Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Hearing on Commercial Corridors, Cannabis Equity, and Domestic Violence Reporting - December 9, 2021
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Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee Hearing on Commercial Corridors, Cannabis Equity, and Domestic Violence Reporting - December 9, 2021
The Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee, chaired by Supervisor Gordon Maher and joined by Supervisors Catherine Stefani and Matt Haney, met on Thursday, December 9, 2021, to discuss three main agenda items: public safety strategies in commercial corridors, the status of cannabis equity applicants and a possible five-year moratorium, and an ordinance requiring domestic violence data reporting. The meeting included presentations from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA), and the District Attorney’s Office, along with testimony from small business owners and public comment.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 1 (Public Safety Strategies): Four small business leaders shared perspectives. Michael Shu (Footprint Shoe Store) described repeated burglaries and called for better consequences for perpetrators. Mario Mogano (Council of District Merchants Association) emphasized that perception of crime damages business more than actual crime and advocated for collaborative solutions. Sharky Laguana (Small Business Commission president) cited evidence-based policies beyond policing, such as improving physical environments and engaging youth, and noted that San Francisco has the highest percentage of smash-and-grab break-ins in America. Albert Chow (Great Wall Hardware) expressed frustration with lack of recourse and suggested using retired officers and sheriff’s deputies for patrols.
- Item 2 (Cannabis Equity): Two callers: one opposed cannabis legalization statewide, calling it dangerous; Alex, an equity applicant, described the difficulty of finding a location and capital, urging patience and opposing a moratorium.
- Item 3 (Domestic Violence Reporting): No public comments.
Discussion Items
Item 1 – Hearing on Public Safety Strategies in Commercial Corridors Chair Maher opened the hearing, emphasizing the impact of property crime on small businesses, including the Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant Program. Supervisor Stefani noted police staffing shortages, citing a study finding the city needs nearly 500 new officers.
SFPD Commander Daryl Fong presented crime data for 25 commercial corridors (2019-2021). Key statistics:
- Top corridors for vandalism during the period: Central Market, Market Castro, Chinatown.
- Burglaries: Central Market, Market Castro, Union Street, and Chinatown (which saw a 50% reduction from 70 to 35 incidents year-to-date in 2021).
- Clearance rates (2021 year-to-date): vandalism 21%, burglary 13%, robbery 33%.
- Staffing levels remain well below consultant-recommended minimums, particularly in Tenderloin (101) district. Strategies include foot/bicycle patrols, fixed posts, abatement operations, Safe Shopper Command (Union Square), and a community ambassador program (23 ambassadors, aiming for 30+).
OEWD’s Chris Corgus described the Storefront Vandalism Relief Grant: 281 awards issued, $1.3 million total reported damages, average reported damage over $3,000. Also covered neighborhood economic development grants (e.g., camera installations in Chinatown and Bayview) and 15 Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) with safety services.
OCEIA Director Adrienne Pond updated on the Community Ambassador Program (CAP), expanding from four to seven districts with Board-supervisor funding. Since July 2020, ambassadors made over 11,000 merchant visits and handled 417 direct assistance calls. Efforts to expand language access through interpreter training and pilot programs were noted.
District Attorney’s Office Chief Assistant Marshall Khine and ADA Cecily Brewster reported on organized retail theft task forces, leading to recovery of over $8 million in stolen goods in 2020. For commercial burglaries, 638 cases were presented to the DA in 2021; charges were filed in 70% (436 cases), almost all felonies. Brewster described the Community Liaison Program providing merchant education and case follow-up.
Item 2 – Hearing on Cannabis Equity Applicant Review and Possible 5-Year Moratorium Supervisor Safai (sponsor) introduced the hearing. Acting OCA Director John Pierce presented:
- 15 equity-owned retail dispensaries, plus 35 medical cannabis dispensaries (total 50 active).
- 94 equity applications in pipeline (with a viability path); all permits issued to date are equity.
- Market growth: state sales tax collected rose from ~$500k (2011) to ~$2.5M (2019), disrupted by COVID but recovering; median vendor quarterly revenue about $500k in 2019, dropping to ~$250k during lockdown, then recovering to ~$800k in most recent quarter.
- Proposed moratorium would reduce equity businesses and workforce opportunities; office recommended more study via the recently approved local cannabis tax suspension and market study. Supervisor Safai questioned market saturation, delivery enforcement, and parity. OEWD Workforce Director Joshua Arce highlighted the First Source Hiring program and collective bargaining agreements as successful equity outcomes.
