Mayor London Breed delivered a fiery press conference at City Hall Tuesday, decrying the state of public safety in the city and announcing a myriad of initiatives that would increase police presence in the Tenderloin.
“It’s time that the reign of criminals who are destroying our city … comes to an end," she said, outlining her intentions to deter and arrest those contributing to and partaking in the neighborhood’s open-air drug market. "It comes to an end when we take the steps to be more aggressive with law enforcement … and less tolerant of all the bullshit."
The initiatives are focused on enforcing permits on illegal street vendors, securing long-term funding for community ambassador programs and broadening law enforcement’s use of cameras during emergency situations.
“We are not giving people a choice anymore,” Breed said. “We are not going to just walk by and let someone use in broad daylight.”
Residents in the Tenderloin presented a letter to Breed in November, demanding action to alleviate unsafe conditions for kids and families. Breed met with some of those families on Friday, prompting what she said will be a “less tolerant” approach to drug use.