r/sanfrancisco

I live in Mission Bay and today at the large lawn area in China Basin Park, I asked someone to leash their dog because this is not an off-leash dog park. I had my baby with me and we are playing on the lawn.

The owner responded: “It’s not a baby park.”

Honestly that response bothered me more than the off-leash dog itself.

Public parks are shared spaces. Babies, toddlers, kids, elderly people, runners, picnickers, and dog owners all use them. But unless an area is specifically designated off-leash, dogs are supposed to be leashed.

This is especially an issue at the large lawn in China Basin Park / Mission Bay where I increasingly see dogs running freely around families and strollers.

I know many owners believe their dog is “friendly,” but strangers should not have to assume that. Even friendly dogs can jump on toddlers, scare children, run through picnics, or approach reactive dogs.

Curious if other Mission Bay residents have noticed the same thing recently.

After a rise in pickpocket thefts across Chinatown beginning in April 2026, San Francisco police launched a coordinated investigation. Using plainclothes officers and surveillance support from the Real Time Investigation Center, investigators identified a suspect vehicle and three individuals believed to be tied to the thefts.

On May 16, 2026, investigators tracked the suspect vehicle entering San Francisco using Automated License Plate Readers and a drone unit. The suspects parked near Chinatown and began casing pedestrians throughout the district. Officers observed the group working together to discreetly steal property from victims while acting as lookouts for one another.

After confirming three separate pickpocket thefts, officers coordinated an arrest operation, took all three suspects into custody, recovered the stolen property, and returned it to the victims. The suspects were booked into county jail on multiple felony charges, including grand theft, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property.

I met at a man at a party this weekend who had just lost his 37 year old wife of six years to a reckless driver who hit and run on Sunset boulevard. After reading about multiple children, the entire West Portal family, elderly, and other individuals killed in SF this year, hugging this man in his grief shook me to my core. I did some research and it seems like reckless driving and ridiculously low bail and easy convictions for vehicular manslaughter has become a major problem in California that has grown since the pandemic.

I want to change it. I want to organize a protest on city hall lawn, but I have never done this before, though I did reach out to some activist groups and have two prominent guest speakers who can do a Zoom with those of us interested in educating ourselves on this issue or attend our SF protest.

If you have advice or interest, please let me know.