SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is one of several city leaders who say they are not on board with Mayor London Breed’s plan to flood the Tenderloin District with more police officers.
On Monday, a number of leaders said there are more options on the table to fix the problem, than locking people up.
Those opposed to the mayor’s plan say if there’s money for more officers, there’s also money for programs to help those most in need.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, several top San Francisco leaders provided a united front Monday opposed to Mayor Breed’s plan that would flood the Tenderloin District with more officers.
“Jailing people who have mental health struggles, putting who are vending hot dogs and other people in cages will not solve this problem. They are not the only options available to us,” Boudin said.
Last week, Mayor Breed declared a state of emergency in the Tenderloin.
As part of her proposed plan to clean up the area, she called for more officers on the streets to stop drug dealers and outdoor drug use.
She also called for centers where drug users can get help, or risk going to jail.
Monday the mayor tweeted the state of emergency will allow the city to move quickly to address the public health crisis on the streets.
If zoning restrictions are revised, a center to help people could open in two to three weeks, instead of six to nine months.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton said supervisors gave the mayor permission to tackle drug overdoses, not lock people up.
“That was not intended to increase law enforcement budgets here in San Francisco, and arrest people who use drugs when we don’t have adequate resources to address their needs,” Walton said.
During the event, Boudin said his main focus was on serious and violent crimes. He said the mental health and drug crisis won’t be solved with handcuffs if help isn’t available on the other end.
The board of supervisors will vote on the mayor’s state of emergency on Thursday.
