San Francisco mayor announces $100 million increase in public safety funds four years after embracing 'defund the police'

Four years after embracing the campaign to defund the police, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced a $100 million increase in the city's public safety budget.

The Sheriff's Office and the San Francisco Police Department will be the public services that benefit the most, according to an analysis by The San Francisco Standard. The former would see an increase of 11% (to a total of $323 million), and the latter would have an increase of 6% (to a total of $821 million).

The District Attorney's Office would also receive 5% more than last year ($93.7 million total), while the Fire Department would increase its budget by 4% ($531 million total) and the Emergency Management Department by 2% ($140 million total).

"We have made real progress on public safety in San Francisco, but this is a moment to double down, not to let up," said Breed, without alluding to her change in stance. In 2021, she promised to reinvest $120 million of law enforcement budget into black communities.

The announcement comes as the mayor is expected to announce cuts in other areas, which will join others introduced late last year, The San Francisco Examiner reported at the time. The city faces an estimated deficit of $800 million over the next two years .

It also comes months before citizens go to the polls to decide whether Breed will remain in office. A recent GrowSF survey shows that a quarter of voters have not yet decided on their vote. Although the mayor appears first, she surpasses by just a few points (within the margin of error) candidates Mark Farrell and Daniel Lurie.