Features

By Anya Golden

Since the beginning of 2026, students at Abraham Lincoln High School and residents of San Francisco’s Sunset District have noticed a visible increase in police patrols throughout the neighborhood. More patrol cars are driving along major streets, and officers are appearing more frequently around schools, parks, and commercial areas.

The increase in police presence is not a coincidence. It comes as part of a broader public safety initiative launched by Daniel Lurie, who took office with a promise to strengthen the city’s police force through a campaign effort known as “Rebuild the Ranks.” The initiative aims to address the significant staffing shortage within the San Francisco Police Department.

According to public records, the San Francisco Police Department was short of 500 officers, compared to the recommended minimum staffing level of more than 2,000 officers. 

Residents like Patrick and Mellissa Golden say this shortage has made it difficult for the police to respond quickly to incidents and have a strong relationship with people in the neighborhood. Increasing patrol visibility in neighborhoods like the Sunset is one of the first steps in addressing these concerns.

Patrick Golden, a 74 year old Sunset resident, expressed his contentment with the increase in police patrols as he “had concerns with car break-ins and teenagers not being safe on their electric bikes.” 

He noted that in the past year he has seen officers talking to teens on electric bikes more so than he did before. Whether this is due to the increased police presence, or the increase in electric bike popularity, he is unsure, he says. 

He added that he thinks it is important for these new additions of law enforcement to build relationships, especially with the youth, to keep their presence as safeguards and mediators, not “the enemy”. 

However, not everyone views the increase in patrols the same way. Tula Tasker, a life-long resident of the Sunset, raised concerns about over-policing and whether the added presence could lead to unnecessary stops or heightened tensions.

 In a neighborhood known for its diversity and relatively quiet atmosphere, she is “questioning how they will make sure to balance safety with maintaining trust between law enforcement and the community.”

The San Francisco police crime dashboard, specifically for the Taraval area, shows a decrease in crime, but it is hard to say if it is from Lurie's initiative as it started before he was in office. Starting in 2022, there has been a yearly decrease in larceny theft. After a brief spike in 2023, there has been a year by year decrease of burglary and motor vehicle theft. 

In addition to boosting overall staffing, the city has introduced several new programs aimed at improving safety and residents' “quality of life,” according to Lurie. One being the Special Event Operations Plan (SEOP), which expands police staffing during large public events and in areas identified as high priority. Officials say the program is designed to ensure that additional officers can be deployed when and where they are most needed, which can also affect staffing patterns in neighborhoods like the Sunset during busy periods. 

A Hospitality Zone Task Force and Mobile triage center on Sixth Street is also a part of Lurie's initiative. Although they are created to aid the downtown and Mission areas of the city by having targeted enforcement and service-based interventions, more police officers will be free to respond to other parts of the city—along with the increase in staffing.

By Leo Le

 On Saturday, February 21st, the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team brought speed and mayhem to San Francisco. The team features annual showcases around the globe and hosted one on Marina Boulevard in San Francisco.

The event was part of a showrun series hosted by Oracle Red Bull Racing, where Formula-1 cars perform demonstrations in cities to promote their brand and bring excitement to fans. 

The Red Bull Formula-1 event featured Ford racing vehicles such as the Ford Raptor T1, Mustang G3, and F-150 Lightning SuperTruck. Interactive booths were stationed throughout the event field for fans to enjoy, like the merchandise booths and Formula-1 pit-stop, where fans are able to speedily replace Formula-1 car tires. 

Wesley Kwong, a junior at Lincoln, states, “The line for the merch shop was the entire length of the Marina Green.”

The event not only had tons of breathtaking cars, but also some of Redbull’s best professional motorsport athletes manning them. Yuki Tsunoda was a fan favorite at the event for his aggressive driving, fiery personality, and skill in professional races.

With tens of thousands of fans spectating, however, chaos emerged as people did whatever they could to get a good view of the event, even resorting to scaling private properties.

Kwong exclaims, “It was chaotic [...] I saw people climbing onto trees, signs, street lights, and houses.”

Videos from spectators show fans climbing onto parked cars and nearby structures in order to get a better view of the event. With a limited view along the street, many people crowded and pushed towards the fences and barriers. A video even shows a fan being injured from a Formula-1 car accidentally bumping into the protective barriers, and since fans were so close, they were left dealing with the impact.

