In a move dripping with delicious irony, San Francisco Mayor London Breed demanded that the federal government aid her beleaguered city in dealing with its self-inflicted drug crisis.
This, of course, is the same London Breed who called for the city to “defund the police” as the violent George Floyd riots rocked the nation in 2020. So how has that strategy affected the wildly liberal metropolis?
The San Francisco Police Department now finds itself short by 540 officers. With this dramatically diminished manpower came the realization that much of the landscape is now controlled by violent drug dealers, and city leaders are in over their heads.
Part of the responsibility to respond fell to the city’s Department of Public Health. This agency’s street teams reacted to over 2,200 911 calls last year and raced to treat overdoses and render medical and mental health aid along with addiction medications.
But it’s the police who are most needed.
A letter went out from Breed’s desk to California’s new U.S. attorney, Ismail J. Ramsey. The mayor cited both the “unprecedented police staffing shortage” and “multiple serious public safety challenges” in her shrill cry for help.
California has seen 500K law abiding citizens leave the state since 2020. San Francisco decided to “defund” the police & is now 542 officers short of what they need. Now Mayor London demands the Federal Government bail her out.
What do you think? https://t.co/QMBcdvHFbV
— Bill Ellmore (@BillEllmore) April 3, 2023
She listed everything from the fentanyl-induced overdose epidemic and open-air drug dealing to property crimes and gun violence.”
For good measure, she even threw in “prejudice-fueled incidents.”
According to Breed, the city desperately needs the Department of Justice to step in and provide “additional and ongoing support” to tackle the drug-induced violence and mayhem.
This, for the record, is a far cry from the London Breed of 2020. That year’s edition publicly declared that “decades of divestment and racially disparate policies have disproportionately hurt our African-American community in SF.”
She announced in June 2020 that she and her administration would redirect funding from the city’s police force to support downtrodden areas.
As Breed’s plan was implemented, some $120 million was slashed from law enforcement to be utilized elsewhere. However, as violent crime and the drug epidemic exploded, the Democratic mayor had no choice but retract her ill-conceived measure.
But the damage was already done.
Criminals given free rein ruled the streets, and violent drug dealers acted with impunity. As for the police, the loud and clear vote of no-confidence pushed many into retirement or alternative employment.
Now San Francisco has to crawl to Washington — hat in hand — for help with its self-created mess.
