i'm totally agree with transparency. someone is going to get embarrassed. >> there is a group that is working on complying with the new state law and the time will come and it's going to take us a while to flush that out because the law is not easy to interpret and apply. when we do, we will comply with the law and we will make information public as we can. not everything we do will be made public and that's why we have closed sessions. next speaker, thank you. >> good evening. >> this is a sad day that this has to happen. i'm disappointed just sitting here in the audience listening to this.

it sounds like we're on the street and everyone is sounding like children and it is divided. just like our children are being killed out and it's divided of the no one is saying everything. it's sad. this is not what i want to say, i'm here to talk about my son. i'd like to use the overhead. it was murdered august 14th, 2006. still this day no justice and i've been asking for a while that we have a venue for our children so that i won't have to climb on polls and things to get justice for my child. again, we also have the former mayor saying i know who killed your son and the d.a. knows who killed her son and they can name addresses and everything. this is what i'm left with.

my son laying in a casket. he had a father and a mother. that's his father. this is what i'm left with. my son laying in a -- deceased. these are the perpetrators that killed my son. this young man right here. thomas hannahbil. these are the names this we got from my investigator on the fifth floor. this young man bragged about killing my child. and he is with his mother and father and sister and all of his family. and my son is laying in the ground. i've been asking for justice for my child. we're talking about justice. i still need it. >> thank you. i know that you come here every week hoping that one day a

witness will come forward anding willing to testify and that's our hope too. the tip line, as we say every week is (415)575-4444 and we're hoping one day someone will actually come forward and give testimony. thank you. any other speakers? any other public speakers? hearing none, public speaking session is closed. next line item. >> item #, public comment on all matters pertaining to item 9 below closed session including public comment on item 8. vote whether to hold item 9 in closed session. >> any public comment on our closed session? seeing there's none, public comments closed. next item. >> item 8, vote on whether to hold item 9 in closed session. san francisco administrative code section 67.10 action. >> can i have a motion to go into closed session. >> so moved. >> second. >> all in favor. >> aye. >> opposed. none. hearing no opposition we'll go

>> we are back on the record in open session and you still have a coram. >> thank you. we are ready. we need a vote, is that right to cost me item ten is his vote disclose any or all items held in closed session. >> can i have a motion on that law. >> move for nondisclosure. >> second. it passes unanimously. motion to adjourn. can i have a motion class. >> so moved. >> second. >> all in favour. >> aye. >> thank you all.

>> good evening, everyone. i want to welcome you to our 22nd annual lunar new year's press conference. my name is kyra worthy. i'm the executive direct of san francisco safe, and today is all about kicking off our lunar new year, and the safety initiatives we're preparing for the year of the pig. while the lun an new year is a time to celebrate with family and friends, and wish of a prosperous new year, unfortunately, it's a time when the chinese community is frequented by scams and extortion-related crimes. i'm here to let you know that san francisco safe, and our partners are doing everything

we can to make this a crime-free new year's. this begins with our speakers today in law enforcement to let you know what's going to be happening. today we are honored to have san francisco mayor london breed here with us to launch the secelebratory season and safety season. >> the hon. london breed: good afternoon, everyone. i'm so excited to be here today, really, the gateway to chinatown in the city and county of san francisco. as we begin the process of celebrating new year and the year of the boar here in the city, with so many faauuestiva and events, there are so many things that bring people here to san francisco, but more importantly, it also supports a lot of our chinese community and their history and the

traditions that existed for so many years. i'm looking forward to the excitement of what lunar new year will bring in san francisco, but this time of year, it is important that we protect our communities, as well. during this time, we know that there is unfortunately a lot of crime that takes place that targets especially many of our chinese residents, and in particular, our senior community. we know of a recent incident that occurred, a tragic incident, and we are -- our thoughts and prayers are with the victim of -- a woman who was also attacked. but we know there are a number of scams, a number of issues that take place that we need to do a better job of working with the community, that we are providing resources so that people know who to call, and that our folks standing behind me, so many incredible members of our law enforcement community, they are going to be out there walking the beat, and

