San Francisco mayor announces crime-fighting proposals, promises more police

San Francisco Mayor London Breed unveiled a series of proposals Tuesday to curb the ongoing wave of crime and violence impacting the city, which includes securing emergency funds for law enforcement despite promises earlier this year that the city would spend $120 million from police budgets to re-invest in communities. 

The initiatives come amid a wave of well-publicized retail thefts by organized gangs of thieves and violence that has left many businesses and residents worried. 

"I know that San Francisco is a compassionate city. We are a city that prides ourselves on second chances and rehabilitation," Breed said during an address in City Hall, at times appearing frustrated. "But we're not a city where anything goes. Our compassion should be mistaken for weakness or indifference."

Her plan includes more police funding for overtime and additional officers. She noted that vacation and time off have been canceled for officers in an effort to address the spike in crime. 

Other initiatives include efforts to disrupt illegal street sales of stolen merchandise that authorities say incentivizes retail thefts, allocating resources for the city's Tenderloin neighborhood and amending a city ordinance to allow law enforcement to monitor surveillance cameras in real-time. 

Breed said the city has "not only seen a number of high-profile incidents of brazen robberies and car break-ins but also street behavior and criminal activity especially in the Tenderloin that has become far too normal and cannot continue to be tolerated."

Many of the most brazen thefts have occurred in the city's Union Square, including one incident in which a Louis Vuitton store was nearly emptied out by thieves in November who smashed windows and stole large amounts of luxury merchandise. Robbery crews have targeted other luxury stores in the area as well. 

The Board of Supervisors in 2019 passed a law that limits the ability of officers to access camera feeds during emergencies. 

"There are exceptions where they can, but for a lot of the issues like what happened in Union Square, they could not," Breed, a Democrat, said. "Where there were multiple robbery crews hitting multiple stores, they couldn't even access those cameras, which is ridiculous. Think about that."

"There is a balance to be had, I know," she added. "But right now, if our officers cannot use cameras during a mass looting event, then that policy is out of balance."

Breed specifically spoke of the Tenderloin district, which has seen a rise in crime, drug use and has been plagued for years by social issues. Last week, she met with families who live in the area who voiced concerns over drug dealers and homeless people on the streets as well as human feces and trash. 

The San Francisco Police Department's Tenderloin station tweeted on Tuesday that 17 drug dealers had been arrested last week. Fourteen of the suspected dealers had previous arrests, five were violating stay-away orders and six had outstanding warrants. Officers also seized more than 950 grams of drugs, three knives and a Taser. 

Though she expects some opposition to her proposals, Breed said they are necessary to get crime under control. 

"To be clear, what I’m proposing today and what I will be proposing in the future will make a lot of people uncomfortable and I don’t care," she said. "At the end of the day the safety of the people of San Francisco is the most important thing to me. We are past the point where what we see is even remotely acceptable."

Earlier this year, the mayor announced a plan to spend $120 million over two years to invest in underserved communities. The money would come from police budgets. Fox News has reached out to the San Francisco Police Officers Association for comment on Breed's remarks. 

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The crime-fighting proposals are expected to be introduced to county supervisors in January.