THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, OCT. 8, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in chief, The Voice of San Francisco
Frontrunners for the District 10 supervisor seat agreed on at least one thing at a community forum held Monday at Providence Baptist Church: The city’s approach to public safety isn’t working. They parted ways, however, on what should replace it — with one candidate calling for a more police, another emphasizing a mix of officers and community-based services, and another arguing that the city needs to rethink how it responds to violence, mental health crises, and youth crime.
Theo Ellington, DJ Brookter, and JR Eppler faced off at the event, which had some interesting quirks. Moderator and Providence Foundation director Dexter Hall presided over a Jeopardy-style format across five categories — accountability/representation, housing/development/displacement, public safety/surveillance, community investment/equity, and transportation/ infrastructure/Third Street economic development — followed by a yes/no lightning round.
Brookter said District 10’s existing safety plan has “failed us,” arguing that the city has not provided enough resources for violence prevention or culturally competent mental health services. He also called for recruiting more local residents into the police and expanding violence-prevention programs.
Eppler advocated a more layered approach, combining neighborhood police and mental health outreach, community-based violence prevention, plus school-to-career programs. He argued that public safety should not be reduced to a choice between policing and social services.
Ellington was more blunt about the status quo. Recent shootings, he said, demonstrate that the district’s current safety strategy is not working. He called for rapid crisis response, mental health professionals in schools and after shootings, year-round youth employment and greater accountability for nonprofits receiving violence-prevention money.
The candidates also diverged over use of safety cameras. In a lightning round, Eppler said he opposed Flock cameras but could support license-plate technology under strict privacy safeguards. Brookter also opposed Flock and called for stronger oversight. Ellington argued that the rules should apply to all operators of surveillance cameras rather than focusing specifically on Flock.
Another quirk of the event, held by a coalition of groups including the Bayview Hill Neighborhood Association, League of Women Voters, and the local NAACP, was that it was limited to the three frontrunners, based on their media exposure and campaign funds raised. Needless to say, other candidates felt left out.
A statement from the campaigns of Shawn Richard and Deandra Bryant stating that “campaign fundraising, political connections, or institutional relationships should not determine which qualified candidates District 10 residents are allowed to hear from. Tonight’s forum should include all qualified candidates.”
We reached out to the event organizers for comment. For those who missed it, you can watch it here, courtesy of the Bay Area Video Coalition.
Meanwhile, we’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback from our op-eds on the timing of some coverage of the Manny Yekutiel affair, and its whipped-up blowback against Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung, including folks pointing us toward the Standard’s PST Podcast where reporters Joe Fitz Rodriguez and Jonah Owen Lamb lay out their reporting timeline.
Fair enough. But we’re also hearing from many folks who received a pushy poll question from Mission Local’s Joe Eskenazi and said their response on whether Tung should step down was going to be either a terse “no” or no reply at all.
Finally, in this political season where the lack of accountability on sexual violence has been a big part of the news not just locally, but nationally, we might want to look to how apparent predator candidates like Eric Swalwell were handled, where activists like Cheyenne Hunt asserted leadership earlier on and got witnesses to come forward within days. They concentrated on making sure an offender was removed from an election they weren’t entitled to run in, not on maximizing collateral damage for political gain.
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Top News
CRIME
BREAKING: San Francisco district attorney’s office accepts plea deal for Hanako Abe killer Troy McAlister over her family’s objections
Nov. 25 jury trial hearing set for man with over 100 felonies across multiple counties
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
“Your actions, in combination with some terrible luck, have resulted in two people losing their lives,” Care Court creator and lead judge Michael Begert told six-figure felon Troy McAlister in denying his request for diversion to drug court. “… I think the way forward, as I see it, is for you to face your community through the criminal justice system and take accountability.”
OPINION
Calls for San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Nancy Tung to resign are gathering steam. Now Mission Local columnist Joe Eskenazi is conducting what looks suspiciously like a political whip count.
by Mike Ege
TRANSPORTATION
City officials are planning an e-mobility working group to address safety, sidewalk use of growing electric devices.
by Jerold Chinn
Quote of the week
“Any plan to end use of the n-word in San Francisco public schools should be accompanied by parallel efforts against racial epithets directed against other communities as well. If successful, the school district can truly unify its stakeholders, make school a more appealing place for students and families, reduce one of the factors contributing to chronic absenteeism, and improve student outcomes.”
