The GrowSF Report: GrowSF Pulse poll results show city is off track
PLUS: The Mayor's new public safety ballot measure
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of October 16, 2023:
- GrowSF Pulse poll results show city is off track
- The Mayor's new public safety ballot measure
- Speed cameras coming to a corner near you
- Graffiti ‘Kingpin’ Suspect Arrested
- Mayor Breed’s other ballot measure: drug treatment
PLUS:
- Edomasa opens October 25
GrowSF Pulse poll results show city is off track
GrowSF is proud to announce our first quarterly poll. The GrowSF Pulse will measures the pulse of public opinion in San Francisco, bringing transparency to what San Franciscans think and feel, and where City Hall is failing us.
The top-line results from our poll:
68% think the city is on the wrong track, but 86% believe San Francisco’s problems are solvable
Mayor Breed is the favorite in the upcoming mayoral election (though her approval is low, she’s much more popular than her challengers)
93% are tired of open-air drug dealing and want fentanyl dealers arrested
69% want people using drugs in public arrested, with the caveat that they be taken to sobering centers, not jail
25% have been victims of crime, with half saying they didn’t report the crime to police
75% believe homeless drug addicts should be required to enter treatment in order to obtain housing and other social services
80% want people suffering from mental health crises on the streets to be held without their consent to undergo an evaluation by psychiatric staff
San Francisco is, quite simply, over it. The people are speaking in near unanimity: “DO SOMETHING.”
The Mayor's new public safety ballot measure
Mayor London Breed announced her public safety ordinance which will appear on the March 2024 ballot. The ordinance, called “Safer San Francisco,” aims to free the police department from the entrenched ideologies of the police commission as well as introduce new tools for police officers, according to Michael Barba and josh Koehn at The Standard.
If passed, police officers will be able to more easily access public surveillance cameras, take advantage of new surveillance technologies, and be allowed to pursue suspects in a vehicle. In addition, Safer San Francisco reduces the copious amounts of paperwork keeping police officers behind a desk instead of out in the community.
According to Mayor London Breed, “There has been too much focus on adding bureaucracy to the work our officers do and putting up barriers to new technologies that can help improve policing in San Francisco. It’s time to change that.”
The press conference was held in District 5’s Alamo Square with the Painted Ladies as a backdrop. As reported in our recent poll, over forty percent of those who experienced crime were repeat victims, with those living in District 5 (Supervisor Preston) among the most likely to be repeat victims.
Speed cameras coming to a corner near you
Think you can get away with speeding when no one is looking? Think again. On Monday, thanks to a recent flurry of bills just signed into law by Governor Newsom, San Francisco will get new speed safety cameras.
More than thirty cameras will be installed in high risk traffic areas such as school zones, dangerous locations, or those with a history of sideshows. The cameras will be clearly marked with signs to alert drivers, as the goal of the legislation is to change behavior and reduce fatalities. But rest assured, reckless drivers will be ticketed. Fines range from $50-500 depending on the speed, writes Josh Koehn at The Standard.
“Enforcement must be part of our work to make our streets safer, and speed cameras can be a key part of that work,” Breed said.
Traffic fatalities reached an all-time high in 2022, and this year the city has had 16 fatalities. If you’re interested in diving more into the data, SFMTA tracks traffic fatalities by year, mode, and location. It’s reassuring to know that our city and state officials - at least on this front - are on it.
Graffiti ‘Kingpin’ Suspect Arrested
It’s hard to believe that in a one year period, the SoMa West Cultural Benefit District removed nearly 10,000 graffiti tags over the course of a year. That’s an insane amount of graffiti. And, although it’s not conclusive that it can solely be attributed to the graffiti ‘Kingpin,’ it looks like 41-year-old Brian Wabl is responsible for at least a huge portion of it.
Graffiti ‘Kingpin’ Wabl is recognizable for his “Goer” tag in downtown neighborhoods and - good news - was arrested this past week on suspicion of vandalism in SoMa, according to George Kelly at The Standard. Somehow, the appearance of the name “Goer” - which in British slang references a woman who is sexually active with multiple partners - just doesn’t quite warm our hearts the same way the honey bear pop art does.
Wabl has been charged by District Attorney Jenkins and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 31. We think an appropriate sentence would be five years community service on the graffiti cleanup crew.
Mayor Breed’s other ballot measure: drug treatment
Mayor Breed’s proposal to require substance abuse treatment in order for homeless people to obtain housing and other services was harshly criticized in the press and by activists, but according to GrowSF’s new poll the idea is very popular among regular San Franciscans. 74% of San Franciscans support the idea!
But since the Board of Supervisors is out of step with public opinion and refuse to take action, Mayor Breed is forced to bring the popular idea to a public vote this March. According to Annie Gaus at The Standard, “Under the mayor’s proposal, treatment options could include residential treatment, medical detox, medication-assisted treatment, outpatient treatment or other options, depending on the needs of the client.”
We look forward to reading the full text of the proposal and posting a deeper analysis as the March 2024 election gets closer.
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Edomasa opens October 25
It’s almost here! We shared a preview of Edomasa back in August, and we’re excited to remind you that it’s opening this week! Edomasa brings its century-long history making yakitori (that’s grilled chicken skewers) to San Francisco’s Japantown, writes Han Li at the Standard.
Grab a bite on opening night - Wednesday, October 25.
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
Help reform the Police Department
We support the Mayor’s ordinance – Safer San Francisco – to let officers do their jobs and keep people safe.
Nearly 70% of San Franciscans say property crime is rising, but the police don’t have the tools to tackle this growing problem. Why? Because the Police Commission drowns them in red tape and burdensome rules that prevent them from doing their jobs.
Mayor London Breed has proposed a ballot measure to increase efficiency, reduce paperwork and red tape, and allow SFPD to use new technology to fight crime. But it can’t pass without your support.
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
Halloween season
Castro Halloween returns
San Francisco’s Castro district is preparing to revive its Halloween festivities for the first time in 17 years. But organizers are adopting a fresh approach for this year’s celebration.
Día de los Muertos with SF Symphony
The San Francisco Symphony celebrates its 16th annual Día de los Muertos celebration on November 4, 2023. This event features a concert program of traditional and contemporary Latin American music, preceded by a festive array of family-friendly activities.
WHEN: Nov. 4, 2023 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Davies Symphony Hall at 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco
What we’re writing about
Why I love raising my daughter in San Francisco
“San Franciscans rave to no end about our excellent food, parks, beaches and art scene, but not always do we talk about raising our kids here. I, for one, am so grateful to raise my daughter in our foggy city, but my reasons may not fit every mold.” Beth Winegarner explains why raising her daughter is ideal for her in San Francisco.
Pink feels adopted by San Francisco lesbians
We had no idea Pink spent all her concerts in the last decade with her legs in the air. Her latest show at San Francisco’s Chase Center felt like Cirque du Soleil teamed up with the House of Air trampolines in Crissy Field, and then added rhinestones, neon, acrobatics, interpretive dance, and silly costumes. Pink definitely pulled out all the stops to keep our attention.
San Francisco’s spirit of dressing weird is alive and well at How Weird
San Franciscans once had a well-earned reputation for finding literally any excuse to dress up in costume for a theme party. We are, after all, the city that invented Santacon, Burning Man, the Brides of March, Bay To Breakers, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and a slew of other events and happenings that involve donning an outlandish costume simply in the name of having a good time. Now in its 24th year, “How Weird” continues to attract those who like to get colorfully dressed up and dance.
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