positive change for Halloween in the Castro.” However, this is not stopping preparations for an influx of unruly partiers.

Because Halloween falls on a Friday night this year, police expect a large number of revelers throughout the city. Captain Stephen Tacchini of the Mission Police Station said that no police officer in the city will be taking Halloween day off and that up to 600 officers will be deployed in the area around the Castro.

“There’s a delicate balance between too many and not enough police,” said Captain Stephen Tacchini of the Mission Police Station Police. “We want to be prepared if something happens.”
To this end, the police will be setting up operations at Everett Middle School, the Eureka Valley Recreation Center and the Safeway at Church and Market streets on Halloween. Police plan on patrolling the Castro with a heavy emphasis on monitoring liquor sales and enforcing a zero tolerance policy for open containers. Additionally, police announced that cars will be towed on the 2300 block of Market Street as well as the 400 and 500 blocks of Castro Street starting at 3 p.m. They have also requested that Muni stop servicing the Castro and Church stations at a certain time.
Supervisor Dufty is holding a community meeting on Oct. 6 to hear public concerns about Halloween. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center.

The city is hoping to concentrate Halloween revelry by hosting a free celebration at AT&T Park’s Lot A from 4 p.m. to midnight. The festivities will be children friendly from 4–8 p.m. with costume and pie-eating contests.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be hosting a party for neighborhood children at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center from 4–6 p.m. Bars in the Castro will remain open for business that night.

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