in many cases, they speak cantonese and mandarin and are here to work with you. that's the goal of sf safe, to highlight the awareness of keeping our community safe, and have a safe and happy and prosperous new year in the city and county of san francisco. so i am looking forward to the excitement, a lot of folks that are shopping here, but we will be paying very close attention. and we want the people of this community to feel comfortable calling 911. no matter what the case is, if there is a crime, feel comfortable in reporting it, in calling it. in fact, a couple months ago, i was with supervisor aaron peskin at portsmouth square where we opened a drop-in centers for people to meet with

police officers to report challenges or issues or crimes in their community. it's open two days a week. so we know there's a lot of work to do. and we don't want to just arrive when there is an issue, we want to make sure that we're being proactive so that crime never happens in the first place. that's what today is about. and last, but not least, i think it's important to talk about how we as a city need to do a good job of looking out for one another. we need to have conversations with the merchants and with our neighbors so that we are truly our brother's and sister's keeper. so that we are paying attention when something is going wrong or something is going right. just a conversation can make a difference in having someone who may have been a victim of a crime in reporting it. it may be the difference between having a crime from happening in the first place. as we go through the celebration of this year and year-round, san francisco will be paying very close attention

to do everything we can to protect the residents of our city, but especially keeping an eye on our seniors. and that means not just our police officers, that means the residents, too. we have to make sure that they are in the forefront of our thoughts, of our prayers, as we move forward in the city together with these incredible celebrations and the changes that continue to occur. san francisco is a great community because of its people, and we're going to have a great and prosperous and safe lunar new year. this is all so much for coming here today. [applause] >> now, we have deputy chief mr. redmon. [applause] >> thank you, kyra. good afternoon to everybody and thank you for being here this afternoon. we appreciate your time and interest in what we all have to say today about the lunar new year. as we know, the chinese lunar

new year is a time to celebrate with the community, family, and friends, and to wish for a prosperous year, this year, of course, being the year of the pig for the san francisco police department, as well. [applause] >> yeah. only i can say that. while we wish we could solely focus on the festivities surrounding this time of year, we have to focus on safety-related crimes. while the department has reduced the numbers of relates crimes, there is still a reason for us to be vigilant. just last month, we arrested

two chinese nationals linked in scams targeting chinese seniors. both subjects are still in custody. i want to recognize sergeant jason hui and captain sergio chin who are here from the special victims unit. they are still investigating this case and are looking for more victims if they're out there, but i think they deserve a round of applause for putting together this case and continuing the investigation. [applause] >> a couple of safety tips for the residents. be cautious if you're approached by a stranger who asks you to follow them somewhere, wants to come home with you, ask you to withdraw money from an a.t.m., or engages in similar suspicious behavior. when in doubt, please contact the police. a lot of people ask the police department a lot of questions about what number they should call. this is definitely a 911 call to the police department because it is an active crime

in progress and this person is trying to harm someone else, so please call 911. all of you, please help spread the word during this lunar new year about the existence of these potential scams, especially to our el dder community members who are often the targets of these scams. in closing, i'd like to urge members of the chinese community who have been confronted by suspects in these possible scams to contact us. we are here to work with you and to create a safer san francisco. happy lunar new year, and there's one person i would like to recognize. there is a change in command we have in the central district. captain paul yep has been a major player at central station, and our new commanding

officer, captain robert yeh, as well, and paul has helped with that transition immensely, so we're looking forward to the lunar new year. thank you, everybody. [applause] >> now, i want to introduce supervisor aaron peskin. [applause] >> supervisor peskin: thank you, miss worthy. miss worthy is worthy, and sf safe is a great organization. i just want to say that that joke was so funny, i regret having you to arrest you a few years back. but in all seriousness -- [speaking foreign language] [applause] >> supervisor peskin: mayor breed, to the president of the san francisco board of supervisors, norman yee, to the

