Posts in Crime and Safety
City Hall Must Let the Sheriff Do His Job

Supervisors want to speed up the previously scheduled closure of County Jail No. 4. But sheriff Paul Miyamoto has publicly said parts of the legislation are “irresponsible” and “a threat to public safety.” I support closing the dilapidated and seismically unfit jail. So does the sheriff. The problem with the proposed legislation is that it takes away the sheriff’s ability to add new beds to the remaining jails if he needs them for unforeseen circumstances. Click to read more details and sign the petition to oppose this legislation and let the sheriff do his job.

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Are California Lawmakers Encouraging Crime?

It’s easy to get away with car burglary in San Francisco because of a loophole in state law. Car break-ins can’t be charged as felony theft unless it can be proven that the door was locked. Smart criminals simply unlock the door after smashing the window. No wonder San Francisco’s epidemic of auto burglary has resulted in so few convictions. Yet a bill to fix the loophole has failed twice in Sacramento. It defies explanation why California’s legislature would encourage crime.

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Voters, Not Tweets Will Hold Judges Accountable

The brazen and violent attack of a young woman in San Francisco and a judge’s refusal to hold the suspect in custody became a highly publicized case that poses some important questions: How many crime victims without a Twitter account suffer in silence? How do we know which judges care more about the rights of the accused than the victim? And is there anything we can do to get better judges?

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District Attorney Debate Video: Moderator Joel Engardio

Video of San Francisco District Attorney debate sponsored by Stop Crime SF and moderated by Joel Engardio. Featuring candidates Chesa Boudin, Leif Dautch, Suzy Loftus and Nancy Tung. Be an informed voter and learn where they stand. The stakes are high. San Francisco ranks #1 in property crime among large U.S. cities. The district attorney sets the agenda for what crimes will and won't be prosecuted.

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Statement on San Francisco’s Ban of Facial Recognition Technology

Instead of an outright ban, a moratorium would have been more appropriate. There are problems with facial recognition ID technology and it should not be used today. But the technology will improve and it could be a useful tool for public safety when used responsibly and with greater accuracy. We should keep the door open for that possibility. Especially when facial recognition technology can help locate missing children, people with dementia and fight sex trafficking.

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Who's Watching the Judges?

Smashed glass on curbs and sidewalks is the new normal in San Francisco with tens of thousands of car break-ins reported annually. Our criminal justice system needs the right incentives for offenders to change their behavior. Lawbreakers need to know they will be held accountable if they violate the terms of probation. And judges need to know citizens are watching. Read the full OpEd published in the San Francisco Chronicle.

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SF Police Union Gets Openly Gay Leader and a New Style, At Last

Exactly 42 years after the San Francisco Police Officers Association declared gay people unfit to serve, Tony Montoya became the police union’s first openly gay president. Yet Montoya’s temperament is just as groundbreaking — when compared to the take-no-prisoners approach his predecessors took in local politics. “Our bombastic style doesn’t work anymore. It turns people off,” Montoya said. “I’ll be more thoughtful.”

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