What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of October 18, 2026:
- McCoy Moderates on Public Safety
- 311 Drug Reports Now Reach Police
- 57,757 Ballots Returned - Turnout Tracks Last Midterm
- Police Commission Approves Drone Privacy Rules
- Board Backs Full Rental Price Disclosure
- Buyer Selected for Former Westfield Mall
Election Countdown
10 days until the November 3 SF General Election! Don’t delay, vote today! And be sure to use and share the GrowSF Voter Guide!
McCoy Moderates on Public Safety
Published October 23, 2026
The Facts
District 8 supervisor candidate Gary McCoy has moved to the center on public safety. He’s now promising cooperation with Mayor Daniel Lurie, full staffing and funding for SFPD, support for cameras, drones, and even conditional support for license-plate cameras he previously promised to remove, according to The San Francisco Standard.
The Context
GrowSF endorsed Darshini Patel on October 12. Our October 5–9 poll showed McCoy leading Patel just 51% to 49% after ranked-choice voting. Two days after our endorsement, McCoy released an expanded public-safety platform pledging police hiring, drones, recovery housing, and nonprofit funding tied to performance.
Patel told the SF Standard, “I can’t speak to GrowSF’s motivations. I don’t know if they did it in order to push Gary to be more moderate. But certainly that’s been the outcome.”
The GrowSF Take
We think our pressure is working. By backing Patel and organizing voters behind a credible alternative, we made this a real race. McCoy needs to win over voters who want safer streets, effective treatment, and accountability for nonprofit spending. His new pitch speaks directly to those priorities, and we’re glad to see McCoy adopt a much better position on public safety.
311 Drug Reports Now Reach Police
Published October 23, 2026
The Facts
You can now report public drug activity via 311. The app’s new public drug activity category shares reports with the San Francisco Police Department to help identify where enforcement is needed, The Standard reports. Residents seeking an officer’s response, including a wellness check, must still call police; submitting an app report does not request dispatch.
The Context
Previously, residents’ app reports were closed without reaching police, even as officials encouraged people to use 311. SolveSF, a third-party 311 reporting app created by Patrick McCabe, brought attention to the problem by documenting canceled reports. District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood pushed for a fix after constituents complained, Garrett Leahy reported at The Standard.
The GrowSF Take
Patrick McCabe is doing yeoman’s work. His SolveSF app has not only made it super easy to file 311 reports, it’s also pushed the City to finally update their procedures and take accountability for ignored complains. If you haven’t already tried it, check it out on the App Store or Play Store.
57,757 Ballots Returned - Turnout Tracks Last Midterm
Published October 23, 2026
The Facts
San Francisco had received 57,757 ballots as of October 22, or 10.8% of registered voters, according to GrowSF’s turnout tracker. With 12 days until the November 3 election, returns were almost identical to November 2022’s 10.7% at the same point. Continuing at that pace would mean roughly 63% final turnout, or about 340,000 ballots, but that estimate rests on just one comparable midterm election.
The Context
The last midterm is a more useful comparison than a presidential election. San Francisco’s final turnout reached 62.3% in 2022, compared with 78.9% in 2024. Early returns alone cannot tell us which candidates or measures will win.
The GrowSF Take
San Francisco’s future belongs to the people who vote. If you want more homes, safer streets, better schools, and competent government, use and share the GrowSF Voter Guide.
Police Commission Approves Drone Privacy Rules
Published October 23, 2026
The Facts
The Police Commission approved new police drone rules on October 14, with Commissioner Kevin Benedicto casting the sole opposing vote. Review by the San Francisco Police Officers Association (POA) and Board of Supervisors consideration remain ahead, reports Jonah Owen Lamb at The San Francisco Standard.
The approved policy text permits public-safety responses and active investigations, prohibits flights solely to monitor protests, and generally limits public-footage retention to 30 days. Intentionally observing home interiors or enclosed yards hidden from public ground-level view requires a warrant or recognized exception. Its surveillance ban covers “sweeping, non-targeted observation with no stated purpose,” leaving room for disagreement over how broadly a stated purpose can justify a flight.
The Context
Voters approved broader police use of drones through March 2024’s Proposition E, which GrowSF supported. As we previously covered, drones became part of the San Francisco Police Department’s Real Time Investigations Center, helping officers track suspects without relying entirely on vehicle pursuits.
The GrowSF Take
We support police drones and privacy protections. The Police Commission was right to move these rules forward. Police should be able to respond to emergencies and investigate crimes without treating every flight as a new political battle. The Board should approve operational rules that preserve those capabilities while enforcing the limits on private-home observation and protected speech.
Board Backs Full Rental Price Disclosure
Published October 23, 2026
The Facts
Supervisors unanimously backed Supervisor Bilal Mahmood’s No Hidden Rent Act, which would require online apartment listings and new leases to show the full estimated monthly cost, including mandatory recurring fees, reports Christina Baris at Mission Local. Tenants receiving inadequate disclosures could leave without penalty. The official legislative record still lists final passage as pending.
The Context
California’s Honest Pricing Law already requires all-in advertised prices for most consumer goods and services. Mahmood’s proposal extends that principle to renting a home.
The GrowSF Take
Mahmood deserves credit for advancing a proposal we supported from the start. Renters should compare actual monthly bills, not teaser prices. The Board should finish passing it.
Buyer Selected for Former Westfield Mall
Published October 23, 2026
The Facts
Westfield Mall may rise again. New York investor Seven Equity Group has been selected to buy most of the shuttered San Francisco Centre, formerly Westfield, according to Laura Waxmann at the San Francisco Chronicle. The roughly 1.15 million-square-foot property at Fifth and Market excludes the separately owned former Bloomingdale’s. The price and redevelopment plans remain undisclosed, and the sale has not closed.
The Context
Credit-rating agency Fitch expects closing in the first quarter of 2027. Its report also reveals an important improvement: in August, lenders negotiated a longer lease for land beneath part of the mall owned by the San Francisco Unified School District, extending it from 2043 to 2082 and reducing annual rent. That gives a buyer more time to recover redevelopment costs. The previous buyer withdrew in July; the mall has been closed since January.
The GrowSF Take
A willing buyer is encouraging. The lenders and school district helped make redevelopment more viable by reaching new lease terms.
Our position when the mall closed still holds: give the site maximum flexibility rather than demand a return to its department-store past. We cannot endorse an undisclosed plan, but we want private investment putting this enormous empty building back to work. City Hall should allow a broad mix of uses so the eventual owner can pursue a financially workable reopening.
Paid for by GrowSF Voter Guide. Not authorized by any candidate, candidate’s committee, or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.