San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Mayor London Breed reflects on her administration
SF Mayor Breed reflects on her time in office
London Breed is reflecting on her six years as mayor of San Francisco.
SAN FRANCISCO – The end of the year brings an end to the Breed administration in San Francisco.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed served the city for six years and said she’s proud of the work she’s done.
Breed is spending the last weeks of her administration much the same way she has the last six years, serving as the city’s biggest advocate, now reflecting on her time in office.
A term that started in the turmoil following the death of her predecessor, Ed Lee.
Then-president of the board of supervisors, Breed briefly served as acting mayor and was elected to serve the remainder of Lee’s term, guiding the city through its grief.
“Along with trying to process it myself, I had to roll up my sleeves and just reassure the public that the business of the city will continue, that you do have a leader, but that we are also mourning and help the city get through that grief,” said Breed.
Breed served San Francisco through the COVID-19 pandemic, taking decisive action early to shut down the city, a move she said saved lives.
“San Francisco is one of the densest cities anywhere in the country,” said Breed. “We had one of the lowest death rates of any major city. We didn’t have our hospitals overflowing, our morgue overflowing.”
Because of the pandemic, Breed said she grappled with a new economic reality, trying to reshape the city in the post-pandemic era.
Breed said among her proudest accomplishments is cutting the red tape, transforming a city that was slow to change to a city of “yes.”
“So, getting to ‘yes,’ providing more flexible uses and making downtown a 24/7 neighborhood, that’s what starting to happen now,” said Breed.
“Removing the restrictions is important. So I believe that during my time, doing all this work, we have set San Francisco up for what is possible.”
That post-pandemic period also saw a marked increase in crime.
Breed said she brought on a new district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, to make sure there was accountability and consequences for those who broke the law, including drug dealers and users, as the city struggled with a surge in fentanyl use.
Breed also said she’s worked to change the sometimes distorted image of San Francisco to make it a destination for police officer recruitment and helped usher in new technology, all of which she says are responsible for the city’s declining crime rate.
“We have the tools,” Breed said. “We’ve changed the laws, we’ve built the capacity to address it a lot differently than we did when we came out of the pandemic. That is what led to these remarkable results that we’re starting to see, and it’s only going to get better.”
The mayor said she also worked hard to find a solution to the homelessness crisis that spilled out into the streets.
“I really focused in on the issues that, now, have changed for the better,” said Breed. “More to do, of course, not where they need to be, but, we have helped over 20,000 people exit homelessness permanently.”
As for her plans going forward, Breed is not offering a lot of details.
“I’m looking forward to what the future holds,” said Breed. “I gotta say, just being mayor of San Francisco has just really been the honor of my life. It’s been a joy. Yes, it has had its challenges. Its up and its downs, but this is one of the most incredible cities in the world. I’m so proud that I have had the privilege to serve as the mayor of San Francisco.”
The mayor did say that for now, her focus is on continuing to serve the city until Jan. 8 when a new mayor is sworn in.
San Francisco, CA
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San Francisco, CA
Driver Arrested After Pedestrian Killed, Three Injured In Mission District Crash
One pedestrian died at the hospital and three others suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a driver struck them in SF’s Mission District earlier this week.
The San Francisco Police Department arrested a driver suspected of fatally striking four pedestrians in the area of 16th and Mission streets Monday morning, as KRON4 reports.
Officers responded to the scene at 12:13 am and found medics treating one pedestrian with life-threatening injuries. The person later died at a nearby hospital, and three other pedestrians sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver was reportedly detained soon after the collision. The department has not announced what charges they will receive.
“We hold the victim and their loved ones in our thoughts, and grieve this loss of life on San Francisco’s streets,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director for Walk SF, in a release. “We all deserve to be able to get around safely in our city.”
This marks the ninth pedestrian death in San Francisco this year. It’s also the second such death in the Mission, following the tragic death of local musician Danielle Spillman at Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue in April, as SFist reported previously.
Four pedestrians were killed throughout the month of March, including deaths in Chinatown, the Financial District, North Beach, and the Outer Mission. In late February, a two-year-old was run over in Mission Bay.
Anyone with information may contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444 or text “TIP411,” beginning with “SFPD.”
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San Francisco, CA
California Supreme Court ruling on bail sparks debate over what it means for San Francisco’s safety
A recent California Supreme Court ruling is changing how bail is set across the state, and it’s sparking a sharp debate in San Francisco about what it could mean for public safety.
Inside her office, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said every decision carries weight. She views her role through one lens: protecting the public.
“My responsibility to San Francisco is public safety,” Jenkins said. “And to be transparent to me in achieving that safety. This is a ruling that has real-life consequences, and deny that would be untruthful and would not help people understand why we may see retraction from our progress.”
The ruling requires judges to set bail at levels defendants can afford, shifting the focus away from cash bail and toward whether someone poses a risk to public safety.
Jenkins said she believes that shift could have serious consequences.
“I knew it would be immediately be devastating to public safety and the state of California and had a lot of concerns that I thought needed to be shared with the public and other city leaders,” she said.
She warns that the change could make it easier for repeat offenders, particularly those involved in drug-related crimes, to be released before trial.
“These judges don’t live in San Francisco, many of them,” Jenkins said. “They don’t live in places like the Tenderloin that are most affected by these issues. They are ruling in a way that has impacts on other people’s lives.”
But not everyone agrees with that assessment.
San Francisco Defense Attorney Marsanne Weese said the ruling does not eliminate accountability and that courts still have tools to detain people who pose a threat.
“In regards to her statements, there is no basis for it,” Weese said. “And the justices pointed out that there are a number of non-financial tools the lower courts can use and should use.”
Those tools include options like pretrial detention and supervised release, which allow judges to consider risk without relying solely on a person’s ability to pay bail.
“So, in regards to this being a drastic change, yes, it will be a drastic change, but not to safety,” Weese added.
For Jenkins, the concern is not just the intent of the law, but how it will be applied in real-world courtrooms and what that means on city streets.
For now, there is unease for some, optimism for others, and a growing debate over what public safety will look like under this new system.
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