Voters in San Francisco moved to the right Tuesday amidst rising rates of homelessness and crime in the city.
In one of the most liberal cities in the country, Mayor London Breed persuaded voters to approve less progressive measures to erase some of San Francisco‘s liberal policies on police and welfare.
“Enough is enough. We need change,” Breed said. She said the city cannot ignore the 800 people who died from overdose last year.
Voters backed Proposition F, which would require recipients of locally funded welfare programs to pass a drug screening. People with drug addictions will need to accept treatment before receiving monetary assistance.
Opponents said the proposition was “dangerous and punitive” and would force those with addiction problems out of public housing. Liberal activists in the city favor treatment instead of punishment for addiction, saying the measure would create “unnecessary, intrusive, and costly drug testing.” Drug screening for welfare recipients was once typically only enacted in red states.
Voters also backed Proposition E, which eases restrictions on law enforcement, allowing police officers to use public surveillance cameras and drones to combat crime. It also allowed police officers to participate in high-speed chases.
“Thank you to the voters for passing Prop E! This will help us build on our work to make San Francisco a safer city for all,” Breed said on X. “We are giving our @SFPD officers more tools to do their jobs and getting them out on the street to take care of our community.”
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Moderate Democrats in the city were pleased with the results of the election.
“This is simply a shift to common sense here in San Francisco,” Mark Farrell, a centrist running to replace Breed mayor, said.