The event left homeowners right next to the event fearing for their property. According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers responded to multiple calls regarding trespassing during the event. They got on the scene and started ordering spectators to get off private property and rooftops to prevent injuries and damage.

Rio Beardsley, a property renter in Marina district near Marina Boulevard states, “My neighbors are having construction done on their house and attendees used their scaffolding to climb up on their roof. Attendees definitely broke the roof tiles.”

Trespassing wasn’t the only negative of the event. Trash cans were flipped upside down so spectators could get a better view, which led to trash all over the Marina Green and Boulevard. 

Beardsley exclaims,  “I saw two guys urinating in my stoop when I was walking in and there was trash everywhere after.”

Additionally, lots of tree branches and leaves crowded the floors, because of spectators stepping on and breaking trees and branches.

Quincy Fulton, a junior at Lincoln, viewed the Red Bull Formula-1 event and believed, “More crowd control could have helped [...] Police did end up kicking people off properties, but I feel like they should have known that people were going to climb things.”

According to Beardsley and likely other Marina Boulevard home owners, more notification and preparation for the event could have made the event better.

 Beardsley states,“There wasn’t any notification to the neighbors/community about what the event would look like and how it would affect traffic and our ability to actually access our homes. A couple days before there was a little postcard placed in people’s mailboxes about the date and time of the event, but that was it.”

Overall, tens of thousands of people left with smiles on their faces, but the poor organization of the event left many homeowners reflecting on the management of big events such as the Red Bull Formula-1 Showcase.

By Martin Situ

On February 20th, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that President Trump didn’t have the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

One of President Trump’s promises during his presidential campaign was to impose tariffs on foreign countries, as quoted in the 2024 Republican Party Platform, to “protect American workers and farmers from unfair trade.”  And impose tariffs he did.  On February 1st, Trump imposed a 25 percent duty on Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent duty on China under the IEEPA.

Some businesses, like Little Aloha down on Taraval, didn’t particularly feel the effect of the tariffs. “We don’t use a lot of imported items in our food.  We try to keep our menu as locally sourced as possible while remaining true to our niche,” states Little Aloha co-owner Winchell Chow.  

The same can’t be said for Lou’s Cafe, where manager Mark Brodeth may consider increasing prices.  “We noticed[tariffs] on coffee beans, avocados, paper items, among other items [...]We are considering raising our prices this year because our profit margins are a lot less now,” Brodeth states.  

This possible price increase at Lou’s Cafe will impact both the store and students alike.  Not only might Lou’s see less traffic, but students may have to consider other options besides Lou’s.

Even though the Trump tariffs under the IEEPA are now gone due to SCOTUS’s ruling, it doesn’t mean that a lot has changed.  On the same day SCOTUS ruled against Trump, Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on all imports into the United States, minus a couple of exceptions, under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, essentially replacing the IEEPA tariffs.  Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the president to “impose temporary import restrictions [tariffs]...on goods from other countries under specific conditions [trade imbalances],” according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association.  The Section 122 tariffs put SF businesses back in the same spot with little change.

Not all hope is lost, though.  After the SCOTUS ruling, the U.S. Court of International Trade ordered Customs and Border Protection(CBP) to develop a plan for refunds.  CPB submitted a rough plan for the refund system on March 6th and noted that they would have the refund system by April 20th.  The refund system will be a four-step process—a claim by the business, then a calculation of the tariff costs, followed by a review of the claim, and then the refund is directly deposited into the accounts of the businesses.  This refund system could give SF businesses impacted by the tariffs a chance to recuperate and hopefully keep their stores running.

By Abigail Park 

From climbing across a man-made rope bridge to carrying over 100 pounds up a steep, hilly mile, the Lincoln Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps Raiders Army-style fitness team powered through five strenuous obstacle course events on March 1st against Lowell, George Washington, Galileo, and Balboa high schools. 

The Raiders competition hosted at John McClaren Park tests speed, strength, and agility through teamwork-required obstacles to replicate military-style physical training; the team members take away more than military training from the competition: a call for self-improvement and community empowerment.

The 14 members—ten male and four female—competed in the Cross-Country Rescue, a first aid test, a Physical Training Test, a rope bridge crossing, and a five kilometer run. 

After more than four months of grueling training, Raiders Commander Leo Le led the 13 team members to become “comp-ready.”

