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Union Square Robber Caught by BID Beat Cop

SFPD’s Dien Ha lives up to Union Square BID Motto of keeping Area “Clean & Safe”

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15 November 2007 -- SAN FRANCISCO: Giving emphasis to its tagline of “Clean & Safe,” the Union Square BID (www.unionsquarebid.com) offered praise to San Francisco Police Department Officer Dien Ha who yesterday gave chase to – and caught – a notorious repeat robber in the City’s popular retail and tourist center.

“Officer Ha is a real hero,” said Leigh Ann Baughman, Union Square Executive Director “Our mission is to keep the Union Square area clean and safe and that’s exactly what the Union Square BID’s regular SFPD 10B Officer did yesterday – literally ‘cleaning up’ after a string of robberies and making the Square safer for everyone.”

The suspect, wanted in series of crimes around San Francisco, reportedly held up the Powell & Market Street Branch of Bank of America at 3:12pm yesterday. By 3:15pm, Office Ha had pursued the suspect and placed him under arrest..

“Everyone who works in the BID should be proud of and feel safer because of our dedicated police professionals such as Officer Ha,” said Baughman.

The Union Square Business Improvement District (BID) is a 10-block area where property owners assess themselves to make their community cleaner, safer and more vibrant. The BID assessment is used to purchase services that supplement those provided by the City. The Union Square BID contains 97 properties and is roughly bounded by Sutter Street to the North, Stockton and Grant Streets to the East, Market Street to the South and Cyril Magnin to the West. In 1994, California joined most states in the country and passed enabling legislation for property based business improvement districts (PBIDS). There are currently over 1,000 BIDS in the United States and Canada. Also part of the Union Square BID’s success are the “TAGGers.” “TAGGers” (an acronym for Take Away Graffiti and Grime ) are the primary caretakers for Union Square and the whole BID district. Seven days a week, throughout the day, they sweep the sidewalks, pick-up and dispose of trash and debris, and remove graffiti from storefronts, buildings, area light poles and street furniture. Sidewalks are steam cleaned twice a month. A unique program of the Union Square BID are the BID “Ambassadors” -- a visible presence for safety and maintenance in the BID’s ten-square-block borders. Easily identifiable by their red and black uniforms, the Ambassadors provide visitors and tourists with a variety of services including directions, transportation information, emergency response, and even help elderly shoppers with their bags as they cross San Francisco’s busy streets.

For more information on the Union Square Business Improvement District, access their website at www.unionsquarebid.com, or call (415) 421-3135.