San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott today announced progress in implementing Proposition E, a voter-approved public safety initiative. Mayor Breed placed Prop E on the March ballot to remove obstacles that prevent the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) officers from being able to more effectively and efficiently do their jobs to deter and respond to crime.
Since the voters approved Prop E in March, the Mayor’s Office and the SFPD have been working to implement these changes by drafting new directives and including new funding in the Mayor’s new budget.
Beginning this week and the following week, the two key elements for implementing Prop E are moving forward at the Police Commission and Board of Supervisors.
To implement the new policies approved in Prop E, which will get more officers on the streets and help officers apprehend those who break the law, SFPD has introduced new Department General Orders (DGOs) for approval by the Police Commission. While the voters approved these policies, the Police Commission still must approve the DGOs within the scope of what the voters approved, which will be voted on today.
To fund new technologies approved in Prop E, including public safety cameras and drone technology, Mayor Breed included $3.7 million in her proposed budget. This funding was secured in the budget agreement made with the Board of Supervisors Budget and Appropriations Committee. Next week, the full Board of Supervisors will take up the entire budget for a vote, which includes this public safety funding.
These expansions of new public safety strategies will help San Francisco continue to prioritize and build on public safety progress. In the first six months of 2024, San Francisco has seen its lowest crime rate in 10 years. Compared to the same six-month period in 2018 before Mayor Breed took office, violent crime is down 26% and property crime is down 40%.
“We are improving public safety, but we cannot and will not let up because we have a lot more work to do to make our City even safer,” said Mayor Breed. “The voters approved Prop E and now we are doing the work to put policy into practice. By freeing up officers to spend more time out in the community and giving them the tools to be more efficient and hold people accountable, we will make San Francisco safer. We’re already seeing the impacts this technology can have, leading to arrests and prosecutions. I’m grateful to everyone coming together to deliver these safety measures.”
"We are committed to responding to the will of the voters and ensuring the safety of our community through effective and efficient policing. With the implementation of Proposition E, we are not only addressing the immediate needs of our officers but also planning for the future," states SFPD Chief of Police, Bill Scott. "The support from the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors in securing funding for new technologies and streamlined policies will enable us to better serve San Francisco, making our city safer and more resilient."
New Department Policies
The new DGOs to implement Prop E are scheduled to be heard at today’s Police Commission meeting. Those seven DGOs will put in place policies to achieve the main goals set forth in Prop E of:
- Allow officers to actively pursue suspects of felonies and violent misdemeanors, including retail theft, vehicle theft, and auto burglaries, as long as the pursuit can be done safely.
- Eliminate duplicative and excessive reporting requirements to help free up officers to get them back on the street.
- Clarify the officers can use technological solutions like body-worn cameras to record incident information, instead of having to go back to the district station to fill out paperwork.
After this initial introduction, these policies are subject to meet and confer which can take additional meetings. Once these DGOs are finalized, then SFPD officers can adopt the approved policies as part of their work.
"The people of San Francisco spoke clearly in support of giving our officers the innovative tools to solve crime efficiently and prioritizing our time in the community to deter crime before it happens,” said Lt. Tracy McCray, President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association. “These policies make San Francisco safer, period.”
Funding Prop E
The Budget Agreement with the Board of Supervisors Budget Committee fully funded the Mayor’s proposal of $3.7 million for technology and Prop E implementation. Next week, the full Board of Supervisors will take its first vote on the Budget.
The Prop E implementation dollars will go towards one-time equipment purchase funding, including expanding the public safety camera network and the acquisition of drones to assist with investigations or as a first response in emergencies. It will also fund ongoing technology operations, which may include digital evidence management, video management, data analytics software, or maintenance of existing camera networks.
San Francisco has already seen improvements on public safety with other technologies being put in place. This includes the City’s Automated License Plate Readers. While separate from Prop E, these ALPRs have led to significant number of arrests and are representative of the Mayor’s approach to using technology to deter crime and support officers in making arrests.
6 Month Public Safety Update
As a result of broad public safety strategies and investment in violence prevention and community building efforts, San Francisco continues to see crime remain at a 10-year low through the first six months of 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023:
Violent crime is down 12%, including
- Homicides down 32%
- Robbery down 18%
- Assaults down 5%
Property crime is down 34%, including:
- Burglary down 18%
- Motor vehicle theft down 18%
- Auto break-ins down 54%
The drop in crime during the first six months of 2024 are even more significant when compared to the same period in 2018, in the six months before Mayor Breed took office.
In the first six months of 2024 compared to the first six months of 2018:
- Violent crime down 26%
- Property crime down 40%
“We are approaching public safety with a broad strategy, including increasing enforcement and accountability, but also investing in alternatives to policing and investing in violence reduction programs,” said Mayor Breed. “There is no one solution or strategy to public safety – it's about tackling it from all angles to make all people feel safe while we continue to promote justice and implement reforms.”
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