“Our training consisted of strength training and cardio and [I] started integrating competition based workouts later on,” Le notes. “I always did my best I could to fit [Raiders] into my schedule to [lead and] motivate [...] others [at practices].”

On March 1st at 10 o’clock, the members gathered in the Eastern corner of John McClaren Park to climb over an eight foot wall, carry a 100 pound litter and five 35 pound ruck-sacks up a mile-long hill during the Cross-Country Rescue. 

Once completed, they were evaluated on their first aid knowledge with ten multiple choice questions then underwent the Physical Training Test. The Physical Training Test consists of a 1000-foot 60 pound ammo can and water jug carry, 30-foot tunnel crawl, staggered agility tires, a 250 pound weighted drag, and a large tire flip. 

Moving on, the team members tackled the rope bridge. From setting up the bridge by wrapping the 150-foot rope around two trees and pulling the knots tightly, each of the ten members crawled upside-down across their handiwork to reach the other side safely. 

Lastly, the members mustered up their final strength to run five kilometers around the park’s steep and vast hills, finishing in just 36 minutes.

“The Lincoln Raiders team was formidable at the competition this year. Although the results haven’t been announced yet, I know that the Lowell team has been quite worried about our times–last year also came down to a tie-breaker,” explains Jonothan Gay, key organizer as San Francisco Unified School District JROTC Brigade Operations Sergeant Major and Raiders competitor from Lowell High School. 

Reflecting on their performance before competition placings and National Raiders Challenge Competition qualifiers releases in April, each member takes their performance as a testament to their hard work and a learning opportunity for the future.

“I feel like our team did really good overall and that everyone tried their hardest,” rope bridge and 5K competitor Nadya Kiyanitsa states. “Something I wish I had done differently is probably showing up to practice more than I had, because the 5K was so hard uphill and I feel like I could’ve done a lot better.”

Le fervently agrees with Kiyanitsa’s consideration towards self improvement, reflecting on his own experience within the team culture.

“I absolutely love Raiders and the team with all my heart,” Le says. “I believe the best thing I got out of Raiders was having the experience of being able to lead people in something I’m super passionate about.”  

By Camile Chew

Fireworks set off mere feet in front of crowds and children jog along the road with sparklers. Foreshadowing the sound of explosions is a high-pitched whirr which spurs “oohs” and “aahs” from anyone close enough to hear. Fires, paper, and petals littered the floor–but it was not chaos, it was the remnants of one of the largest annual celebrations in San Francisco. 

On March 7th, San Franciscans gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year–the beginning of a new year according to a moon-based calendar–for the 173rd time since the 1850s boom in immigration to California from China. Although traditionally a Chinese and Asian holiday, Lunar New Year festivities in SF are enjoyed by nearly every demographic and every race. 

For Asian Americans, celebrations center on family. Alina Lin, Han Hoang, and Shuqi Wu–all Asian American students at Lincoln–recall spending every Lunar New Year from childhood to the present with family. 

“We have an altar at home, and we put up fruits and incense [together] [...] it makes me happy,” says Hoang, reminiscing on her family’s traditions. 

The Lunar New Year parade is similarly composed mainly of families. Early-arrivals set up folding chairs along the parade’s barricades, and latecomers squeeze their way into the front. Occasionally, a parent can be seen carrying a younger kid on their shoulders. 

The eyes of almost every little sibling, older child, mom, dad, grandfather, and grandmother trace the colorful floats, follow the nimble lion dancers–performers who wear lion-like costumes, and track the various student marching bands. 

A few blocks away from the parade in Chinatown, local stores see many new customers, the smell of ash from used firecrackers pervades the air, and people gather around fireworks. 

“I felt very honored to be a part of my culture and feel represented by the [parade] and the traditions displayed,” asserts Lincoln junior Cassie Lau. 

The Lunar New Year Sunset night market also returned this year with an even larger crowd. Stalls lit up the streets and non-profit organizations, small businesses, and local markets all got their chance to shine in front of 20 thousand attendees. The Sunset district has one of the largest populations of Asian Americans in SF, and many of the businesses and restaurants in the area are either Asian-owned, Asian-inspired–or most often, both. On February 27th, these businesses saw long lines of customers all while lion dancers and other entertainers performed up and down Irving Street. 

