By Elina Lingappa
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Mayor London Breed, District Attorney Chesa Boudin, Police Chief Bill Scott, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, and Adult Probation Chief Karen Fletches are implementing new funding, programs, and reform to address some of resident’s most pressing concerns around crime.
The launch of such initiatives highlight interagency communication, combating recidivism, and reducing gun violence in the city of San Francisco.
These plans have been in the works since the beginning of the year, when SFDA Boudin took action following several tragic events, including a deadly car accident on New Year’s Eve.
According to the Office of the Mayor, Boudin stated that “In January, I convened a meeting of justice partners to begin the discussion of how we can better communicate to ensure that we are all coordinating our efforts rather than working in silos.”
“I am so pleased that we have all come together to commit to this collaborative approach to promoting public safety,” Boudin added.
The collaborative plan involves two initiatives.
The first initiative is concerned with preventing repeat offenses.
The multi-pronged plan primarily strives for greater communication between government agencies, namely the District Attorney’s office, San Francisco Police Department, and the local courts.
This communication includes information of repeat offenders, enhanced verification process when an individual on probation or parole is arrested, and providing updated information to courts when an offender does not comply with their orders.
Additionally, the initiative strives for more efficient collaboration when offenders are booked, which involves a process of inter-agency communication, confirmation, review, and evaluation.
Through each component of this initiative, the agencies hope to keep better tabs on repeat offenders and take more effective action when recidivism occurs.
To ensure the success of the initiative to present repeat offenses, the city will be seeking additional staffing. Specifically, two new prosecutors will be hired to aid in more effective communication and coordination.
The second initiative tackles the issue of gun violence.
The San Francisco city government will be receiving $1.5 million from the California Violence Initiative and Prevention grant for the implementation of a three-year program to identify individuals who are at-risk of participating in gun violence.
It will then connect them with the San Francisco Street Violence Intervention Program (SVIP), which will work with both the individual and their family to provide mentorship and aid them in seeking out a future without gun violence.
The program goal is to “help reduce shootings, break the cycle of recidivism, and build trust between the community and the Police Department.”
San Francisco residents have witnessed an increase in specific areas of crime amid ruthless fear-mongering. However, these new initiatives will hopefully yield results to work toward a healthier and safer community.
Elina Lingappa is a sophomore at the University of San Francisco double majoring in Sociology and Politics. She is originally from Seattle, Washington, and she is deeply passionate about the spheres of criminal justice and education equity.
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