SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, long considered one of Silicon Valley’s more liberal business leaders, said he supported President Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to San Francisco for security at a charity event, only to apologize two days later.
The New York Times quoted Benioff as saying, “We don’t have enough cops. So, if they can be cops, I’m all for it.” This revelation surfaced during an April 15 Commonwealth Club discussion on Trump’s influence in California and was heavily criticized as emblematic of Big Tech’s dependence on federal power.
Carla Marinucci framed the topic as “(Benioff) has just gone the way Zuckerberg and Luis and many of his other tech giants have gone — understanding that their friendship with Trump means everything to their bottom line.”
Sending National Guard troops to “Democratic-led cities” throughout the United States has become a Trump trend during his second presidential term, according to the Today Show. CBS News reported that Trump has sent or discussed sending National Guard troops to a total of 11 cities throughout the country due to high crime rates.
In the same Today Show video, Trump justified his use of National Guard troops in multiple cities by saying, “If you look at Chicago, Chicago is a great city where there is a lot of crime, and if the governor can’t do the job, we’ll do the job.”
Only an article by Stacey McKenna, Lisel Petis and Matt Germer from the R Street Institute argued that militarization of public law “is an ineffective tool for creating lasting solutions that address the root causes of crime and public disorder.”
They quoted the National Library of Medicine as explaining, “There is robust evidence that displacing people increases their overdose death risk and reduces the likelihood they will initiate (Substance Use Disorder) SUD treatment.”
These mental problems develop distrust for the community and cause more violent crimes. The Journal of Urban Health wrote, “Crimes against persons increased and displayed high clustering post-displacement.”
McKenna et al. explained that civilians feel even more threatened when National Guard troops displace them, increasing crime. She cited CBS News as writing, “Brianne Nadeau is a member of the District of Columbia Council who represents a community with a heavy presence of federal agents. She said they’re scaring people away.”
The president is overstepping his powers and the jurisdiction between federal and state authorities, as he is not allowed to use military power to enforce public law under the Posse Comitatus Act.
Comparatively, local officers know the rules of the territory and can build rapport with residents, according to Police Chief Rolando Ramos of the Hoopa Valley.
In the case of San Francisco, like other cities around the country, McKenna et al. explained, “Following the nationwide spike in homicides and motor vehicle thefts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, crime rates in the United States have declined, with many cities recording historic lows. Violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low, gun violence in Chicago is even lower than pre-COVID-19 levels, and Memphis—considered America’s deadliest city—has reduced crime rates in all major categories.”
From such data, Mission Local rationalized, “The fact of the matter is, San Francisco’s crime rate is plummeting hand in hand with its plummeting police staffing … . There are no clear correlations between higher staffing and a lower crime rate,” as the city’s leaders had claimed.
The California government attributed investments in new surveillance technology and policies to stop retail theft with a targeted approach to other crimes as lowering rates. Governor Gavin Newsom stated, “Through meaningful and significant funding investments and partnerships with local law enforcement and community groups — our crime is down.”
According to CBS News, San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott admitted, “The department still has a staffing shortage. The technology won’t replace officers, but will make their work more efficient.” However, Mayor Daniel Lurie insisted that the 20% drop in crime was thanks to the new surveillance technology — the Real-Time Investigation Center.
As cities like San Francisco see crime rates fall without military intervention, the idea of billionaires turning to the National Guard does not underscore public safety but instead highlights the blurring of power between private wealth and political force.
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