representatives of the other supervisors and elected officials gathered here today, to the command staff of the san francisco police department, to the representatives of the chinese consolidated benevolent association, to the representative of the chinatown community development center, mr. norman fong, and most importantly to the rank-and-file members of the san francisco police department who you see gathered around here today who do the incredible, culturally competent, linguistically competent work here in district three in san francisco's beloved iconic chinatown, i want to thank you for your service. you are the definition of community policing. the first one of these events i went to was 18 years ago, and i am pleased to say that the number of incidents not only

here in district three in chinatown, but in the archipelago of other districts, in the richmond, the sunset, and in the southeast corner of san francisco, have gone down. we remain resolved, we do this year in and year out, and i have to say it's come with profound results, and i want to thank the san francisco police department and the working men and women of the police department for making that happen. [speaking foreign language] >> supervisor peskin: and happy new year of the boar. [applause] >> thank you, supervisor peskin. now we're going to have assembly member david chiu. [applause] >> good afternoon, san francisco. happy lunar new year. it is happy to be back in this spot. i often like to brag to my colleagues in the california state legislature that we have

the best chinatown not just in california but in the entire country, and here at the gateway -- [applause] >> give it up for chinatown. [applause] >> here in chinatown, we meet here once a year, and i think i have been here almost all of the ten times that we come here to celebrate community. it's important to celebrate, it's important to gather, and it's important to be watchful. but men and women around us are responsible for keeping us safe, and we know that happens with community partnerships with nonprofit organizations, with our family associations, with our merchants, but particularly with the leadership of our men and women in blue. i want to salute our san francisco police department for their successes in making sure that we are bringing clark

county artists to justice. i was with family members and community members in visitacion valley this weekend as we are praying for the health and for justice when it comes to the case of our chinese grandmother in visitacion valley who was brutally attacked last week. we have work to do, but we can only do this work together, and so we want the public to remember that in partnership as one family of san franciscans, we can keep our community safe and ensure that all of us will have the happiest lunar new year that we ought to have. have a wonderful day, and thank you. [applause] >> thank you. now we want to introduce our commanding officer of central

station. thank you very much, kyra. hello, everyone. i am a proud fourth generation san franciscan and a native, and i'm proud to be the commanding officer of central station of which includes chinatown. today, i am joined by my colleagues at central station, including my housing and foot beat personnel, and i'd like to introduce them. first is sergeant albert chiu. [applause] >> officer dustin sang. [applause] >> officer dexter sang. [applause] >> officer marisa chung. [applause] >> officer philip leung.

[applause] >> officer alex anton. [applause] >> officer jennie mau. [applause] >> and officer reginald pena. [applause] >> and all of them, as i mentioned, work housing and are foot beat officers, and they primarily focus in the chinatown area. it is very important to us that you know us and that we add faces to our names so you can recognize us whenever you need us. you heard earlier that during the lunar new year festivities that we want you to have fun but also be alert. you should watch out for each other and report suspicious activity, criminal behavior, and especially if it involves seniors. which brings me to telling you on how to report crimes related

to the lunar new year. first, a reminder to say no calmly if someone tries to intimidate you into giving money or valuables. never go with anyone to the a.t.m. and/or disclose any of your information with them. please report all extortion attempts to the police immediately by dialing 911, and now that mandarin and cantonnese language assistance is available. dial 911 if the extortionists are in or just left your home or business, or dial the non-emergency number: 415-553-0123 to report an extortion that occurred at any time, either past or current. a blessing scam hotline is available, as well. 415-553-4212. you can also make an anonymous

tip at 415-475-4444. in closing, on behalf of central station, i would like to say -- [speaking foreign language] >> have a happy lunar new year. thank you. >> president yee: i want to say this is one of the most important media events for the chinatown community and beyond because every year, people get scammed, and we need to, every year, remind people that you have to be careful with the people that are coming towards you and asking for your jewelry, asking for your money in the name of blessing your family. now it's been powerful that the community has come together with the police department. when i was growing up in chinatown, that wasn't the case where the community worked with the police department, and people took advantage of that. and now what i'm seeing is we're working together, we're

