Was it a show of force, letting us queerfolk know just who's in charge? Were they possibly doing real police work, scanning the crowd for a particular suspect, maybe someone armed and dangerous who had been reported in the neighorhood? Who knows? How do I find out?

But their sudden unexplained presence certainly put a chill on the patrons at El Rio, 3158 Mission St., San Francisco. This took place on Friday, March 5, 2010, around 7pm...? Actually I didn't check my watch. I should have. Oh well.

Four uniformed San Francisco policemen -- all white, all male -- wander in to a neighborhood bar where there has been no trouble whatsoever, and spend several minutes (five or more, I'd guess) standing en masse on the back patio/porch, surveying the crowd. Then they move back inside the bar and spend another several minutes (again, five-ish?) hovering at the front door. It gave me the impression that they intended to stop someone on her/his way out -- ask for their papers, perhaps?

Initially, I had been somewhat ready to cut them some -- not a lot, but some -- slack. Benefit of the doubt, y'know? Unlike a lot of folks I know, I don't summarily object to a patrolperson or two wandering in to the bars and other businesses on their beat, in my neighborhood. Crimes do happen here, and I want to know what my local beat cops look like. It makes sense for them to be familiar with the neighborhood, etc.

I don't always immediately view police in an adversarial role. Yeah, OK, call me naive.

But FOUR of them, showing up and standing/surveying us the way they did... I almost felt as though they were testing their ability to intimidate folks with their mere presence.

We've heard that ABC has been cracking down on bars, and queer-identified bars in particular, sending uniformed officers and undercover agents around, apparently randomly, trying to catch ordinary folks committing the slightest infractions -- smoking pot, what have you.

The friends I was with on Friday night decided to leave the bar due to the police presence. One said "This is outrageous, and I intend to complain..."

But I decided that leaving WASN'T the message I wanted to send. I will not let "the authorities" scare me away from my local watering hole. So I stayed till well after they left.

Later, I was eating in a restaurant a little ways down the street and, on the sidewalk in front, I watched several uniformed cops (some or all of the same guys? I really couldn't tell) board a bus at the stop outside and stroll down the aisle, apparently looking at everyone. The bus didn't move until (I presume) they got off. Then I saw at least one cop board the next bus in a similar fashion.

Again, were they looking for someone in particlar, which may have been a valid reason for their presence and actions?

Or were they just out having some fun, flashing their authority for the locals, keeping us in line?

How do I find out?