Residents who have yet to flee San Francisco vote to screen welfare recipients for drugs and expand police powers



San Francisco voters were afforded an opportunity Tuesday to begin slowly turning their filthy, crime-ridden city around — and they actually took it. Voters elected to make it easier for police to do their jobs and to cut off local welfare recipients who refused to undergo drug tests.

The backdrop

San Francisco has a 1-rating on Neighborhood Scout's crime index, where 100 is safest. The chances of becoming a victim of a property crime or a violent crime are reportedly 1 in 17 and 1 in 148, respectively.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, the city saw 53 murders; 227 rapes; 2,741 robberies; 2,482 assaults; 5,658 burglaries; 6,723 car thefts; 285 arson incidents; and 32,411 reported instances of larceny theft last year.

The city's latest point-in-time count indicated there were 7,754 homeless people in the city, 3,357 of whom were staying in shelters.

Adam Andrzejewski of Open the Books revealed in December that over 35,500 cases of human waste in public were reported last year.

Amidst the unchecked lawlessness, piling filth, and chronic homelessness, roughly 65,000 people left the city between 2020 and 2022. Including the Bay Area, the region saw an exodus of 249,389 people during that time.

It appears that some of those who remained would like to see a positive change.

The propositions

There were multiple ballot measures put before San Franciscans in the primary vote on March 5, including:

  • Proposition B, which would set a new minimum staffing level for the police force every five years and create a 5-10 year police recruitment fund;
  • Proposition E, which would limit the amount of time police have to waste on administrative tasks; spare cops from writing up use-of-force events unless a physical injury has occurred or they had to draw their service weapon; permit cops to use body camera footage in lieu of a detailed report; allow for the installation of surveillance or facial ID cameras without police commission approval; and enable police to initiate car chases of suspects thought to have committed select misdemeanor offenses; and
  • Proposition F, which would compel individuals suspected of using drugs who are in the County Adult Assistance Program to undergo drug screening; require recipients found using drugs to participate in treatment programs; and cut off non-compliant recipients.

The results

Proposition B, which would have increased the number of full-duty sworn officers from 1,700 to 2,074 in the first five years, was defeated 67.41%-32.59%. San Francisco's Democratic mayor, London Breed, opposed the proposition, calling it a "cop tax," reported KTVU-TV.

Despite considerable opposition by radical leftists, the other two propositions, both supported by the San Francisco Republican Party and Mayor Breed alike, overwhelmingly passed. Proposition E succeeded with 59.9% of the vote. Proposition F won with 63% of the vote.

Mayor Breed said in a statement that Proposition E "will help us build on our work to make San Francisco a safer city for all. We are giving our @SFPD officers more tools to do their jobs and getting them out on the street to take care of our community."

Breed, who is running for re-election, has not always felt so strongly about helping police do their jobs.

Amidst the 2020 BLM riots and in the face of demands to "defund the police," Breed announced she would be slashing $120 million in funding to the San Francisco police and sheriff's departments, and redirecting the funds to race-based initiatives.

Homicides reportedly spiked by 20% that year, compared with 2019, then spiked again by 17% in 2021.

One year after defunding the police, Breed reversed course and put in an emergency request to the city Board of Supervisors for more cash for the SFPD.

This week, Breed also thanked voters for passing Proposition F, claiming, "This is how we get more people the help they need and change what's happening in our City."

While Breed supported the successful propositions, the Democratic Party joined the ACLU of Northern California in denouncing Proposition E.

The ACLU of Northern California suggested the way to improve community safety was not by enabling police to better do their jobs but instead with "affordable housing, mental health care, and substance use treatment."

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San Francisco mayor called to redirect police funds to the African-American community but now wants more money for cops



Democrat San Francisco Mayor London Breed is calling to provide more funds for policing two years after promising to divert police funds to the African-American community.

Breed posted her call on her social media account on Valentine's Day.

"Our police department is suffering from staffing shortages and officers are working overtime to fill shifts and keep residents safe," she tweeted.

