By John Ferrannini

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department has installed surveillance cameras at certain points along JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park.

“Rec. and Park installed a series of surveillance cameras along the JFK Promenade (Conservatory Drive East to Eighth Avenue) this past November as part of an effort to deter vandalism, a persistent issue affecting the art installations along the Promenade,” a spokesperson for the department stated. “Our rangers have access to the footage (though they’re not monitoring it in real time) and will provide to SFPD (San Francisco Police Department) accordingly to assist with investigations.”

A Richmond Review reader, who wished to remain anonymous, first reported seeing the cameras.

“I was walking my dogs along JFK Promenade (restricted vehicular traffic) in Golden Gate Park and noticed that there are a number of new surveillance cameras installed along the street at all intersections (i.e., Eighth Avenue, Conservatory Drive West, Conservatory of Flowers, etc.),” the reader, who also provided photographic evidence, stated. “I do not recall seeing any public notices/signage or news stories.”

The spokesperson said the cameras are attached to seven different light posts along the promenade and did not say how much the cameras cost.

“The footage is kept for approximately 30 days and funding comes from Rec and Park’s general fund,” the spokesperson stated. “Regarding vandalism to public art, the Doggie Diner heads sustained fire damage in June 2023. Also, the current Rabbitwoman and Dogman bronze and stainless steel sculptures have sustained paint damage more than once since they were installed in November 2023.

Doggie Diner was a Bay Area fast food restaurant chain that closed in 1986. The three-dimensional oversized representation of a dachshund head served as a marketing symbol for the restaurant at several locations in the Bay Area. The last Doggie Diner was at 46th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard. The dachshund head was named an official San Francisco landmark in 2006.

In 2022, Illuminate installed three Doggie Diner heads along the promenade. The following year, the heads were removed after a vandal allegedly lit one of them – a 10-foot-tall dog head named Manny – on fire, SFist reported.

The Rabbitwoman and Dogman bronze and stainless-steel sculptures are located on the promenade near Nancy Pelosi Drive. Gillie and Marc Schattner – the duo of public artists known for human-animal hybrid pieces, who designed the sculptures – posted to Instagram (@gillieandmarcart) about the spray paint vandalism back in late 2023.

“Our sculptures were vandalized today in San Francisco, and we are so sad,” the post states. “The authorities are looking at video footage, but they rarely catch who does it. Our sculptures have been spray-painted, bashed in, stolen and even thrown in the river. And it’s happened in every city around the world. Not only does it cost us a fortune to fix or replace but emotionally it’s so upsetting. We are at a loss what to do. What do you think?”

The promenade in Golden Gate Park, had been open to vehicle traffic until the COVID pandemic necessitated physical distancing and city officials saw the opportunity to make an outdoor space available for that purpose. In 2022, voters made the promenade car free permanently.