Letter: Please help us keep Moss Beach safe

My neighbors and I on Lincoln Street in Moss Beach would love your help to make it safer in the open land across our street near the water towers. Many of us love this land and use it regularly to play, run, walk and enjoy some peace. Unfortunately, lately we’ve had some problems recently, which are detailed below.

• Off-roading vehicles are driving thru recklessly, making it dangerous for kids playing and people walking. Barriers are regularly removed and the driving continues. We’ve had a few near misses recently with young kids, as they are hard to see.
• Fires are being set (one was set last week), which could spread with our drought. A fire did spread on this land last year and the fire department came to put it out.
• Garbage dumping occurs regularly and has included construction materials, mattresses, a boat motor and more. We’ve been actively working to clean it up whenever it happens, but it keeps happening.
• The skate park is drawing groups of teens and young adults during day and at night from other areas, including San Francisco, Central Valley and Dublin.
• A homeless person was living in the skate park for a while.
• Underage drinking and drugs are used in this area regularly. Vodka bottles and beer cans are found and removed often. One neighbor reports seeing drug deals happening there regularly, and suspects they include cocaine and meth.
• We were told by firemen last summer that a rape had occurred at the skate park, and a neighbor confirmed hearing it take place.
• My car was recently keyed, and it may have happened in my driveway. Other neighbors have had recently had cars in their driveway broken into and items stolen.

Police are now involved and regularly monitoring, and have asked us to report anything suspicious. If you see anything strange happening in this area, please record license plates and/or take pictures and call Deputy Sheriff Phil Watson at 650-228-6043 or report via the after hours non-emergency line at (650) 363-4911.

If you know teens who use this land, please encourage them to be respectful and responsible…or maybe consider using some of the many other wide open space areas on the coast instead for things like off-roading, so young kids, seniors and others may walk and play safely here.

My neighbors and I are also working to coordinate a meeting with Don Horsley to talk about what else we might do to keep it safer here. When we have more details on that meeting I will post them so others can attend too.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Kate Handel
Moss Beach