Plan for San Francisco police panned
Want focus turned to drug treatment, homes
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco’s top prosecutor on Monday pushed back on the mayor’s call for increased policing to battle rampant drug dealing in one of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, urging her instead to put more money into housing and treatment that get at the root causes of crime.
The politically embattled District Attorney Chesa Boudin was joined by public defender Mano Raju and addiction specialists at a news conference announced after Mayor London Breed last week declared a state of emergency in the long-troubled Tenderloin.
Open drug dealing and shootings in the neighborhood have made children and seniors afraid to go outside.
The news conference comes as Boudin, whose 2019 election was not supported by Breed, faces a recall election in June put on the ballot by detractors who say he is soft on criminals.
Boudin’s office has countered the criticism with examples of successful crackdowns on retail theft and other criminal operations. But his remarks Monday made clear his position on going after people who have substance abuse problems or mental health issues.
“If arrests and prosecutions alone could solve the drug crisis in this country or in this city, it would have been solved long ago,” he said. “We’ve invested over a trillion dollars in fighting the so-called war on drugs, and where has it gotten us?”
Boudin said the “raw human suffering” he sees in the neighborhood outrages him. But using outdated methods won’t make people any safer, and the city has other options, said Boudin.
A spokesperson for the mayor said Monday the administration has made historic investments in housing and treatment and is committed to opening a safe drug consumption site as well as a drug sobering center.
As part of her emergency response plan, Breed is working to open a temporary site in the Tenderloin to connect people to services, said Jeff Cretan.
“The reality is that our outreach teams are out there every day, and while many people accept services to get themselves indoors and to get the help they need, others don’t,” he said, “but people will not be allowed to reject these services and continue to break the law.”
Like many other overwhelmingly Democratic cities, San Francisco is struggling to address crime amid police reforms prompted by the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
While overall reports of crime are down from San Francisco’s pre-pandemic levels, viral video footage of brazen shoplifters and tales of home burglaries have forced an uncomfortable spotlight on the city.
San Francisco spends millions of dollars to address homelessness and drug addiction, but the efforts have not resulted in visible change. City leaders say the high cost of housing and the abundance of cheap synthetic drugs are also ravaging other major cities.