SAN FRANCISCO — On Aug. 5, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed legislation to accept a $9.4 million grant to open a new Real-Time Investigation Center for the San Francisco Police Department.
The grant, donated by Chris Larsen, co-founder and executive chairman of Ripple, includes funding for a modernized downtown office space and an expansion of the RTIC’s “modern crime-fighting tools,” including drones, surveillance cameras and Flock Automated License Plate Readers, according to a press release from Mayor Lurie’s office.
Lurie is also working to “fully staff the SFPD and Sheriff’s Office” through his Rebuilding the Ranks plan, which has already shown results, including reductions in crime rates and a 64% increase in applications to the SFPD.
Since Lurie took office, overall crime rates in San Francisco have dropped by nearly 30%. He said he is confident that the new RTIC space and funding will build on that trend, stating, “With our new RTIC headquarters, my administration is doing what San Franciscans want: doubling down on using technology smartly and responsibly to keep our city safe.”
Since the RTIC was launched in March 2024 following the passage of Proposition E, the center has supported more than 500 arrests and contributed to a 41% drop in auto thefts. Auto theft arrests have increased by 46%, according to Lurie’s office.
The legislative package signed by Lurie was cosponsored by Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and district supervisors from four city districts.
“SFPD’s implementation of surveillance technology has been an absolute game changer to make San Francisco safer and to hold criminals accountable,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “I applaud Mayor Lurie for his commitment to build on that success.”
District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter echoed Dorsey’s sentiment, saying, “The Real-Time Investigation Center is an innovative approach made possible by bringing together our public agencies with philanthropic partners.”
The grant will help the department address “outdated wiring and other infrastructure challenges” to support continued crime reduction.
“San Francisco should be the shining example of how to leverage state-of-the-art, coordinated public safety technology and with the right pragmatic safeguards in place,” said Larsen.
“SFPD is taking another big stride in advancing our commitment to a much safer city for our residents and visitors, building on the progress we have already been making,” said Interim SFPD Chief Paul Yep. “With this new space for deploying public safety technology tools, our dedicated and hard-working officers are excited to be able to swiftly identify and arrest those who commit crime and hold them accountable.”
Lurie, Yep and District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill also expressed their gratitude to Larsen for the donation, which they said will allow the department to “advance its use of modern policing tools with additional resources and state-of-the-art facilities.”
Categories:
Breaking News Civil Rights Everyday Injustice San Francisco
Tags:
Chris Larsen City of San Francisco Flock Automated License Plate Readers Mayor Daniel Lurie Proposition E Real-Time Investigation Center Ripple San Francisco Police Department
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
