I moved to SF from NYC, and NYC was way safer by comparison. I used to work for the NYC Dept. of Correction crunching the numbers on arrests and inmates and I

I moved to SF from NYC, and NYC was way safer by comparison. I used to work for the NYC Dept. of Correction crunching the numbers on arrests and inmates and I can tell you this is the biggest difference between the two cities: NYC -- There's a cop standing on nearly every corner in most of Manhattan, and actually standing, giving directions to tourists and being friendly but professional. If there's a big crime in an area they show up, on foot, and patrol like a damn army to say, "That ain't gonna happen again, try it." In the words of one very sketchy NYC taxi driver, "You can't do anything in this fucking town with all the goddamn cops around!" In NYC the police presence is direct, visible, and makes them feel like part of the community. SF -- Not a cop in sight, even in cars. They never patrol on foot. Even in places like Union Square and Haight Ashbury you rarely see them. They might show up for an event but they don't do shit but stand there and maybe harass a homeless guy or two. I walk all over this city at all hours of the day and night, and even seeing a cop car is a surprise. Usually they only show up after something major has happened. They do show up quickly, but they are not present and do not feel like part of the community. If all SF did was make cops walk a beat and arrest people for every petty crime (like NYC did) they could drastically improve things. After that, making sure every street was well lit with good street lamps would help even more. Hell I'd willingly pay more taxes if it was agreed that the SFPD motorpool budget was cut in half and officers were forced to walk.