watching people, we're preventing things from happening, but it takes the community to join not only the leaders that are here today, but also the police department. we need every single one in our community to talk to at least two people, whether it's your relative or a friend, a neighbor that's a senior, talk to them, remind them, remind them over and over again because people are still going out there, they're -- after their wealth. so i want to thank all the media out here, and especially the police department for hosting this, making this a reality that we can have a safe lunar new year. thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you. now we have jason collins from the district attorney's office. [applause] [speaking foreign language]

>> good afternoon. i'm senior inspector jason colin from the san francisco district attorney's office, and i want to let everybody know that just like the new year when it's january 1, chinese new year is also a time to give thanks, and my district attorney, george gaston, would like to pass on the thanks. the first is we want to thank you, san francisco police department, for assigning sergeant jason hui to be my partner in the series of blessing scams. sergeant hui, who's somewhere behind me, has worked tirelessly on this case. he worked the entire night of

this case, and he hasn't taken a day off during the three-week holiday. he is a great partner in this case. the other thing is i want to thank community for stepping forward with videos, and for taking the time to talk to us. over the years, the blessing scam, as we found out, is an international crime syndicate coming out of one city in main land china. we've had many -- help from many agencies across the globe. i don't have time to list the names, but i do have a chinese interpretation of agencies that helped us in this particular series of ten cases in the last couple of months. finally, i want to share something. i get very emotional when i think about this, a lot of folks, whether english or chinese speakers, they come to

me because i have interviewed at least 60 victims of these blessing scam cases since 2012. and they ask me, well, why are these seniors so stupid in giving away all their stuff? i say, you know what? they're not stupid. they're actually smarter than us, because they care about the life, the welfare of their loved ones more than they care about the material wealth that they have. give you an example. right up the street here, spoke with a victim. she lost $4,000, her life savings. she worked cash jobs in chinatown, and she saved up for about six years for this money. and as i was talking to her, she said well -- i said well, what was this money for? she goes, look at me. she's in her 50's. she only had two teeth left. all the other teeth had fallen out. she said look at me. i have a hard time eating.

i have a hard time looking at you right now. i could spend the money to fix my teeth, but i don't want my son to have my life. this money was for my son to go to college in a few years and hopefully get out of this chinatown that's keeping me here. another incident, i spoke to a victim recently. she hasn't left the house in about two months since a blessing scam happened to her. the worst part about it is this is an affinity scam. she trusted the scammers. she trusted the scammers with her family members. now she trusts no one. lastly, another victim i had, she described to me for about ten minutes how she lost all her jewelry and a large amount of cash, but this one piece of jewelry meant the most to her. it's a bracelet, it's the last

piece that she got from her mom. and the story is there was a house fire back at home. mom ran upstairs, grabbed her jewelry, threw them out the window where a neighbor caught the jewelry as the fire was approaching, and the fire came close. her mom jumped out of the house. she fell -- she died in the fall, and at the time, she was wearing this bracelet. after the fire, the family never recovered the heirloom -- all the jewelry that mom threw out the window. the only things they recovered was this bracelet. so these are the people and these are the faces that i speak with. these are the victims. i want everybody to understand, please be supportive. they're not stupid, they're people just like us. they think about their families

more than they think about themselves and their belongings. and with that, thank you very much, and in english, happy new year, and may good health be with all of you. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. now we're going to have miss kong from carmen chu's office. [applause] [speaking foreign language]

[applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. my name is michelle kong, and i'm very honored to attend today on behalf of san francisco's elected treasurer, carmen chu. our funding goes to support vital city services for san francisco communities, including public safety. as the only chinese american assess or in the state of california, assess or chu is pleased to see the strides that the community has made to be

incluesive of our diverse chinese community in san francisco. as the new year approaches, please remember to take care of your valuables and to report any suspicious behavior, and on the behalf of assessor chu, we thank you for your service and wish everyone a happy new year. [applause] >> thank you. now, to close us out, we're going to have mr. fong, reverend fong. [applause] >> she said breathe. you're going to help me with this prayer, and -- 'cause i believe in the law -- all people should pray once in a while. this is the prayer that i did for the family of mrs. wong that was beat up in viz valley. you don't have to shout it, but

say it with feelings. we need each other, we need the cops more than ever before. why don't you guys drive by phelan every day on your way to work or something? okay. any way. we're thinking of the two seniors that have recently been beat up. a lot of people are upset. let's soak it all in. repeat after me. peace. [speaking foreign language] >> safety. [speaking foreign language] >> love. [speaking foreign language] >> we need peace, safety, and love to feel a little better. we need this city to get its

act together, and we're depending on the city, mayor breed, and all others to jump in really fast. [applause] >> thank you. so i just want to jump in and stay it's been a pleasure to be here with everyone, all the leaders of our central communities. everyone has a idea of what's going on and wants it to start, but together, with our collaborati collaborative efforts, we can make it a safer san francisco. a special thanks to nanny, she'll be giving out 10,000 piggy banks, and fortune cookies with a different tore tune inside. if you could, join us on the merchant walk, say hi to the different merchants, and help

give out our materials. thank you so much. [applause] streets. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> i wanted to wish you a best wishes and congratulations the community has shifted a lot of when i was growing up in the 60s and 50's a good portion of

chicano-american chinese-american lived in north beach a nob hill community. >> as part the immigrant family is some of the recreation centers are making people have the ability to get together and meet 0 other people if communities in the 60s a 70s and 80s and 90s saw a move to the richmond the sunset district and more recently out to the excelsior the avenue community as well as the ensuring u bayview so chinese family living all over the city and when he grape it was in this area. >> we're united. >> and growing up in the area that was a big part of the my leave you know playing basketball and mycy took band

lessons and grew up. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> allergies welcome to the community fair it kicks off three weeks of celebrations for the year and let's keep everybody safe and celebrate the biggest parade outside of china on february 11th go best wishes and congratulations and 3, 2, 1

happy enough is enough. >> i grew up volley ball education and in media professional contrary as an educator he work with all skids whether or not caucasian hispanic and i african-american cumber a lot of arrest binge kids my philosophy to work with all kids but being here and griping in the chinese community being a chinese-american is important going to american school during the day but went to chinese school that is community is important working with all the kids and having them exposed to all culture it is important to me. >> it is a mask evening. >> i'd like to thank you a you all to celebrate an installation of the days here in the asian art museum. >> one time has become so many

things in the past two centuries because of the different did i licks the immigration officer didn't understand it became no standard chinese marine or cantonese sproupgs it became so many different sounds this is convenient for the immigration officer this okay your family name so this tells the generations of immigrants where they come from and also many stories behind it too. >> and what a better way to celebrate the enough is enough nuru with the light nothing is more important at an the hope the energy we.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> relative to the current administration it is, it is touching very worrisome for our immigrant frames you know and some of the stability in the country and i know how this new president is doing you know immigration as well as immigrants (fireworks) later than you think new year the largest holiday no asia and china those of us when my grandparents came over in the 19 hundreds and celebrated in

the united states chinese nuru is traditional with a lot of meani meaning. >> good afternoon my name is carmen chu assessor-recorder i want to wish everything a happy new year thank you for joining us i want to say. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> (speaking foreign language.) >> i'm proud to be a native san franciscan i grew up in the chinatown, north beach community port commission important to come back and work with those

that live in the community that i grew up in and that that very, very important to give back to continue to work with the community and hope e help those who may not be as capable in under serving come back and give

>> clerk: welcome to the san francisco planning commission special hearing for thursday, february 7, 2019. before i take roll, i would like to thank prince