In a recent interview with Fox News, Tracy McCray, a 30-year police veteran and President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, pointed to the movement to defund the police and the mayor’s decision in 2020 to slash law enforcement’s budget as the primary reasons behind the rising crime rates in San Francisco.
McCray expressed concern over the impact of such actions, stating, “What did they think was going to happen? Criminals were just going to stop what they were doing? They weren’t going to go out and commit crimes anymore?”
According to her, the defund the police movement and the $120 million reduction in the police department budget played a significant role in the surge of crime in the city.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed redirected $120 million from the law enforcement budget in July 2020 to finance other city initiatives.
Despite an increase in police spending since then, the police department is still grappling with a shortage of nearly 600 officers, with only 75% of the required personnel to meet workload demands, as announced by the city in April.
This has resulted in the San Francisco Police Department’s (SFPD) full-duty sworn officers count reaching a ten-year low, based on police data.
The statistics show that total crime in San Francisco, encompassing both property and violent crimes, escalated by 14% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
The crime rates surged an additional 7% in 2022.
To address the staffing issue, city leaders and the police union agreed to a new contract with increased starting salaries for police officers, now exceeding $100,000 according to job listings.
However, despite this effort, McCray noted that the defund the police movement has affected the department’s ability to attract and retain recruits, leading to a decline in the number of candidates joining the SFPD.
The most recent academy class, which initially had 32 recruits, has already dwindled to 28 members during the training period.
In the past, the department typically saw around 50 to 55 recruits per class. This drop in numbers is concerning for law enforcement officials, who hope to bolster the police force amidst the ongoing surge in crime.
The repercussions of the crime wave are evident in the city, with certain areas experiencing an increase in homicides, robberies, and motor vehicle thefts, while assault, larceny theft, and burglary have seen smaller declines.
One particular intersection close to popular tourist spots like Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square witnessed a staggering 374 car break-ins from July 2022 to June 2023, representing a 25% rise from the previous year, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Moreover, the rise in crime has led to the departure of businesses from San Francisco.
Retailers like Walgreens have closed at least six locations across the city since 2021, with “organized retail crime” cited as a primary reason for five of the closures.
Whole Foods also closed its flagship store in April, citing safety concerns.
McCray emphasized that crime has extended to more affluent areas in the city, demonstrating the widespread impact of the rising crime rates.
Despite the challenges posed by past defunding efforts, McCray believes it is now time to focus on moving forward to address the current situation.
The pressing need to rebuild the police force and enhance public safety remains paramount for law enforcement officials in San Francisco.
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