“The nature of this work is that we always look back and it’s 20-20 in retrospect,” Mr Buden said. “We know for a fact that some people will be released and commit serious crimes. There will always be cases in which, if we look back, we will make different decisions. “
Unlike other parts of the country, the killings do not provoke the anger and passions of the defenders of remembrance. The annual death toll in the city has ranged from 41 to 56 over the past seven years.
Instead, proponents of the reminder describe a pervasive sense that the quality of life in San Francisco has deteriorated. Burglary, especially in wealthier neighborhoods, increased during the pandemic. The city registered 7,575 burglaries in 2020 and 7,217 last year, a sharp increase of more than 45 percent compared to 2019. Car break-ins, a long-standing purulent problem, were less common during the pandemic, but thieves displaced its goals from tourist areas to more residential areas, a change that has given the issue more urgency and urgency among voters.
Another problem is that Mr. Budin and the police department, whose rate of arrests for reported crimes is among the lowest in major cities, have a toxic relationship. In the 2019 campaign, the San Francisco Police Association attacked Mr. Budin, calling him “the number one choice of criminals and gang members.” Mr Buden’s supporters responded to his victory party by chanting epithets for the union.
Officers were heard on camera footage telling residents that the district attorney did not want to prosecute crimes. And while Mr Buden has been criticized for not pursuing the drug trade more aggressively, he said police make an average of only two arrests for drug distribution a day.
“The perception is correct,” Mr Buden said. “Low-level drug debtors can reasonably expect in San Francisco that nothing will happen to them. Because they are not arrested. By the way, the same goes for car thefts, where 1% of reported car thefts lead to arrest. So the focus on my office or on me or my policies is really wrong.
Police Chief Bill Scott declined to answer questions about the rate of crime detection by the department. A spokesman said in a statement that “it is not appropriate for him to enter into a political type of discussion that could affect the will of San Francisco voters.”
Add Comment