This week the Appeal ran a (we think) really good series on crime in and against the LGBT community. In case you missed a part, or didn’t have time to read it, here’s an overview. Check it out!

Part One: Hook-Up Violence

On May 18th at 5:41am, someone robbed a store at the corner of 18th and Castro. A week earlier, at 18th and Sanchez, there was a strong arm robbery on the street at 2:30am. And at 1:45am on May 9, there was a mugging involving bodily force at Market and Sanchez.

That’s an average rate of crime in the epicenter of the LGBT community, where every week there’s a handful of robberies, simple assaults, car break-ins, and occasionally a narcotics arrest. Read the rest of the story.

Part Two: Why Victims Might Be Reluctant To Report

Tracking hook-up violence is particularly challenging due to a reluctance on the part of victims to come forward. Everyone seems to have a story about victims declining to file a report.

“Not wanting to report is very odd to me,” said Castro Community on Patrol Chair Greg Carey. “In one case, a friend told our patrollers about a friend of his who’d been mugged. And in a second incident, the boyfriend talked to me about it. I don’t understand this business of not wanting to report. The two I heard about were quite serious — they were robberies and assault. … I can’t explain the rationale as to why they wouldn’t want to report it to the police.” Read the rest of the story.

Part Three: Improving The Relationship With SFPD

The SFPD’s improved relationship with LGBTs is no accident. It’s thanks largely to the work of organizations like the SF Police Officers Pride Alliance , a five-year-old organization that’s grown to be the city’s second largest police employee group.

The Pride Alliance advocates on behalf of LGBT officers, assists with outreach in the community, and provides input on sensitivity training. Read the rest of the story.