Mayor Breed: ‘Things Aren’t as Bad’ in San Francisco as Viral Videos Show

RADDATZ a lifelong Bay ░░░░░░░░ resident who grew up ░░░░░░░░ poverty and now a ░░░░░░░░ advocate for the city ░░░░░░░░ leads Clip starts RADDATZ ░░░░░░░░ know and I know ░░░░░░░░ annoys you when people ░░░░░░░░ at the city and ░░░░░░░░ it s either dangerous ░░░░░░░░ crime ridden or drugs ░░░░░░░░ a huge problem But ░░░░░░░░ ve got your own ░░░░░░░░ saying the same thing ░░░░░░░░ think about 17 percent ░░░░░░░░ the city s on ░░░░░░░░ right track BREED Well ░░░░░░░░ Francisco is doing a ░░░░░░░░ to help combat some ░░░░░░░░ the challenges that we ░░░░░░░░ I mean we are ░░░░░░░░ major city during the ░░░░░░░░ pandemic as you see ░░░░░░░░ Francisco shut down first ░░░░░░░░ we got a lot ░░░░░░░░ attention From a numbers ░░░░░░░░ when you look at ░░░░░░░░ in San Francisco we ░░░░░░░░ since 2018 helped over ░░░░░░░░ 000 people exit homelessness ░░░░░░░░ San Francisco When you ░░░░░░░░ at the data of ░░░░░░░░ is happening with our ░░░░░░░░ numbers over the past ░░░░░░░░ years they are showing ░░░░░░░░ decline especially with car ░░░░░░░░ ins burglaries and other ░░░░░░░░ that people are talking ░░░░░░░░ And in comparison to ░░░░░░░░ U S cities San ░░░░░░░░ is really at the ░░░░░░░░ So I get that ░░░░░░░░ feel that there are ░░░░░░░░ and there are concerns ░░░░░░░░ see the viral videos ░░░░░░░░ they think Oh what ░░░░░░░░ going on in San ░░░░░░░░ And then what is ░░░░░░░░ people RADDATZ But those ░░░░░░░░ are from people who ░░░░░░░░ here 17 percent think ░░░░░░░░ s on the right ░░░░░░░░ They live here BREED ░░░░░░░░ it s not always ░░░░░░░░ just to the issues ░░░░░░░░ crime You know it ░░░░░░░░ attributed to the issues ░░░░░░░░ homelessness as well It ░░░░░░░░ significant to really continue ░░░░░░░░ do the work that ░░░░░░░░ re doing so that ░░░░░░░░ can not only see ░░░░░░░░ feel the difference But ░░░░░░░░ people are coming to ░░░░░░░░ Francisco they are surprised ░░░░░░░░ things aren t as ░░░░░░░░ as what they thought ░░░░░░░░ were Are things perfect ░░░░░░░░ San Francisco No they ░░░░░░░░ not But we continue ░░░░░░░░ work aggressively at it ░░░░░░░░ order to solve some ░░░░░░░░ our most pressing problems ░░░░░░░░ voice over Breed was ░░░░░░░░ mayor in 2018 and ░░░░░░░░ ideas have not been ░░░░░░░░ controversy The city was ░░░░░░░░ over clearing homeless encampments ░░░░░░░░ year and her proposal ░░░░░░░░ mandate drug screenings for ░░░░░░░░ recipients has drawn comparisons ░░░░░░░░ Reagan era policies RADDATZ ░░░░░░░░ know that your critics ░░░░░░░░ also say Look now ░░░░░░░░ s gone too far ░░░░░░░░ and she s criminalizing ░░░░░░░░ or wanting drug tests ░░░░░░░░ welfare recipients Do you ░░░░░░░░ you re coming down ░░░░░░░░ hard on this BREED ░░░░░░░░ grew up in the ░░░░░░░░ challenging conditions of this ░░░░░░░░ and lived over 20 ░░░░░░░░ of my life in ░░░░░░░░ housing in the midst ░░░░░░░░ the crack epidemic that ░░░░░░░░ our community So I ░░░░░░░░ lived in these kinds ░░░░░░░░ conditions No it s ░░░░░░░░ always the popular thing ░░░░░░░░ do And this is ░░░░░░░░ about right or left ░░░░░░░░ is about do we ░░░░░░░░ to save lives RADDATZ ░░░░░░░░ have experience with addiction ░░░░░░░░ lost your sister to ░░░░░░░░ overdose Brother in prison ░░░░░░░░ me what that was ░░░░░░░░ and how you got ░░░░░░░░ you are today BREED ░░░░░░░░ in my community that ░░░░░░░░ normal It wasn t ░░░░░░░░ my family that suffered ░░░░░░░░ lot of challenges It ░░░░░░░░ everyone I lived next ░░░░░░░░ My grandmother was very ░░░░░░░░ nonsense you know you ░░░░░░░░ go school or you ░░░░░░░░ t live here And ░░░░░░░░ I decided I m ░░░░░░░░ to go to school ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ good grades And plus ░░░░░░░░ up in poverty I ░░░░░░░░ t want to live ░░░░░░░░ that the rest of ░░░░░░░░ life I felt that ░░░░░░░░ was something better and ░░░░░░░░ I was able to ░░░░░░░░ to college But that ░░░░░░░░ t happen for everyone ░░░░░░░░ grew up around me ░░░░░░░░ voice over Despite the ░░░░░░░░ her city faces Breed ░░░░░░░░ steadfast optimism about San ░░░░░░░░ s future RADDATZ What ░░░░░░░░ you most BREED Well ░░░░░░░░ I must say that ░░░░░░░░ have hope I have ░░░░░░░░ about the future because ░░░░░░░░ You know people always ░░░░░░░░ hope isn t a ░░░░░░░░ Laughter BREED Well I ░░░░░░░░ an economic recovery plan ░░░░░░░░ have a homeless plan ░░░░░░░░ the thing that gives ░░░░░░░░ hope is the fact ░░░░░░░░ finally some of the ░░░░░░░░ decisions some of the ░░░░░░░░ investments they are working ░░░░░░░░ they are making a ░░░░░░░░ They are attracting businesses ░░░░░░░░ leases are being signed ░░░░░░░░ the Downtown area and ░░░░░░░░ parts of the city ░░░░░░░░ every single day RADDATZ ░░░░░░░░ you re not going ░░░░░░░░ tell me you re ░░░░░░░░ about anything BREED Well ░░░░░░░░ of it is it ░░░░░░░░ really as a leader ░░░░░░░░ s important that I ░░░░░░░░ confident about the condition ░░░░░░░░ the city and that ░░░░░░░░ m continuing to communicate ░░░░░░░░ message necessary to ensure ░░░░░░░░ people know how these ░░░░░░░░ are working I think ░░░░░░░░ thing I m worried ░░░░░░░░ the most is people ░░░░░░░░ t always get an ░░░░░░░░ to see or to ░░░░░░░░ exactly how these things ░░░░░░░░ working to make a ░░░░░░░░ in San Francisco So ░░░░░░░░ ve got to work ░░░░░░░░ on our communication strategy ░░░░░░░░ You are optimistic and ░░░░░░░░ re doing things and ░░░░░░░░ re making changes but ░░░░░░░░ see what s happening ░░░░░░░░ do see BREED But ░░░░░░░░ s the problem with ░░░░░░░░ It s not just ░░░░░░░░ Francisco Cities all over ░░░░░░░░ country are experiencing challenges ░░░░░░░░ drug use with fentanyl ░░░░░░░░ methamphetamines and other things ░░░░░░░░ that nature The difference ░░░░░░░░ how we are handling ░░░░░░░░ here in San Francisco ░░░░░░░░ have made the courageous ░░░░░░░░ to make arrests of ░░░░░░░░ only people who are ░░░░░░░░ drugs but people who ░░░░░░░░ using drugs So at ░░░░░░░░ end of the day ░░░░░░░░ we have problems I ░░░░░░░░ not pretending that we ░░░░░░░░ t but we can ░░░░░░░░ just throw our hands ░░░░░░░░ We have to keep ░░░░░░░░ toward solutions and we ░░░░░░░░ to be prepared to ░░░░░░░░ the hard decisions to ░░░░░░░░ to a better place.”