San Francisco Police Safety Tips for Lunar New Year Festivities 21-034

(Clarification: CLU Mandarin & Cantonese Tip Line)

Gung Hay Fat Choy and Happy Year of the Ox!

It is unfortunate this year’s Lunar New Year parade has been canceled due to restrictions enacted to fight Covid-19.  While there is no parade or official public events, the San Francisco Police Department will be fully staffed and on patrol to help keep our neighborhoods safe.  The Department also evaluates needs and staffing resources throughout the city daily so resources can be reassigned, as necessary.

District Stations including Central, Bayview, Richmond, Ingleside, Taraval will all staff foot beat officers to their commercial corridors and fill patrol sectors and station plainclothes teams will focus their efforts where we have seen upticks in crime. 

The Department’s Community Liaison Unit (CLU) officers will be deployed to walking beats in various districts to supplement Station foot beat and patrol deployments. Officers will also support Victims in any identified prejudice-based incidents, hate crimes, blessing scams etc. This unit also monitors a crime tip line for Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. That phone number is 1-415-558-5588.

Special Operations Bureau personnel including the Solo and Honda Motorcycle Units and the Mounted Unit will be deployed in neighborhoods throughout the City to supplement patrols and increase visibility.

The Special Victims Unit has designated investigators to investigate scams that tend to occur during Lunar NY.

San Francisco Police also urge all members of the Chinese community to be suspicious of strangers claiming to provide relief from a curse or illness or those who provide “purification” ceremonies in which cash and valuable items must be offered as part of the process. 

The “Blessing Scam" Tip Line is 1-415-553-9212. Some tips for the community around the “Blessing Scam.”

  • Be aware of strangers.
  • Do not withdraw money at banks/ATMs with strangers.
  • Do not entrust money or valuables to strangers offering prayers or healing.
  • Do not take strangers into your home.

Please review the video below on various ways to identify potential scammers, how to protect yourself from a scam, and reporting resources available to scam victims.

www.sanfranciscopolice.org/blessingscam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EDXcgatzxQ&feature=youtu.be

Anyone who is confronted by scammers or anyone who knows of an elder who was approached by scammers is strongly advised to contact police.  Reports can be made at any SFPD District Station or by calling Dispatch at (415) 553-0123 and requesting an officer to take a report.

Cantonese speakers can leave tips on a special tip line by calling (415) 553-9212 or 1-855-737-3847.

Information can also be called into the Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or via Text a Tip by texting a message to TIP411 and beginning the message with SFPD.

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