San Francisco mayor makes her pitch for another term in State of the City address

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mayor London Breed on Thursday pledged even more improvements under a pair of controversial public safety proposals voters approved this week that expand police powers and force some welfare recipients into drug treatment, marking a shift from the city’s staunchly progressive policies.

She also made the case in her annual State of the City address that San Francisco is on the upswing, with more homeless tents cleared off sidewalks in recent months and more people arrested for breaking into cars or peddling narcotics. She said property crime is also down dramatically.

With the measures, she said, they will install cameras in high crime areas, deploy drones for auto break-ins and reduce opioid overdoses.

San Francisco voters on Tuesday approved the two ballot measures she placed on the March 5 primary despite opponents who said the proposals will lead to less accountability for police and more hardship for homeless people.

Breed, a centrist Democrat, is among leaders in politically liberal cities who are turning to tough-on-crime policies considered unthinkable previously, but have grown in popularity amid crime waves. She faces three serious challengers in November who say her administration has failed to deal with vandalism, retail theft and rampant and public drug use.

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