Ammiano on Target in Rejecting 25% Police Pay Hike

As Supervisor Tom Ammiano put it, “police are definitely part of the equation, but there are other parts of the equation" in addressing crime. These “other parts of the equation” include the many city-funded case managers, psychiatric outreach workers, homeless shelter staff, youth service providers, mental health counselors and the many other positions whose work reduces crime and violence in San Francisco. The Mayor’s budget allocates 2.4% wage hikes to these vital nonprofit workers, while giving police more than three times this amount in actual dollars. Attempting to secure quality social services on the cheap is not a smart anti-crime strategy.

Tom Ammiano made a very profound observation at Tuesday’s Board meeting regarding the mayor’s proposed 25% raises for police officers over the next four years. Ammiano argued that reducing crime involves far more than the “more police, more arrests” mantra, acknowledging the vital roles played by social services, housing, and education programs in steering people away from crime and violence.

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