The night markets, performers, and floats do not only serve to bolster the celebrations–they are also a way for the community to connect, “Just being able to be in [that] [night market] made me feel more connected [to my culture] [...] I got to bond to [people] and bond to [older people],” states Lin. 

Only a few years ago, an influx in hate crimes struck the Asian American community. Accused of causing the COVID-19 pandemic and facing a resurgence in anti-Asian rhetoric, Asian Americans in SF were forced to navigate a hostile environment. 

“I wasn’t sure if one of my family members would experience [a hate crime] in public [in 2020],” claims Wu. 

Asian American hate crimes spiked in 2020 and persisted for years after, causing many families to worry for their elderly. Chinatown grew increasingly desolate as its usual patrons feared stepping foot in the ethnic enclave turned hot-spot for violence against Asian Americans. In spite of the new wave of anti-Asian hate, the community celebrated Lunar New Year in 2020, and even televised festivities when stay-at-home guidelines were in place during 2021. 

Hoang affirms the value of Lunar New Year celebrations, claiming, “It’s teaching [and] showing people [other cultures].”

Evident in its wide-range of attendees, SF's Lunar New Year celebrations serve not only to represent the Asian American community but also to bring joy, cultural understanding, and fun to all of San Francisco. 

In the bustling Lunar New Year parade crowd, one attendee exclaimed, “Celebrating our people–that’s how we do it in America.” 

By Elise Dunn

Whether it's a piece of clothing, a handbag, or even an antique pair of earrings, the art of thrifting has become a cultural phenomenon worldwide, especially in San Francisco. Thrifting or buying clothing second hand has become very popular among folks of the Gen Z demographic. From online platforms such as Depop to pop-up stores within people's garages, second-hand buying has been the way to shop in recent years. 

Buying new clothes has become pricey and expensive for folks, especially when buying new. A simple shirt made of cheap polyester fabric with a price tag of $50 is not appealing to shoppers, and shopping second-hand shines light on clothing that is environmentally and bank account-friendly. San Francisco alone features over 50 thrift stores, and a few of these stores are unique gems where you can find the most fabulous finds at an affordable price. 

A top contender for thrifting in the city is the Salvation Army located in the Mission District on Valencia Street. Featuring a wide variety of clothing, shoes, accessories and even furniture, this store has it all. The inexpensive prices and constant sales make this place a guaranteed steal for people looking to shop second hand or those looking to not break the bank. 

“It’s often really overlooked,” states long-time thrifter, Phoebe Seigel. “Thrifting recently has become ridiculously expensive, and [Salvation Army] offers cheap and inexpensive prices.” 

“The [Salvation Army] atmosphere is peaceful, and the store itself is a large space conveniently located near other thrift stores such as Community Thrift and Buffalo Exchange,” stated passionate second-hand thrifter Quincy Fulton.

In addition to the Salvation Army, a similar brand shines light on the affordable prices of second hand clothing: Goodwill. Goodwill has over eight stores all in different areas of San Francisco including Haight Street, West Portal, Forest Hill, Japantown and the Mission. The Goodwill donation center in South San Francisco is also a popular spot for those who are looking to travel somewhere farther for a guaranteed inexpensive price.   

For those looking to do some second-hand shopping before hitting up the Popmart or the Round 1 Arcade at Stonestown Galleria, Second Street Vintage is the place to check out. Although not as cheap as previously mentioned thrift spots, this place does offer a substantial collection of vintage clothing from curated racks of Streetwear to Y2K pieces to Grungewear and even racks of hiking attire or pieces from brands based in Japan. Second Street is the way to go, whether you're shopping for basics or for a pair of vintage Jordans. Second Street has two locations, one in Stonestown Galleria and the other on Haight Street, both locations feature great collections with pieces for a range of occasions and styles. 

Haight Street's independent shops offer a more curated and expensive selection of vintage clothing that can be out of the price range for people trying to shop on a budget. Stores like this can offer a fun range of pieces to browse despite higher prices, and in some cases stores include a sale rack or bin with curated, relic pieces that are more wallet-friendly. If you're looking to splurge, check out Haight Street Vintage, Protocol Vintage, Wasteland, and more. 

Overall, thrifting in San Francisco is convenient and universal so next time you think of going on a shopping spree consider buying on a budget by thrifting or shopping second hand.