Bay Area

Mayor Wants to Keep Street Ambassador Program, Add Retention Bonuses for Police to Keep Streets Safer

San Francisco Mayor London Breed told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that keeping street ambassador programs and adding supplemental funding for police and prosecutors will contribute to the city’s efforts to make its streets safer. Breed requested the policymakers to support a series of actions that intend to increase public safety

Published

3 years ago

March 14, 2023

Oakland Post

Breed mentioned that many of the community ambassadors who are part of these programs are people of color who were formerly incarcerated or homeless.

By Olivia Wynkoop
Bay City News

Breed requested the policymakers to support a series of actions that intend to increase public safety.

One is extending the current contract for street ambassador programs put on by Urban Alchemy and Mid-Market Ambassadors in the Tenderloin and Downtown neighborhoods. Set to be reviewed at Wednesday’s Budget and Appropriations Committee meeting, the programs work to welcome visitors and assist pedestrians.

Breed mentioned that many of the community ambassadors who are part of these programs are people of color who were formerly incarcerated or homeless.

“When we talk about alternatives to policing, they are a perfect representation of what we’re trying to do,” Breed said. “Not only do they serve as non-police presence on the street, but they also train and uplift people who deserve a second chance.”

Breed also asked the board to quickly advance a $26.7 million budget supplemental she proposed in February that would fund police overtime and hire more prosecutors in San Francisco’s District Attorney’s Office.

The supplemental would work as a quick fix to the city’s severe police staffing shortage, deploy retired police ambassadors for beat patrol presence and hire more attorneys that can tackle fentanyl drug dealing cases, she said.

The San Francisco Police Department cited that between 2021 and 2022, it saw an overtime increase of 121 percent in order to respond to basic needs and have a greater presence in Downtown.

“This is about public safety right now. I know we need long-term strategies to address our significant staffing shortage, and we are working on that,” said Breed. “But every day, I hear from residents — and I’m sure you all do too — and small businesses who want us to do more around public safety. I’m hoping that we don’t continue to delay.”

Breed also said she’s introducing a three-year contract with the police department to offer retention bonuses and recruitment incentives to keep seasoned officers and onboard new ones. The contract would make the police department have the highest paid starting salary in the region.

Breed said police staffing is a national crisis.

“It’s one we have to tackle aggressively with local solutions,” she said.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Image(s) related to this story can be obtained from the following Bay City News Service web link(s):

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San Francisco Mayor London Breed joins a flock of city and business leaders to launch a strategic plan to bring Union Square back to life on Nov. 22, 2022. (Olivia Wynkoop/ Bay City News)

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