SAN FRANCISCO — Four hours before he was sworn in as the 46th mayor of San Francisco on Wednesday, Daniel Lurie began his day walking with the city’s police chief through a bleak section of the Tenderloin, handing out coffee to people at a homeless community center. Ta.
It was an intentionally symbolic move by Mr. Lurie, a nonprofit executive and heir to the Levi Strauss family fortune, who has been accused of public drug use, brazen retail sales. He took office in November appealing to disillusioned voters fed up with the theft and homelessness that has increased during the pandemic. It was commonplace in the Tenderloin, but it has spread to the downtown financial district.
Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie and his wife Becca Pravda attended Wednesday’s inaugural event.
(Gabriel Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle)
In his inaugural address just before noon in front of San Francisco City Hall, Lurie cracked down on the street anarchy that has plagued some parts of the city in recent years, calling it a “loop of doom” that conservative pundits have championed. He vowed to facilitate the scenario.
“This is where our comeback begins,” said Lurie, along with his wife Becca Pravda, daughter Taya, 13, son Sawyer, 10, outgoing Mayor London Breed, and local and local residents. He spoke to an audience of several thousand people, including politicians from across the state. .
“I am asking all of you, each and every one of you, to join me in ushering in a new era of responsibility, service and change, and to reclaim our place as the greatest city in the world,” Lurie said. Ta.
Daniel Lurie is sworn in as the 46th mayor of San Francisco.
(Gabriel Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle)
Mr. Lurie, a moderate Democrat who has never held elected office, entered the mayoral race as an underdog against Mr. Breed and three other City Hall veterans. In what appears to be a referendum on fighting homelessness and street crime post-pandemic, Mr. Lurie has pitched himself as a change agent who will usher San Francisco into an era of recovery.
He has abolished open-air drug markets, arrested fentanyl dealers, pushed homeless people into drug and mental health treatment, and added high-tech support after COVID-19 shutdowns made remote work easier. His campaign gained momentum as he promised to revitalize the downtown economy, which has been weakened by the exodus of workers. option.
By leveraging his personal wealth, Lurie was able to spread his message far and wide. He poured nearly $9 million of his own money into his campaign, but his mother, Miriam Haas, widow of deceased Levi’s executive and successor Peter Haas, gave an additional $1 million to the Independent Expenditure Committee supporting his campaign. donated dollars.
Although Lurie’s inaugural address didn’t go into many policy details, it offered a glimpse of how he plans to accomplish the bold goals he set during his campaign.
“San Francisco has long been known for its values of tolerance and inclusion, but those values do not dictate allowing approximately 8,000 people to experience homelessness in our city.” he stated. “The prevalence of drug trafficking, public drug use, and constantly seeing people in danger robs us of our sense of decency and safety.”
At the top of his to-do list is introducing a series of ordinances declaring a fentanyl state of emergency. Lurie told the 11-member oversight board, which acts as the legislative body for cities and counties, to curb the use of deadly opioids and help cities “work around bureaucracy.” He said he would request the swift approval of the ordinance. Obstacles stand in the way of tackling this crisis. ”
The board gained five new members in November’s election, a change that leaves a board that has long been considered ultra-liberal and often battled with fellow moderate Breed over tough-on-crime policy proposals. It is expected that this will result in a more moderate color tone. .
Lurie said he will work to put more behavioral health professionals on first response units to address the overlapping crises of homelessness, addiction and untreated mental illness, and to reduce the number of prisons police can take people to. announced plans to open a 24/7 center as a replacement facility. People who need medical treatment or other services.
He also said he wants to expand a city program that provides funding and assistance for bus tickets and other transportation for homeless people who are not originally from San Francisco and send them back to their home communities.
And with an expected $876 million budget deficit, Lurie announced “cuts” to sworn police officers, 911 operators, EMTs, firefighters and nurses who are on the front lines of public health emergencies. promised zero.
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott called Lurie’s plan and the need for “around-the-clock resources” not only for the police department, but for city employees across departments working to solve San Francisco’s public safety and health challenges. She said she was encouraged by his understanding of sexuality. .
“Police are available 24/7, but many of the departments we rely on to solve these problems are not 24/7,” he said. “Enforcement isn’t everything. Police aren’t everything.”
Scott is credited with Breed’s recent efforts to more aggressively clear up irregular tent encampments spread across the city and with helping to sharply reduce the number of drug overdose deaths in the city last year. He said he hopes Lurie will continue the public health efforts that have been made.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner recorded 586 fatal overdoses in San Francisco in the first 11 months of 2024. This is a decrease of almost 23% compared to the first 11 months of 2023, or 174 fewer deaths. San Francisco public health experts say this decline is due to the widespread use of naloxone, which can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and increased prescribing of buprenorphine, a drug used to treat opioid addiction long-term. Methadone.
On Tuesday, Breed’s last full day in office, the administration announced that crime rates will also drop in 2024, with car break-ins down 54%, property crimes down 31% and violent crimes down 14%.
Although the San Francisco struggle has made national headlines in recent years, particularly in right-wing media outlets promoted by President-elect Donald Trump, Lurie largely left domestic politics out of his message, nodding to “a great sense of fear and terror” during his speech. It happened only once. This is a loss regarding the current situation in our country. ”
“San Francisco should be a city where everyone feels safe, valued and empowered,” he said. “It means standing firm against discrimination and fighting for the dignity of all communities, no matter what happens.”
Lurie argued that the city is showing progress and that “hope is alive in San Francisco.” But he cautioned that “lasting change doesn’t happen overnight.”
Still, he said, “if we have consistency, if we have vision, if we are not afraid to make difficult decisions,” “San Francisco will rise to new heights.”
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