PROP F: PUMP MORE MONEY INTO AN ALREADY BLOATED BUDGET FOR SFPD

Prop F would give yet more money to the San Francisco Police Department, whose budget already exceeds $800 million a year. Under this measure, if an SFPD police officer with 25 years or more of experience puts off their retirement for 5 years, they would earn more interest on their retirement benefits. This incentive for police officers to delay their retirement would cost our city $600 thousand to $3 million a year. San Francisco police are already among the highest paid in the city. This retirement deferment program – along with the other programs that have increased compensation for police like overtime – would bump up some police officer’s salaries to over $400 thousand. 

Instead of pumping more money into already bloated police budgets, we should be investing in proven solutions that curb crime: quality education for everyone, living wage jobs so people can pay their bills, and mental health resources that are easily available. Depending on police so heavily ignores the fact that many emergency situations are outside of a police officer’s expertise, such as mental health crises. But the SF Chronicle reports that “The average salaries of social workers, transit operators and 911 call operators, for example, don’t usually go higher than $130,000, and their optional annual retirement contributions are far less than those offered to police officers.” Putting so much investment into police but neglecting to invest in the other professions that improve public safety is bad policy. 

We also know that SFPD, like other police departments, has a history of violence against BIPOC communities, particularly against Black and Latine communities. Over 60 people have been killed by SFPD since 2000, a disproportionate number of them were unhoused, had a mental illness, young, Black, or Latine. Yet, not one SFPD officer has been prosecuted for homicide. In fact, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins dropped both open police homicide cases last year, plus two other police misconduct cases. Giving more handouts to a department that has not been held accountable for their actions gives them the green light to keep hurting our communities. 

We are urging a big NO on Prop F this November.