"I am introducing a funding measure to fund more overtime so @SFPD can provide the critical services our residents deserve," she added, referring to the San Francisco Police Department.

She posted a video of a very strong statement she made against "open air drug dealing" and in favor of enforcing the law.

Neither the video nor statement from the Democrat referenced her previous position where she advocated redirecting police funds to the African-American community.

"Decades of disinvestment and racially disparate policies have disproportionately hurt our African-American community in SF," read a tweet from the mayor in 2022.

\u201cDecades of disinvestment and racially disparate policies have disproportionately hurt our African-American community in SF.\n\nSupervisor @ShamannWalton and I will lead the effort to redirect funding from the @SFPD to support the African-American community in the upcoming budget.\u201d
— London Breed (@London Breed) 1591323357

"Supervisor @ShamannWalton and I will lead the effort to redirect funding from the @SFPD to support the African-American community in the upcoming budget," she added.

"SF has made substantial progress on police reform and use of force in recent years, but we know there are structural inequities in our city that continue to this day," she continued in a second tweet.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott supported the policy at the time and said that redirecting funds from the police was not the same as the "Defund the Police" movement.

The San Francisco Police Officer's Association, on the other hand, warned that the redirection of funds might decrease police response time and lead to more crime.

Here's more about Breed previously defunding the police:

SF Mayor Breed Calls for Redirecting Police Funding to Black Community www.youtube.com

[H/T: Author Michael Shellenberger]

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San Francisco police officers denied service at restaurant because their weapons go against eatery's 'safe space' ideology



A San Francisco restaurant is facing backlash after its staff denied service to three police officers. The owners of the restaurant said the eatery didn't feel comfortable allowing the police officers to eat there because the presence of their weapons goes against the establishment's "safe space" ideology. However, the owners of the restaurants are walking back the original decision to boot the cops.

On Friday, three San Francisco police officers frequented the Hilda and Jesse restaurant – that offers "Breakfast without boundaries." The police officers were seated, but shortly after, the "staff felt uncomfortable with the presence of their multiple weapons."

The police officers were then "politely asked them to leave," according to the restaurant.

The owners of Hilda and Jesse reportedly issued a response that said, "Our restaurant is a safe space – particularly for queer and BIPOC individuals."

The brunch spot wrote on social media that they "respect the San Francisco Police Department and are grateful for the work they do." The owners – Kristina Liedags Compton and Rachel Sillcocks – said the cops are welcome into the restaurant "when they are off duty, out of uniform, and without their weapons."


According to KNTV, the San Francisco Police Officers Association issued a statement on the refusal of service.

"Three foot-beat officers looking to eat where they patrol are treated without any tact or class by this establishment," the organization stated. "Fortunately, there are plenty of restaurants that don't discriminate and will welcome our officers working to try and keep all San Franciscans safe."

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott pointed out how the restaurant's refusal to accommodate cops hurts community policing.

"Community engagement is a core principle of SFPD’s 21st century police reforms, and we are intentional about asking our officers to support local businesses and get to know those they’re sworn to safeguard," Scott wrote on Twitter.

"The San Francisco Police Department stands for safety with respect, even when it means respecting wishes that our officers and I find discouraging and personally disappointing," the police chief said. "I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do — in their uniforms — to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe."

(1/3) Community engagement is a core principle of SFPD\u2019s 21st century police reforms, and we are intentional about asking our officers to support local businesses and get to know those they\u2019re sworn to safeguard.https://twitter.com/stanleyroberts/status/1467280263877038085\u00a0\u2026
— SFPD Chief Scott (@SFPD Chief Scott) 1638677238


(3/3) I believe the vast majority of San Franciscans welcome their police officers, who deserve to know that they are appreciated for the difficult job we ask them to do \u2014 in their uniforms \u2014 to keep our neighborhoods and businesses safe.
— SFPD Chief Scott (@SFPD Chief Scott) 1638677238

There was local and national backlash against the restaurant. "Online reviewers voiced their disappointment by giving the restaurant 1-star reviews on several websites including Yelp," according to NBC News Bay Area.

