Employees at San Francisco’s federal building, which is located at an intersection notorious for open-air drug transactions, were instructed to work from home amid rampant crime in the city.
In early August, the Department of Health and Human Services advised hundreds of workers in San Francisco to work remotely until further notice due to crime concerns, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
“In light of the conditions at the (Federal Building) we recommend employees … maximize the use of telework for the foreseeable future,” HHS Assistant Secretary for Administration Cheryl R. Campbell said in a memo to regional leaders.
The skyscraper is home to multiple federal agencies, including HHS, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the office of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The longtime Democratic former House leader raised the public safety issues with the U.S. attorney for the northern district of California last week, a spokesperson from her office told the Chronicle. Pelosi’s five-person staff won’t be working remotely, however, he confirmed.
“The safety of workers in our federal buildings has always been a priority for Speaker Emerita Pelosi, whether in the building or on their commutes,” Pelosi spokesperson Aaron Bennett said in a statement. “Federal, state and local law enforcement — in coordination with public health officials and stakeholders — are working hard to address the acute crises of fentanyl trafficking and related violence in certain areas of the city.”
In June, California governor Gavin Newsom announced that he would dramatically expand the presence of California Highway Patrol officers in San Francisco to ramp up enforcement efforts against fentanyl trade and use. Since the program began in May, CHP officers, working with police, have seized 18 pounds of fentanyl and made 115 arrests for both felony and misdemeanor offenses, Fox KTVU said.
Over the summer, San Francisco Mayor London Breed lobbied the city’s Board of Supervisors to adopt a budget that included an increase of more than $60 million for the city’s police department as well as other public safety measures, Fox KTVU reported. The final budget, signed by Breed in July, opened up roles for 220 more officers over the next two years, but also invests money in “alternatives” to policing, according to a news release from the mayor’s office. The budget also expands the city’s shelter programs to reduce the homeless population on the street by half over the next five years.
“San Francisco must be a safe and just city for all,” Breed said in a statement. “Combating the fentanyl crisis, preventing, and reducing violent and property crime, and reducing the fear of crime in our city requires public safety resources and collaboration between SFPD, the District Attorney’s Office, other city agencies, community groups, and others.”
Spiraling crime in San Francisco has forced multiple store chains, including Nordstrom and Whole Foods, to close locations in the city. The owners of the downtown Westfield Mall announced in June they would be transferring control of their shopping center – the largest in the city- to a receiver “given the challenging operating conditions” which have led to “declines in sales, occupancy and foot traffic.”
Park Hotels & Resorts, the owner of two of San Francisco’s largest downtown hotels, also stopped mortgage payments and chose to foreclose on the properties, noting record-high downtown office vacancy and “concerns over street conditions.”
Days prior, San Francisco’s tourism board launched a $6 million ad campaign to combat the public perception that the city is devolving into lawlessness and decay. Featuring images of iconic San Francisco landmarks, such as the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as vignettes of people dancing, drinking, and eating, the ad calls San Francisco “the most beautiful city in the world.”