San Francisco Mayor London Breed’s new proposal to increase police power in the city is provoking backlash from some progressive groups. Breed’s proposal, Safer San Francisco,” will loosen restrictions on when police can chase suspects by car, give police greater ability to use surveillance technology and reduce officers' paperwork requirements, reports Courthouse News Service. The proposal will allow officers to install and use publicly owned surveillance cameras and deploy drones to apprehend suspects, as well as allow the police department to test other new tech without completing a Board of Supervisors vetting process. Officers will be allowed to use their cruisers to chase people suspected of theft or auto burglary. US Berkeley law Prof. Jonathan Simon is troubled by the broad language of the proposal.
“You’re really opening up a can of potentially troubling changes in how ordinary life is experienced. How many of us really want police drones whizzing by us? This should not be framed uniquely as a crime control issue, it’s really a quality of life issue to have this kind of surveillance,” Simon said. He said there already is a huge amount of surveillance in people’s everyday lives through private cameras, and that the use of drones could violate California citizens’ constitutionally protected privacy rights. Simon said there’s “lots of risk” to police and pedestrians if the police are allowed to chase more suspects by car, especially when most suspects fleeing by vehicle can be tracked down with their license plate. Still, Simon acknowledged that the proposal would undoubtedly be popular with some voters, noting that the mayor was under pressure to appear tough on crime amid increases in car break-ins, overdoses and property crime. “I just wish I had more confidence that these types of measures would make a substantial difference in public safety,” Simon said.
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