San Francisco — Public safety ballot propositions that would strengthen police powers and crack down on illegal drug usage were leading in politically liberal San Francisco, reflecting voters' discontent with crime and a drug pandemic. Proposition F would require adult welfare claimants who use illegal drugs to receive treatment or lose monetary aid.
Proposition E would allow police to chase criminals in vehicles, utilize drones and surveillance cameras, and decrease paperwork, especially in use-of-force instances
Mayor London Breed, a centrist Democrat for reelection, put both items on the ballot. She confronts three significant opponents who believe her administration has failed to combat drug offenses, graffiti, and theft. San Francisco has no primary; voters will rank all candidates by preference in November.
Liberal city Democrats have had to blend progressive criminal justice reforms with fed-up constituents. Retail theft, record fentanyl overdose deaths, and the pandemic's aftermath have irritated San Francisco residents and garnered national media attention.
A contentious 2022 recall election deposed progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin for being too soft toward criminals. Oakland's progressive Mayor Sheng Thao faces a recall election amid a crime surge that has prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to send in California Highway Patrol and state prosecutors.
The two Tuesday initiatives' supporters outspent opponents. Tech-backed civic advocacy groups and Ripple CEO Chris Larsen and Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman are examples. These two propositions are incredibly popular,” said Kanishka Cheng, executive director of TogetherSF Action, the political arm of TogetherSF, a civic advocacy group she co-founded with billionaire startup entrepreneur Michael Moritz at the onset of the pandemic
Even if the measures are imperfect, she said, "people are so frustrated, they're willing to try something different." Voters say that every day.” Tech millionaires are accused of buying the election, and Breed is said to be bolstering November votes. They say the plans won't make people safer.
“There’s a lot of drug abuse on our streets and it manifests itself on lots of issues from public safety to quality of life,” said landlords' association employee Goss. Approximately 9,000 single adults without dependents on local welfare would be examined for illegal drug use under Proposition F. An addiction professional and the receiver would agree on residential care, a 12-step program, individual counseling, and replacement medicine if they use drugs.
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