Propositions E and F in San Francisco Appear Headed for Victory

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San Francisco voters are poised to approve ballot Propositions E and F, public safety measures authored by Mayor London Breed that would expand the powers of the San Francisco Police Department and require drug treatment for some welfare recipients.

In returns early Wednesday, 60% of voters supported Proposition E and 63% supported Proposition F, with roughly 105,000 votes tallied.

The measures rode a wave of anti-crime sentiment in San Francisco, where voters appear energized by brazen thefts and street violence seen in viral internet videos and on television news.

“It is clear that people want to see changes around public safety. What’s exciting about this for me is I get the kinds of tools I need to continue the work we’re doing,” Mayor Breed said to reporters at Anina Lounge in Hayes Valley, where she was surrounded by a raucous party with supporters.

Breed’s critics have said the electorate seems motivated by how they feel about crime, not the reality of how much crime is actually occurring.

Her allies hope the success of Proposition E and F will demonstrate the mayor is taking action on San Franciscans’ concerns about crime and open-air drug use, as Breed campaigns for reelection in November.

“Crime in 2023 was down to the lowest it’s been in 10 years, not including the pandemic,” she said. “And I know that people are starting to feel the difference, and we have to make sure we continue that momentum. And these are additional tools that are going to help us deliver some real results for San Francisco.”

Since September 1, property crime in San Francisco is down 30% and violent crime down 4% compared to the same time period from the previous year, according to Breed’s office.

Breed added that the Police Commission “in some instances, has gone too far, and Proposition E is making it clear that, look, we want reforms, but we want balance and we want safety. We can have all of them.”

Proposition E would weaken the authority of the citizen-led San Francisco Police Commission. It would also allow the San Francisco Police Department to deploy surveillance technology like facial recognition, implement public surveillance cameras and drones, loosen restrictions around vehicle chases, and exempt officers from filing paperwork after using force on a suspect, so long as the person suffered no injuries.

The Yes on E campaign raised $849,000, with its top contributors including Ron Conway, a tech sector investor, and Chris Larsen, the CEO of Ripple. A separate campaign for Proposition E started by mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie raised $699,000.

The ACLU of Northern California led the opposition to Proposition E and raised $200,000 to beat it. The organization argued more police chases would endanger lives, and expanding police surveillance power will infringe on privacy rights.

Proposition F would allow the city to require welfare recipients to be drug tested and enter treatment programs if they’re suspected of using illegal drugs. If a person declined treatment, they would no longer get cash and could be evicted from their housing. More than 5,000 San Franciscans used welfare last year, according to the County Adult Assistance Program. The Human Services Agency administers the program, and estimates roughly 30% of city welfare recipients have a substance use disorder.

The Yes on F campaign raised $650,000. There was substantial funding raised against Proposition F.

Both ballot measures were born from frustration.

In 2022, Breed clashed with her own appointee to the Police Commission, Max Carter-Oberstone. He now serves as the body’s vice president and has led multiple reform efforts.

Breed authored Proposition E to weaken the Police Commission and reject its recent policy changes. If approved, public hearings would be required to be held in all 10 district stations before the Commission could amend the SFPD’s procedures. Only the chief of police could veto the new hearing process, which would allow the SFPD to slow the Commission’s efforts when they disagree.

Breed also voiced concern with the city’s welfare system. Last week she revealed 40 people arrested for drug use in the Tenderloin and South of Market over the last year were defrauding the County Adult Assistance Program by falsely claiming they live in San Francisco, which is a requirement to be eligible for the welfare program.