The mayor of San Francisco London Breed has taken recourse to emergency measures to combat the rampant drug menace in parts of the city. She has increased policing on the ground in the poorest city neighborhoods.
The move comes after there has been a national concern over crime and drug-related deaths in the city. Critics of London Breed’s response say that the measures are a quick fix and will not be effective.
The declaration of emergency by Mayor London Breed will ride over red tape and speed up the activities of social services and the police in the Tenderloin area.
London Breed was speaking at n emergency news conference accompanied by the police chief of San Francisco. She said that there was an emergency situation and it called an emergency response.
San Francisco leaders have long been divided over ways to work against the rampant drug use, homelessness, and crime in this neighborhood.
London Breed’s Enforcement Measures Greeted With Skepticism By Critics
In a city long famous for its liberal ethos and tolerance, the move to impose a measure of emergency is something unusual. The move enforcement, especially to combat retail theft.
London Breed maintains that drug use and homelessness worsened in several areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. she said that an average of 2 people died every day of a drug overdose in San Francisco.
Additionally, most of the 8,000 homeless people in the city have other issues of addiction and mental illness. Breed says she plans to go for tougher law enforcement measures to combat illegal activities in the affected areas.
There have been multiple high-profile crimes including car break-ins and robberies. London Breed said that San Francisco’s reputation as a compassionate metropolitan should not be taken as a sign of weakness.
But the Coalition on Homelessness has said that past enforcement measures had not been met with much success and the problem could not be met with stepped-up policing.