— John Trasviña on “Ending the n-word in San Francisco public schools”
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
EDUCATION
Ending the n-word in San Francisco public schools
Recent court decisions give school officials tools to combat racial epithets on campus and social media, but they also allow bad actors to profit from them. Here’s how to take action.
by John Trasviña
A&E
Zombies and ghosties and trolls (oh my!)
October has shambled in, and that means the spooky season is upon us. And there’s no better way to chill until the 31st than by watching a chilling horror film or two.
by Michael Snyder
A&E
‘RM x SFMOMA: Between You and Me’ creates a dialogue about art and collecting
Exclusive exhibition pairs the global music icon’s private art collection with museum masterworks
by Sharon Anderson
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EVENTS
Out and about Oct. 8–14, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
In case you didn’t have any plans for the weekend, read on for my suggestions. Mostly all are outdoors, taking benefit of our fall days, but there’s a variety of events to enjoy.
Thursday, Oct. 8
Hear representatives from Mission Local, the San Francisco Ethics Commission, California Common Cause, and the San Francisco Public Press in this nonpartisan discussion: Money in San Francisco politics: Who’s spending big on the election? 6 to 8 p.m. at the Internet Archive. Free admission; RSVP here; event will also be live-streamed.
Writers and readers unite: It’s time for our annual literary festival, Litquake, which provides a forum for Bay Area writing and “bring[ing] people together around the common humanity encapsulated in literature.” There’s a Kidquake, and LitCrawl, and over 60 exciting events, so visit the link above to choose what appeals. Through Oct. 24 at various Bay Area locations. Free admission.
Friday, Oct. 9
Watch the Parade of Ships as they sail under the Gate, led by the San Francisco Fire Department with their spectacular fire boats shooting jets of water into the air to celebrate the opening of Fleet Week. 11 a.m. to noon; free viewing.
It’s time to head to the roofs, the Marina Green, or out of town for the polarizing Blue Angels Airshow. Other aircraft (like the lumbering United Airlines 777) perform the preshow at noon, with the Blues flying around 3 p.m., weather permitting, which looks like it will. Through Sunday. Free viewing.
Head to Fridays on Front for a Fleet Week-themed outdoor happy hour and 40th anniversary screening of Top Gun. Also enjoy free oysters, yacht rock concerts, bar specials, mustache contests, and more, like the freedom of sipping your favorite libation in public with no worry of violating open container laws. 4 p.m. Free admission; RSVP at the link above.
Remember the old Old Navy flagship store on Fourth and Market streets? Remember Uniqlo’s flagship store on Union Square? Well, get ready to party: Uniqlo is back in town and headed to that old Old Navy flagship store and is throwing a huge street party to celebrate with two stages of music, Japanese calligraphy and origami workshops, freebies, art installations, and more. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Free admission.
Tonight is the last night of the season to enjoy the community spirit and culinary delights of the Chinatown Night Market. Stroll the street under the festive red lanterns while you eat, drink, shop, and support the merchants. 5:30 to 9 p.m. (The 1st Marine Division Band will play from 6 to 7:30 p.m.) Grant Avenue (at Sacramento Street). Free admission.
Saturday, Oct. 10
I love this picture. My dog hugs me like this but she doesn’t save anyone but me like this one does. K-9 Heroes will demonstrate their abilities, including search and rescue, therapy tasks, drug and food detection, law enforcement, and bomb detection at this Fleet Week event. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Duboce Park.
Theater legend Emma Rice is back with her take on Hitchcock’s 1959 classic North by Northwest, an exciting tale of mistaken identity that spans from cornfields to Mount Rushmore for a funny, enjoyable production. 2 and 8 p.m. at ACT’s Toni Rembe Theater. Tickets from $28.
Sunday, Oct. 11
Who doesn’t love North Beach? I always feel like I’m somewhere far away instead of close to home whenever I’m there. Head over to the 157th (that’s since 1869 for reference) Italian Heritage Festival Parade, celebrating Italian culture with floats, bands, vintage cars, and performances, including the 1st Marine Division Ceremonial Band and the Navy Band Southwest Parade Band. 12:30 p.m. at Jefferson and Powell streets in Fisherman’s Wharf; ends at Washington Square. Free admission.
Listen to our podcasts
- Newsom on the death penalty, the Chancellor of CCSF on leave, the debate over education and more
- Trump on L.A. and San Diego, Fleet Week, and what transit crisis?
- No on A, D, E and F: An interview with Patrick Monette-Shaw
- Watch out L.A. and San Diego, you may be doomed! Steve Hilton’s ad may be a disaster, back to Palo Alto, and more
- Plus more (and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible or everywhere else you get your favorite podcasts)
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