New Polling Reveals San Franciscans Have Concerns With Supervisor Dorsey's Police Staffing Measure As Written

Latest data show most residents have concerns with increasing funding for police at the expense of other City priorities

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In advance of today's Rules Committee meeting on the proposal, the Safer Smarter SF coalition has released new polling that shows most San Francisco residents have concerns with Supervisor Matt Dorsey's minimum police staffing measure as it is currently written. Safer Smarter SF is a growing coalition of small businesses and unions across San Francisco who are advocating for new revenue streams to fund life-saving City services: Small Business Forward, SEIU Local 1021, IFPTE Local 21, SF Building and Construction Trades Council.

"Small businesses depend on a wide range of City services. To increase police staffing without a funding source steals from everything else that keeps our communities healthy," said Justin Dolezal, owner of Bar Part Time in San Francisco's Mission district and co-founder of Small Business Forward, a progressive small business advocacy organization. "We need to focus on community safety that works along with progressive taxation that prevents this causing disproportionate economic burden on small businesses. This new poll shows San Franciscans agree that it is time for the wealthiest corporations to pay their fair share."

"We need comprehensive solutions that ensure our essential services will be fully staffed across the board," said Heather Bollinger, Registered Nurse at the San Francisco General Hospital. "We need nurses desperately. We need social workers and 911 dispatchers. We need mental health support services, medics, firefighters, and police officers."

"Public safety includes so much more than police," said Burt Wilson, 911 dispatcher for the City and County of San Francisco. "Without a new revenue stream, Supervisor Dorsey's measure would drain $200 million over 5 years from our General Fund, leading to fewer dispatchers, nurses, and other essential workers who keep San Francisco safe. We need a safer and smarter approach for our city."

Polling conducted by David Binder Research from October 25-29, 2023, among 400 likely primary election voters, shows that a majority of San Franciscans are concerned about diverting City funding away from housing, homelessness services, street clean up, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Below are some of the poll's key findings:

• Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) of likely voters oppose the police minimum staffing measure in favor of funding a comprehensive public safety plan that fully staffs 911 operators, emergency room nurses, firefighters, medics and law enforcement.
• San Franciscans want big corporations to pay their fair share in investing in more City staff. More than 6 in 10 (61%) support raising taxes on the largest businesses in the city and closing tax loopholes to fund services in San Francisco.
• Voters say all other spending priorities are much more critical to fund than hiring police officers. 85% of likely voters say it's important to fully staff 911 dispatch. 75% of likely voters say it's important to ensure enough nurses.

SOURCE IFPTE 21