Item 3 – Administrative Code – Domestic Violence Data Reporting Original ordinance (sponsored by Supervisor Stefani) passed at full board but was duplicated and sent to committee for amendments by Supervisor Ronen. Nikita Saini (Ronen’s office) presented amendments to expand reporting beyond physical-injury cases (Penal Code 273.5 and 243(e)(1)) to include all forms of domestic violence (e.g., threats, restraining order violations, stalking) and to require DA reporting on victim services contacts. Supervisor Stefani expressed concerns about adopting substantive changes without SFPD review; SFPD’s Diana Oliva-Rocha confirmed they first saw the amendments at the hearing and needed time to assess feasibility given staffing limits.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: The committee voted to file the hearing (2-0-1, with Haney absent). Chair Maher announced he would develop a proposal to strengthen SFPD foot patrol and community policing frameworks through a clearer community engagement process at the district station level.
- Item 2: The committee voted to continue the item to the call of the chair (3-0). Supervisor Safai committed to further study of market saturation, delivery regulation, and tax levels.
- Item 3: The committee adopted one amendment (subsection F allowing DA to provide supplemental information) and continued the amended duplicate file to the next committee meeting on January 13, 2022 (3-0). Supervisor Stefani and Supervisor Ronen’s office will continue working on remaining amendments.
Meeting Transcript
To the Thursday, December 9th, 2021 meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. I'm Supervisor Gordon Maher, the chair of this committee, and I'm joined by committee members Catherine Stephanie and Matt Haney. I want to thank this committee's clerk Elisa Samara and also like to thank SFGup TV for staffing the meeting. Madam Clerk, do you have any announcements? Yes, Mr. Chair. Today's meeting, the minutes will reflect that committee members participated in this meeting remotely through video conference to the same extent as though they were physically present. The board recognizes that public access to city services is essential and invite public participation in the following ways. First, public comment will be available on each item on this agenda, either Channel 26, 78, or 99, depending on your provider. And SFWTV.doors are streaming the public call-in number across the screen. Comments or opportunities to speak during the public comment period are available via phone by calling 415-655-0001. Again, 415 65501. The meeting ID is 2486737933. And then you would press pound and then pound again. When connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, which will be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up, please dial star three to be added to the speaker line. Best practices are to call from a quiet location, speak clearly and slowly, and turn down your television or radio. Alternatively, you may submit public comment in writing in either of the following ways. You can email them to myself, the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Clerk at Alisa A L Isa.org. If you submit public comment via email, we'll be forwarded to the supervisors and will be included as part of the official file. You may also send written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office at City Hall. One, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, room 244, San Francisco, California 94102. Finally, items acted upon today are expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of January 4th, 2022, unless otherwise stated. Mr. Chair. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Can you please call item number one? Yes. Item number one is a hearing to address concerns on public safety strategies and commercial corridors and their effectiveness on reducing crime, including but not limited to police department foot and bicycle patrols, the Office of Civic Engagement Immigrant Affairs Community Ambassador Program and Sid Miller Programs, and other crime prevention and community building strategies. And there uh this hearing is requesting the police department, the Office of the Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, Office of Small Business, and the Office of Economic and Workforce Development to report. For members of the public who wish to provide public comment on this hearing, should call the public comment number now, 415-655-0001. Enter the meeting ID of 2486-673-7933, then pound and pound again to connect to the meeting. Once connected, you will press star three to enter the queue to speak, and a system prompt will indicate that you have raised your hand. Please wait for us to call public comment on this item. And when the system indicates that you have been unmuted, then you may begin your comments, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, colleagues, recently there's been a lot of focus on organized retail theft impacting corporate chain stores like Target, Walgreens, and Safeway, as well as high-end retailers around Union Square. And these are real issues, uh, though I do believe they've been sensationalized by the media frenzy. Um, but in response, you know, I really want to thank Mayor Breed, um, SFPD, and this district attorney Boudin for announcing the anti-real retail theft initiative. This is a very positive step to addressing these very real and serious problems. But I I think what's been missing from the discussion and action on these issues is the voice of our neighborhood small businesses who've also been impacted by an increase in property crime and are far less able to recover and respond than the corporate chain stores and the Union Square luxury retailers. Um, I I call for this hearing sort of in response to um to supporting dozens of small neighborhood businesses in my district who have have been burglarized, vandalized, and and and impacted by particularly by property crime during the pandemic, and and they've really struggled um to to recover from these incidents. And um, and so I I call for this hearing really to look at um what our city departments are doing uh to to address and really prevent property crime impacting our commercial quarters and our our neighborhood businesses, which are the heart and soul of our neighborhoods and our city. I do want to mention that there have been some positive steps that we've taken as a city recently to address these issues impacting our small neighborhood businesses. I mean, one good example is the creation of the storefront vandalism relief grant program through OEWD. And I want to thank Mayor Breed and OEWD for working with me on that.
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