Right after George Floyd’s murder in 2020, liberal politicians took aim at police officers across the country and slammed them for propagating racist policing practices.
San Francisco was one such city where a Democratic mayor pursued police defunding before realizing crimes increased sharply after her anti-police policies.
Now, the mayor of San Francisco, who once championed the police defunding narrative, is seeking more funding for the officers. She is now unable to control a wave of violent crimes in her city.
San Francisco Mayor Realized Her Mistake
While announcing her ambitions of police defunding in 2020, San Francisco Mayor London Breed noted the city would divert $120 million of police funds towards the so-called developmental policies of black Americans.
Much of liberal thinking is ridiculous, but defunding the police (especially when rioting and violent crime is rampant in the streets) takes the cake.
San Francisco defunded the police before reversing course the next year amid calls for 'accountability' https://t.co/GJvRo572Wl
— Larry Legg (@LarryLegg2) August 16, 2022
According to Breed, the city of San Francisco failed African Americans. They have consistently been suffering from prevailing injustice, so $120 million in police funds will be diverted to the welfare of this disadvantaged community.
With the law and order situation in San Francisco started getting out of control, Breed realized her mistake in December last year. She asked the city Board of Supervisors to increase the funding of the police department.
Back then, Breed established police officers of the city deserve a second chance, adding the city of San Francisco has to hold lawbreakers accountable.
After Breed’s renewed calls for funding the police, the president of the San Francisco police union stated the mayor realized her mistake of defunding the police.
Now, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved a budget of $14 million for the police department of the city. This will not only increase monetary incentives for police officers, but also fill almost 200 vacant seats in the department.
San Francisco #police union slams city's 'defund' flip-flop: Help us fight #crime or 'shut up'#DemocratsAreTheProblem #WakeUpCaliforniahttps://t.co/ymJbOIcjYA
— HUM… (@williethatyou) August 17, 2022
San Francisco Faces Chronic Policing Crisis
The progressive policing practices of Breed impacted the police culture in San Francisco to a significant extent. Last month, 50 officers resigned, not to mention 300 officers left the department since the start of this year.
From April 2020 to April 2021, resignation among police departments increased by 18% in San Francisco, while 45% more officers retired from their jobs, compared to one year earlier.
Hannah Meyers, director of the policing and public safety initiative at the Manhattan Institute, argued Floyd’s murder triggered the Ferguson effect in almost all liberal areas of the country.
This effect suggests police officers pull back from their duties as communities start doing violent protests against them. When this happens, extremist elements take advantage of the situation, which eventually increases criminal activities in communities.
Police officers were also worried about the rising negative sentiments against them, which made their job duties difficult amid the violent protests.
One officer, Betsy Brantner, who is a 29-year police veteran, stated people are hesitant to join the police force.
Most police departments are only small organizations, so defunding the police added fuel to the fire by damaging already vulnerable police officers countrywide.
This article appeared in Right Wing Insider and has been published here with permission.
