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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Traffic tickets are up 50% in San Francisco. These are the most common violations
The number of traffic tickets issued by San Francisco police continued climbing upward in the first four months of 2025, according to police data — though SFPD still issues only a fraction of the tickets they did before 2020. Compared to the same period last year, tickets were up nearly 50% in the first four months of 2025, a Chronicle analysis found, building on increases in early 2024. Just under half of the violations this year were in the 'Focus on Five' category, which includes the infractions most likely to cause a collision: speeding, running red lights and stop signs, failing to yield while turning and failing to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. Despite the increase, traffic tickets are still a long way from what they were in years past. Traffic enforcement plummeted with the onset of the pandemic shutdowns in 2020 and stayed low the next three years — hitting a low of less than 200 tickets in June of 2022. By contrast, police issued more than 3,000 tickets in June of 2019. In June of 2015, they issued more than 10,000. The stunning and sustained drop prompted outcry from safety advocates and citizens worried that police had begun to ignore a key responsibility, especially as the city struggled to meet its Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths on its streets. Concerned about the enforcement decline and increasing street fatalities, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman called for police to increase enforcement once more, holding four hearings on the issue between October 2022 and December 2024. In those hearings, police pointed to a number of interconnected reasons behind the drop, including a lack of staff in the traffic division and a 2015 state law that requires officers to carefully document whom they stop to guard against racial profiling, which makes each stop take longer. But police traffic commander Nicole Jones acknowledged in a hearing in December that these changes could not fully explain the precipitous decline. She noted that the pandemic had shifted the department's priorities away from traffic enforcement. While traffic citations had been increasing in the first half of 2024, they dipped again in the second half. Jones said in the hearing that she was hopeful that a bevy of new strategies rolled out over the last year would help. Since then, the numbers have fluctuated monthly but trended back up. Those new strategies include targeted enforcement in problem areas, including having high-visibility officers at intersections to deter bad behavior, training officers not assigned to the traffic unit to use lidar for speed detection and flooding resources to certain areas at different times. Evan Sernoffsky, a spokesperson for the department, said that such strategies enable the department to 'maximize' its resources, even amid a yearslong staffing shortage. He said that traffic safety was a 'top priority' for the department. 'We are taking a very rigorous and data-driven approach to have the maximum impact,' Sernoffsky said. 'At the end of the day, we just want to make sure that our streets are safe for everybody.' Asked whether it was possible for citations to reach pre-pandemic levels, Sernoffsky said that the department's goal is to continue increasing enforcement through citations as well as by having officers visible on the street and issuing warnings for deterrence. In the December hearing, Jones noted another factor that would help bolster street safety, and one not captured in police data: automated enforcement. The city's 19 red light cameras already issue thousands of tickets a year, and its 33 new speed cameras will also begin issuing citations as early as August. The cameras have already begun issuing warnings, and, in April, logged almost 32,000 speeders
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Burglary at S.F. Conservatory of Flowers linked to homeless encampment
National Park Service rangers just helped solve the mystery of a safe that disappeared from the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers and was recovered from a homeless encampment near the Legion of Honor in the Presidio. At around 9:30 a.m. on May 22, a conservatory worker found a window broken in the whitewashed Victorian greenhouse. The employee soon discovered that the conservatory's safe, which had contained cash, and some other items were missing, said SFPD Public Information Officer Paulina Henderson, in an email. Henderson did not say how much money was missing. About half an hour later, police officers arrived at the scene. As they were investigating the reported burglary, SFPD got a call from the National Park Service, Henderson said. That same morning, five rangers from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area had responded to a complaint of a homeless encampment between the Legion of Honor and the nearby Coastal Trail in the Presidio and found three individuals surrounded by what appeared to be stolen goods, said Chad Marin, chief ranger at GGNRA. Though his team is part of federal law enforcement, 'The evidence that the rangers walked into was beyond the scope of the National Park Service,' Marin said, so they contacted police. After getting the tip, the police made their way to the Presidio, found goods matching the description of what had been taken from the Conservatory and returned them, Henderson said. The police arrested and booked the three individuals: 53-year-old Brett McCready of San Francisco, 32-year-old Sierra Quinn, and 33-year-old Angel Grant-Raines into San Francisco County jail for the possession of stolen goods and conspiracy. McCready received an additional charge for possessing burglary tools, and Grant-Raines had an active and outstanding warrant for burglary in San Francisco. SFPD asks anyone with information to contact them at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD. Henderson thanked U.S. rangers for their assistance, and Marin said he was proud of the collaboration, which also involved rangers from San Francisco Recreation and Parks. 'Ultimately three people are in custody because of the cooperative nature of our work,' he said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SF mayor's $15.9 billion budget proposal includes layoffs, service cuts to address deficit
