Mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie supports to hire and promote more police officers who reflect the communities they serve

(SAN FRANCISCO) Mayoral candidate Daniel Lurie shared his public safety priority with San Bruno Avenue corridor merchants on May 20. He supported hiring and promoting more police officers to reflect the communities they serve including the Chinese community.

Lurie, a non-profit founder and heir to the Levi Strauss Fortune, had a merchant walk on May 20 with retired Police Commander Paul Yep along the San Bruno Avenue corridor in the Portola neighborhood to introduce his public safety policies.

Lurie learnt about the violence and harassment just occurred five days ago to Wan Chen Jiang and his herb shop. "We need more officers walking the beat in the community and have the officers visible to stop the crime," Lurie told Jiang.

"Public safety is my top priority," said Lurie. He supported a fully-staff police department. "We have to hire and promote more officers at all levels and rank-and-file including the command staff who could look like the communities that they serve."

After hearing from Jiang about the harassment and violence against the Asian community in Portola on a daily basis, retired Police Commander Paul Yep said the Police Department should do more to protect members of the Asian community who have faced tremendous threats and challenges related to anti-Asian hate and violence especially since the pandemic.

Jack Lee, owner of Ramen House on San Bruno Avenue, is also a resident in the Portola neighborhood and has owned businesses along the corridor for decades. Lee told Lurie that the routine anti-Asian hate, violence and harassment against Asian merchants and residents have been going on for over a decade. "It is not a new issue," Lee said.

Lee added that the city's existing policy on homelessness has been harmful both to the homeless people and the communities. "How could the homeless people and drug addicts get help if they are allowed to stay on the streets whatever they want? It is not going to help them. Their problems are still there while the businesses get hurt," Lee said.

Lurie responded to Lee that he has just recently released his priorities on shelter and homelessness. "I will build 1,500 shelter beds in 6 months in order to clear encampments and create path services," said Lurie. "They can't stay on the streets, they have to go. I want them to have options to move in the shelters. No tents are allowed. We can be passionate, we can be thoughtful."