A longtime San Francisco superior court judge slammed the blighted city’s mayor and district attorney for “failing on drugs” amid a 41 percent uptick in fatal overdoses so far this year.
“Mayor London Breed and her handpicked district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, have been busy launching another war on drugs, eliminating access to treatment and services, and complaining about a San Francisco crime narrative that they now own,” wrote now-retired Superior Court Judge Ellen Chaitin, in an SFGate.com op-ed.
Chaitin served as a San Francisco Superior Court judge for two decades before she retired in 2012.
She pointed to statistics released by the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported 200 accidental drug overdose deaths in the first three months of 2023 – a 41% surge from the same time last year.
“[A] record 200 human beings died from overdoses, as city leaders responsible for solving the problem are talking tough yet gutting the programs proven to actually save lives and treat addiction,” Chaitin wrote in the Thursday screed.
The longtime jurist said the city officials were “so focused on scapegoating [former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa] Boudin for the city’s long-standing problems that they played right into the conservative agenda.”
She said Breed and Jenkins promised the recall “would solve the city’s public safety crises.”
“Instead, as fatal overdoses skyrocket, Breed and Jenkins are begging state and federal authorities for help with a problem they are not up for solving.”
San Francisco has made headlines in recent months for reports of rampant drug use, crime, homeless and organized retail theft.
San Francisco Police Department statistics show murders are up 25 percent year-to-date as of May 14, compared to the same time in 2022. Robberies are also up, alhtough total crime is down nearly seven percent.
Public Policy Institute of California statistics show homelessness declined in San Francisco last year. The state accounts for 30 percent of the country’s homeless population, the February report found.
During a surprise comedy show earlier this month, Dave Chappelle reportedly joked about the city: “What the f—k happened to this place?”