The owners of Hilda and Jesse issued an apology on Sunday night.

"We made a mistake and apologize for the unfortunate incident on Friday when we asked members of the San Francisco Police Department to leave our restaurant," the owners of the Hilda and Jesse restaurant wrote on Instagram.

"We are grateful to all members of the force who work hard to keep us safe, especially during these challenging times," the post continued. "We hope this will be a teachable moment for us as we repair and continue to build bridges with the SFPD. These are stressful times, and we handled this badly."


San Francisco Safeway grocery reduces hours due to 'unsustainable level of theft' from store



A Safeway grocery store in San Francisco that previously operated 24 hours per day is now only open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., marking yet another consequence of the crime problems plaguing the city.

"Safeway has been proudly serving San Francisco since 1926 and we continue to invest in the community with new and remodeled stores," Safeway told Fox News in a statement on Monday, according to Fox Business. "Recent changes at the Market Street store were made to maintain a safe and welcoming shopping experience for our customers and associates given the increasing amount of theft at the store."

The Safeway news highlights the crime problem in San Francisco.

Larceny theft has risen 11.1% from the beginning of 2021 to Oct. 24 compared to the same span during the previous year, according to data from the San Francisco Police Department.

"As an ongoing effort, we evaluate and adjust our store operations based on a variety of variables that impact our operations," Safeway spokesperson Wendy Gutshall said, according to Hoodline. "We recently modified the Castro Safeway store hours of operation to close at 9:00 p.m. due to an increasing amount of theft at the store."

"We have also made some operational changes to the front end of the store to deter shoplifting," Gutshall noted, according to the outlet.

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman tweeted: "I am committed to working with @SFPD , @SFDAOffice , and @Safeway to address the unsustainable level of theft at the Castro Safeway and preserve access to one of the last sources of affordable groceries in the area. This is a serious equity issue for residents who rely on Safeway."

I am committed to working with @SFPD, @SFDAOffice, and @Safeway to address the unsustainable level of theft at the… https://t.co/IFIbv0EUF2

— Rafael Mandelman (@RafaelMandelman) 1635795963.0

Last month the Walgreens pharmacy chain announced plans to shut down five San Francisco locations because of problems with crime. Those stores are slated to close this month.

"Due to ongoing organized retail crime, we have made the difficult decision to close five stores across San Francisco," a Walgreens spokesperson told Fox Business via a statement. "Each store will transfer prescriptions to a nearby Walgreens location within a mile radius and we expect to place the stores' team members in other nearby locations."

"Organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco, and we are not immune to that," the spokesperson noted. "Retail theft across our San Francisco stores has continued to increase in the past few months to five times our chain average. During this time to help combat this issue, we increased our investments in security measures in stores across the city to 46 times our chain average in an effort to provide a safe environment."

VIDEO: 4 CVS shoplifters seen 'picking the place dry' as crime continues to spiral out of control in San Francisco



Viral video captured the moment four shoplifting suspects fled from a San Francisco CVS with bags laden down with purportedly ill-gotten goods.

What are the details?

KTVU-TV's Henry K. Lee tweeted a video of the female suspects fleeing the scene on Tuesday, captioning it, "These 4 women ran off after going into @cvspharmacy at Van Ness & Jackson in SF and 'picking the place dry,' witness says[.]"

"@cvspharmacy at Van Ness & Jackson in SF, witness @SteveAdams80182 says he asked staffers if they were going to call @SFPD 'but they just shrugged,'" he added.

What else?

Witnesses said that they weren't surprised at the brazen shoplifting due to the seemingly unending torrent of retail thefts taking place across the city.

"This sort of thing is becoming so normal," one witness told Lee, according to Fox News.

A variety of similar incidents have taken place across the city and state over the last several months, including thefts from drug stores, clothing retailers, and more.

The outlet reported that shoplifters aren't making off with "one or two items that someone might need to get by," San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Robert Rueca said.

Investigations, instead, are reportedly finding that shoplifters are reportedly reselling the stolen goods to make money.

"Our investigations have shown that there are organized fences where people are selling these products that they steal," he explained.

