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John,
All San
Franciscans deserve to feel safe in their city. No matter where they
live — Noe Valley, the Bayview, out in the Avenues, or in the heart of
the Tenderloin. And the truth is, right now, people aren’t feeling
safe — not safe enough anyway — all over the city.
We need to change course on how we handle
public safety in San Francisco. I’m proud that this city believes in
giving people second chances, but there also needs to be
accountability when someone breaks the law. We can’t be a place where
anything goes, where our compassion is mistaken for weakness or
indifference.
I was
raised by my grandmother to believe in “tough love” — in keeping your
house in order — and I believe we need that now more than ever. It’s
time that the reign of criminals who are destroying our city comes to
an end and we take steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement,
more aggressive with the changes in our policies, and less tolerant of
all that has destroyed our city.
Yesterday, I announced a series of new steps
to create a safer San Francisco, which include:
- Executing an Emergency
Intervention Plan in the Tenderloin neighborhood
- Securing emergency police
funding to ensure we have the resources to combat major safety
problems over the next several months
- Amending our surveillance
ordinance so law enforcement can prevent and interrupt crime in
real-time — something they’re effectively barred from doing now — to
better protect our homes and businesses
- Disrupting the illegal
street sales of stolen goods that have become a clear public safety
issue and are contributing to retail theft
You
can watch some of my remarks on this initiative here.
These steps work in concert with our long-term work to
establish innovative mental health interventions, like our Street
Crisis Response Teams and the major expansion of mental health beds.
We will also continue to expand access to housing and shelter, through
our Homelessness Recovery Plan, and to invest in anti-poverty programs
that are working, like the Dreamkeeper Initiative and Opportunities
for All.
As we head into this holiday season, I want you to
know that I’m doing everything I can to ensure you and your family are
safe and can enjoy this special time together now, and in the future.
We are the safest City in America when it comes to COVID. It’s time
we’re the safest City in America,
period.
Sincerely,
Mayor London Breed
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