SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie joined city law enforcement leaders Tuesday to push back against the idea of National Guard troops patrolling city streets — a proposal that drew attention after Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff first suggested he’d welcome it.
Benioff originally told The New York Times that he supported President Trump and would be “all for” sending in the National Guard if it meant more officers on city streets.
He later walked those remarks back, saying his focus was on the safety of the 45,000 people expected to attend Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference.
Lurie, joined by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and Sheriff Paul Miyamoto outside the city’s law enforcement training facility, said San Francisco doesn’t need federal intervention to keep its streets safe.
“We’ve seen crime go down in Union Square by 40 percent. Citywide, crime is down 30 percent,” Lurie said. “We are at 70-year lows when it comes to homicides, and car break-ins are at 22-year lows. We have a lot of work to do, but I trust our local law enforcement.”
Jenkins echoed that message, saying scenes of unrest like those seen in Chicago are not what San Francisco wants or needs.
“To see tear gas and all the things that are happening — we don’t want that chaos here,” Jenkins said. “Our job is to maintain order, and the public trusts us to get that job done.”
Lurie said he spoke privately with Benioff over the weekend after the interview drew widespread attention.
“What I said to him is what I’m saying to you all right now — we are working relentlessly every day, and public safety is our number one priority,” Lurie said. “People are entitled to their opinions, but they’re not entitled to their own facts.”
At Dreamforce earlier this week, Benioff clarified his comments, saying, “The number one thing on my mind is safety — that’s just what’s coming out.”
Benioff also announced Salesforce will donate $1 million to the San Francisco Police Department to fund larger hiring bonuses for new officers.
City officials said details about how and when that process would begin have not yet been released.