San Francisco officials tackled a new local policing and deployment effort on Monday as tourism continues to move forward in the city.
A press conference with Mayor London Breed and San Francisco Police Chief William Scott was held to provide details as crimes like car break-ins and violence peaked.
“In almost every single instance where there was a violent attack, this police department… they have made arrests,” according to Mayor Breed. “You will not get away with committing these horrible acts in our city.”
The city is working to provide resources in the proper places to curb crimes, said Breed.
A new Tourist Deployment Plan will be implemented in the city, she announced, saying it will deploy more police officers in Chinatown, the Palace of Fine Arts, and Alamo Square, among many other tourist destinations.
“We want to make sure that we see officers, that we have our community ambassadors, that we have eyes on the street and that people know there are folks here watching,” she said. “And that people know that if you choose to commit a crime in this city, you will be held accountable. So that people know that they feel safe and they feel good about their experiences.”
Well-known tourist spots in five districts will get 26 more police officers on bicycles and foot patrols, Chief Scott announced. “Those officers do make a difference,” he said.
The deployment of more officers will not reduce, but instead, augment the efforts across the city.
“A few years ago, our partnership with the UC Berkeley, California policy lab, they did research and what that showed was when we up our deployment, theft went down across the board in those areas, aggravated assaults went down… so we know it works. We know what it takes.”
“We want you to know that this is a safe city, this is a great city, and we welcome you here, and we will take care of you when we’re here,” the police chief said, as reported by ABC7 News.
This year, the city expects more than 15 million tourists to flock and commit to assure their safety.