The Brief The mayor's $15.9B budget proposal calls for 1,400 job cuts in 17 city departments. There are no cuts to SFPD or sheriff's department officers in the proposal. $400 million would be set aside to offset potential drops in state and federal funding. SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced his $15.9 billion budget proposal Friday for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, acknowledging that it includes difficult cuts to jobs and services which he says are necessary to address San Francisco's $817 million projected deficit for the next two years. "This is a painful budget, but I am hopeful and I am optimistic about our economic future in San Francisco," Lurie siad. Mayor Lurie says there are structural problems with the city's finances, that have led to the city using one-time funding as a stop-gap measure to pay for services, as businesses have left and tax revenues have fallen. "Any job loss is difficult. I take no joy in this, and yet, I was elected to make hard choices," Lurie said. Lurie's 150-page budget proposal calls for cutting 1,400 jobs from 17 departments. Most of those positions have been vacant for more than two years, but 100 of them are filled and would require layoff notices. The proposal has no cuts to sworn officers in the San Francisco Police Department or Sheriff's office. It also maintains funding for the Fire Department, District Attorney's office, probation services, and the Public Defender's office. It would cut $100 million to nonprofit providers and contractors. Funding would be maintained for a 'First year Free' program that gives incentives and support for small businesses, by waiving their fees for one year. Lurie's plan also calls for setting aside $400 million in reserve to offset potential drops in state and federal funding. "Close to $2 billion comes through from the Feds to San Francisco through Medicaid and housing and other forms. So it's a big risk," Lurie said. "I'm going to focus on what we can control and that is prioritizing clean and safe streets, making sure we are bringing business back, conventions back, tourism back." Lurie said he couldn't comment on the city's costly legal battle with AirBnB, which claimed in a lawsuit that it should receive a refund from the city for over payment of taxes. Lurie also acknowledged that the city was in a dispute with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over reimbursements and future funding. "We're going to fight for every dollar our city is owed. Whether it's at the state or whether it's at the federal level," Lurie said. "There was a report and an ask by FEMA. We're going through a process where we appeal that, and so that will take a number of months to find out." What they're saying Labor unions issued a statement Friday saying the city should be more aggressive in raising corporate tax revenues instead of cuts to staffing and services. "Essential service jobs should never be on the line. Jobs should absolutely not be cut. I think the Mayor needs to hold these large corporations accountable," Sarah Perez, the San Francisco Vice-President of IFPTE Local 21 which represents some 6,000 city employees. "At the moment we prioritize investments in permanent housing. he wants to shift that into temporary housing, more shelters. Shelters are more expensive," Anya Worley-Ziegmann, Coordinator of the People's Budget Coalition said. The SFPD Police Officers Association president Tracy McCray said she was glad Mayor Lurie appears to be upholding his campaign promises of prioritizing public safety and increasing the police ranks. The Sheriff's Office also said it was pleased with Mayor Lurie's budget plan showing no cuts to sworn police officers or Sheriff's deputies. "We were asked to make concessions to help support the City's financial stability, including the elimination of several professional staff positions. Some positions in our Records and Personnel Units are currently filled with deputies, who will now remain in those role," Tara Moriarty, a spokesperson to the Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, said. What's next The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget Committee plans to address Mayor Lurie's proposal at their June 11 meeting. "We will prioritize clean and safe streets while keeping people housed, fed, and cared for, including individuals living on our streets. We can do this while cutting wasteful spending, reducing our structural deficit, maintaining city services, prioritizing critical city services, and preserving essential workers," Budget Committee chair and Supervisor Connie Chan said in a statement. "We will fight and protect our community against attacks from the Trump administration." "We need to fix the structural deficit. That's a real thing and the mayor is trying to do that. And this budget doesn't get us there either. Deficits continue to grow in the 3rd,4th, 5th year going out," Rafael Mandelman, SF Board of Supervisors President said. Click to open this PDF in a new window.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missing Hot Springs man's remains found
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — We're learning about a man who disappeared in Hot Springs nearly a year ago. SFPD: 7 confirmed overdose deaths so far in 2025 According to a post on Facebook, Matthew Marshall's remains have been found. 28-year-old Matthew Marshall was last seen on July 24, 2024. His family plans to host a vigil in his honor. More details will be shared as they come available. Matthew's family extend thank yous to every one who dedicated their time, energy and prayers to help find Matthew. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Overdose deaths prompt response from Police Chief
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum wants people to remain vigilant when it comes to drug overdoses. The chief spoke with reporters today following three deaths in the past few weeks believed to be related to overdoses. So far in 2025, drug overdoses have killed seven people in Sioux Falls, with an 8th suspected case awaiting toxicology tests. SFPD: 7 confirmed overdose deaths so far in 2025 'When we look at these drug cases, I think sometimes we hear terminology, like hey it's a bad batch, or its a hot batch, the reality is with the drugs we are dealing with in this day and age, there is no such thing, they are all bad batches, said Thum. At this time last year the city had ten deaths linked to drug overdoses. Emily's Hope founder Angela Kennecke looks at the drop in deaths so far, as a small victory. 'Overdose deaths actually decreased by 20 percent. I think that is a good thing. However, of course, the eight tragic deaths and how those have impacted families and friends, that's awful. And I want to see no deaths at all, but to have the numbers going down, I think that's fantastic,' said Kennecke. Kennecke's nonprofit, Emily's Hope, has distributed more than a thousand doses of Naloxone, also called Narcan, statewide in the past year. Kennecke says people are relaying information to her that they have already prevented several overdoses. 'So I have had separate people approach me, at different times to tell me that Naloxone has saved someone's life. The Naloxone they got from an Emily's Hope distribution box,' said Kennecke. Those public Naloxone distribution boxes are placed in strategic locations throughout South Dakota. Kennecke says Naloxone is a tool, not a cure. 'So we also offer a post-overdose response team for people who have survived an overdose to connect them with the resources that they need. It has to be followed up with the right kind of care to treat substance abuse disorder,' said Kennecke. Chief Thum agrees, it's what happens after an overdose that can lead to change. 'If you are not dealing with the root cause, if you are not dealing with people who have that demand for that narcotic and some of those issues that are there, it's a multi-faceted approach that has to be taken,' said Thum. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
