The Tenderloin neighborhood (a famously crime-ridden region near Market Street, the broad boulevard that spans through the heart of the city center) was declared a “national emergency” by San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday.
A Change of Heart?
In reaction to Black Lives Matter demonstrations, Mayor Breed was one of the first mayors in the United States to pledge to “defund the police” in 2020, vowing to allocate $120 million from the police budgets to black community organizations.
However, the city has been ravaged by crime, notably in the retail industry. Since the allowance of theft of less than $950, shoplifting has become a regular occurrence, prompting some large retail companies to depart the city.
The unprecedented looting of high-end retailers in Union Square the week before Thanksgiving sparked nationwide shock and indignation.
Day 4 of the 90-day state of emergency declaration in Tenderloin over opioid crisis. #SanFrancisco @nbcbayarea @MattHaneySF @Ahsha_Safai @shamannwalton @RafaelMandelman @HillaryRonen @DeanPreston @conniechansf @SupStefani @D4GordonMar @myrnamelgar @LondonBreed pic.twitter.com/FX9Tl9Sdcm
— Citizenj17 { I’m feeling the Spirit } (@citizenj17) December 28, 2021
Mayor Breed and her entire squad, according to one local retailer, failed to safeguard the city and should go.
In reaction, the mayor called for an increase in the police budget, as well as an end to progressive “crime-fighting nonsense” on Tuesday. On Friday, she announced a lockdown and “state of emergency” in the Tenderloin against drugs and crime.
Lock It Down!
As part of the Tenderloin Crisis Intervention Program, Mayor London Breed issued an official State of Emergency in the Tenderloin today, enabling the city to suspend some rules to promptly address the epidemic of individuals dying of opioid overdoses.
This measure, like the city’s COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency, will remove bureaucratic hurdles, enabling the city to promptly respond to situations affecting the Tenderloin’s safety and health.
The overdose problem has gotten worse, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, but the latest quickly deteriorating circumstances in the Tenderloin, due to the opioid crisis, have put San Franciscans’ lives in grave danger.
It is time for San Francisco Moderates to rally behind our Mayor.
DA Boudin just held a press conference to protest her plan to refund SFPD and declare a state of emergency.
This is about to get gnarly. Progressives vs Moderates.
Pick a side. https://t.co/4d6IO0BjJu
— Michelle Tandler ⚖️ (@michelletandler) December 20, 2021
The city will use the Emergency Declaration to speed up the execution of urgent programs, like signing away contract procurement rules and development control.
It will also involve planning codes to rapidly open a momentary linkage site where people with drug use problems can receive mental healthcare and get off the streets. Actions conducted within the Tenderloin Police District will be covered by the Emergency Declaration.
Democrat Mayor London Breed said, “The condition in the Tenderloin is an emergency that requires a disaster response.”
“We demonstrated during COVID we can get things done to make real, visible progress when we use an Emergency Declaration to cut through the bureaucracy and impediments that get in the way of quick action.”
“We’ll use that focus and collaboration to stop unlawful behavior in the neighborhood, provide treatment and assistance to those who need it, and make the Tenderloin a safer, more desirable place for the families and children who live there.”
