Glad to see Supervisor Mandelman calling for SFPD to do traffic enforcement of the most dangerous driving behavior (“Focus on the Five” violations).
SFPD has clearly deprioritized traffic enforcement; SFPD can prioritize it without even more funding/staffing.
Traffic citations have decreased by more than 90% since 2019, while SFPD funding has increased and calls for service have decreased ~40%.
SFPD has sufficient staffing/funding to enforce traffic laws, the Department just needs to prioritize traffic enforcement.
More background⬇️
https://twitter.com/lukebornheimer/status/1556075828542287874
“SFPD issues 87% less traffic citations now as they did three years ago, or 10 citations per day for ~50 officers. SFPD’s ineffectiveness makes our streets less safe. Thanks to @Braitsch for obtaining and analyzing the data and @HKnightSF for amplifying it!https://t.co/WG48waGHOR”
Great thought/question! Unfortunately, state law mandates that sworn (and armed) officers do traffic enforcement. We would need state law to be changed (a pilot to be approved) to allow unarmed “civilian” enforcement, which I support.
In the meantime, we should be investing in “self-enforcing” infrastructure and sustainable transportation to help people shift trips away from cars and ensure those who need to drive are doing so safely.
Luke Bornheimer
Sweeten the streets