I often write of how lucky we are to be in a position to help people and how the men and women of this proud Department do just that every day. I get letters and emails all the time praising the good work of the cops on the streets and those behind the scenes that demonstrate the phrase that I often close my column with: “SF’s Finest.” This month, I thought I’d let someone else tell the story of just how good we can be.
In mid-October there was a particularly harrowing half hour for a young family in the outer Mission whose car was stolen with their two young children inside. Why was it only a harrowing half hour? Because that was all it took for the couple to be reunited with their children, thanks to the cops and community coming together to locate them in the Portola – unharmed. It’s more than cool to be associated with a City and the Police Department that came together to find those kids.
KTVU reported: A San Francisco couple was praising police and the residents of their new home town after their two young children were taken during a car theft Tuesday night. McKay and Stephanie Thomas were back together Wednesday with 3-year old daughter Harper, and one year old son Leandro. They moved here from Utah about six months ago.
“I was freaking out yelling, my kids, my kids are in the (stolen) car!” said Stephanie Thomas. McKay says he called 911 and the dispatcher told him to stop searching for the car and talk to responding officers so they could put out a bulletin.
Police swarmed the neighborhood searching for the car and the two missing children. McKay says about 30 minutes later police told him the car was found parked on Sweeney Street in the city's Portola District with the two children inside, unharmed.
The Thomas’ say if this crime had happened in a rural area, they may not have seen the overwhelming response that helped bring the ordeal to an end so quickly.
“Within a few minutes we literally had thousands of people on alert,” said McKay.
“That speaks to what this city is capable of. We can come together when we need to and we did. Within 30 minutes we had our family found, and within an hour we were reunited with our kids.” Stephanie says the ordeal has made her appreciate her new home in San Francisco even more. “I love San Francisco. We have felt so at home here so quickly,” said Stephanie. “In fact we want to settle in the Bay Area and stay forever.”
“Stay forever” in a city where their car was just stolen with their children inside, how could this be possible? Because people want to live where they know folks and cops care. San Francisco is such a place.
Keep it up. This City appreciates all that you do.
Be safe out there!
Gregory P. Suhr
Chief of Police,
San Francisco Police Department
“Oro en Paz Fierro en Guerra”