Fox News added, "Millions of dollars' worth of merchandise has been stolen from retailers in San Francisco, California Retail Association President Rachel Michelin told Fox News, adding that the funds from stolen items are ultimately used by crime syndicates."

In a May report, the New York Times detailed the disturbing surge in shoplifters across San Francisco.

The report stated, "The mundane crime of shoplifting has spun out of control in San Francisco, forcing some chain stores to close. Walgreens said that thefts at its stores in San Francisco were four times the chain's national average, and that it had closed 17 stores, largely because the scale of thefts had made business untenable."

In June, a brazen suspect made off with a trash bag stuffed with Walgreens merchandise.

Many of San Francisco's Target locations have even begun closing early to stem the tide of out-of-control shoplifting incidents, and Walgreens has closed doors on 17 of its San Francisco-area stores over the past five years due to shoplifting, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill to confront California's ongoing crime wave, re-establishing organized retail theft as a crime, Fox News reported.

Reporter robbed at gunpoint while investigating robberies in San Francisco



A TV news reporter was robbed at gunpoint by a gang of thieves while he was coincidentally investigating a rash of robberies in San Francisco.

KPIX-TV reporter Don Ford was covering a flurry of smash-and-grab car thefts in San Francisco's Twin Peaks neighborhood. He was interviewing residents in the area about the rise in crime. While preparing for a TV segment about the robberies on Wednesday, he became a victim himself of a robbery.

A white sedan pulled up to where Ford was getting ready to film, three men exited the vehicle and held Ford at gunpoint. The bandits, one armed with a Glock handgun, stole the news channel's camera in less than a minute.

"The car came up here while we were about to do an interview, three guys jumped out," Ford said. "One had a gun and put in my face and said, 'We're taking the camera.'"

"My whole thought at the moment was be calm. Let's not get this guy excited. He's got the gun. I don't. So you take you the camera. It's yours buddy," Ford explained.

The homeowner that Ford was preparing to interview was motionless as the armed robbery took place right in front of him. He said, "I just looked and I said, 'I'm not going to get shot today.'"

"I was worried that this is what's gonna happen, because as thieves get more and more brazen, they do more and more brazenly things. I'm not making that up. We just had that experience today," the man who didn't want to be identified told KPIX.

"I'm not sure my adrenaline has settled down yet," Ford said.

KPIX 5 Reporter Robbed At Gunpoint While Looking Into Auto Thefts At San Francisco Twin Peaks www.youtube.com

No one was injured, but everyone was shaken.

Joel Engardio, a San Francisco news columnist, shared what he claims to be surveillance video of the robbery.

The San Francisco Police Department released a statement saying the camera, which had a tracking chip inside, had been recovered on Wednesday. The police did not provide any further details on the robbery, and were asking the public for information.

The camera was recovered. This incident remains an active and ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is ask… https://t.co/4L3qlJPvzP
— SFPD Park Station (@SFPD Park Station) 1614822415.0

Residents say that robberies have spiked ever since the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency closed the access road to the popular vista point at the beginning of the pandemic.

"You want to have that for open space? We want that, too. But protect us. We shouldn't pay the penalty for that action that SFMTA caused upon us," a local homeowner said.

On Tuesday night, the SFMTA board voted to reopen one Twin Peaks access road, but voted to keep another closed. The SFMTA also released a statement, "We are saddened to hear about what happened to reporter, Don Ford, while covering the story today."

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who represents the city's District 8 that includes Twin Peaks, said the armed stick-up was "ridiculous and unacceptable but not entirely unexpected."

"We need to adequately resource public safety agencies, adopt better strategies to stop repeat offenders and make clear that San Francisco is not a place that you can commit crimes and put people's lives at risk with impunity," he wrote on Twitter.

but not entirely unexpected in San Francisco in 2021. We need to adequately resource public safety agencies, adopt… https://t.co/v7VUaZ4N9U
— Rafael Mandelman (@Rafael Mandelman) 1614814682.0

A mid-February report found that robberies in 2021 were up 370% in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco.