San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr is looking forward to a safe Pink Saturday and the eventual promotion of out gay officers, he told theBay Area Reporter last week.
Discussing plans for Pink Saturday Suhr, 52, who was once the captain of Mission Station, which oversees the largely gay Castro neighborhood, said, “I consider myself somebody from the community,” and “I wouldn’t miss” the event.
Pink Saturday is held on the night before the city’s LGBT Pride Parade and celebration and falls on June 25 this year.
Safety concerns around the evening have been an issue, especially after last year, when Stephen Powell, 19, was shot to death around the time the street party ended.
“It’s all about making sure it’s as safe an event as it’s ever been,” said Suhr during the interview, which took place at his office at 850 Bryant Street. He referred to Pink Saturday as “a pure event” that doesn’t really draw “a lot of bridge and tunnel folks.”
Outsiders “stick out” there, he said, and cited as an example someone who doesn’t appear to be enjoying the event. Suhr indicated more officers will be assigned to the annual street festival this year, and he encourages partygoers to talk to police if they see anything suspicious. Police have indicated they suspect people from outside the neighborhood were involved in the Powell shooting. The investigation remains open. via www.ebar.com
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