MESSAGE FROM CATHERINE

Dear Billy,

I’m incredibly grateful to be reelected by the voters of District 2 to another four-year term and resolve to approach this next term with the same dedication to a safer, cleaner, and more vibrant San Francisco.

I am so proud of all the work we accomplished together, and I am more determined than ever to do everything I can at City Hall to address the many issues facing San Francisco—from public safety to economic recovery—there is plenty of work to do. I am also very focused on the ongoing fentanyl crisis and non-profit accountability and will have more to announce on that soon. Please save the date and join me for my swearing-in on Sunday, January 8th, 11:00 am, at Francisco Park.

Below are some of the accomplishments I’m most proud of from the past year. As always, please feel free to reach out to my office by phone at 415-554-7752 or by email, stefanistaff@sfgov.org, with any issues or concerns at any time.

2022 Highlights

Policies and Legislation

Public Safety

This year, I fought to create a safer San Francisco for everyone in our community in several ways. Although we face many challenges, including a significant police staffing shortage, we must find a path to keep our communities safe. 

Creation of the Office of Victim and Witness Rights

This past June, voters decisively approved Proposition D—a measure I introduced on the ballot that will create the Office of Victim and Witness Rights and guarantee legal representation for domestic violence victims to help break the cycle of violence. I’m incredibly proud of this transformative piece of legislation and will continue to update you on the progress of this Office. 

Police Staffing

After years of advocacy, a budget agreement was reached this past June between the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to provide enough resources to hire 220 more police officers and broaden essential recruitment and retention tools. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) historically has had significant attrition issues that have exacerbated staffing challenges. I’m proud to have championed these critical public safety resources. 

We are still approximately 500 officers short of what we need, and we still have much work to do as compared to other cities. New York has 42 officers for every 10,000 residents, Chicago has 44, Washington, D.C., has 61, and San Francisco only has 22. San Franciscans made it abundantly clear this past year that they want a safer city, and I couldn’t agree more. Rest assured, I will continue to fight relentlessly for a safer city and will push to close the staffing gap in new and creative ways.

Stop AAPI Hate

Almost two years ago, Vicha Ratanapakdee, an 84-year-old immigrant from Thailand who lived with his family in the District 2 neighborhood of Anza Vista, was violently shoved to his death while on his morning walk through the neighborhood. This was one of the many shocking and alarming attacks in our AAPI communities, galvanizing a nation to demand something be done about these senseless acts of violence. In addition to attending rallies and calling for hearings, I was honored to lead an effort with Vicha’s daughter to officially rename Sonora Lane to “Vicha Ratanapakdee Way.” This stairwell, located on the route of “Grandpa Vicha’s” morning walk, will forever remind us of what Vicha meant to his family and his community and also that we must never stop fighting against AAPI hate and violence. 

Anti-Burglary Neighborhood Network

In response to the spike in burglaries and home invasions this year, I launched the District 2 Anti-Burglary Neighborhood Network. This network brings together neighbors, SFPD leadership, and safety experts to:

• Connect residents with community safety resources
• Report on current crime data
• Foster meaningful engagement around public safety
• Aggregate real-time crime data in District 2
• Host regular public safety town halls

This Anti-Burglary Neighborhood Network is a community public safety resource and is no substitute for adequate police staffing. However, with input from our Police Captains, we’ve found it to be helpful in connecting neighbors to additional public safety resources. 

Palace of Fine Arts and Community Ambassadors

In November, two wedding photographers were robbed in broad daylight in two separate attacks, on the same day, at the Palace of Fine Arts. This was absolutely unacceptable. To address the safety issues at the Palace and in the surrounding neighborhood, I worked with SFPD to increase their presence in the area and also secured $300,000 for dedicated SFPD community ambassadors to deploy in our commercial corridors. The Palace is one of San Francisco’s most popular tourist attractions, nestled in a neighborhood with families that have serious concerns regarding their safety. Police staffing shortages cannot continue to preclude the amount of coverage needed to keep tourists and residents safe. I will continue to do all I can to ensure the safety of our communities.

Gun Violence Prevention

This year, I worked to pass three resolutions supporting policies at the state level that contribute to the fight against gun violence. AB 452 now requires schools to inform parents and guardians about secure storage laws to ensure guns are being stored securely in their homes. AB 1594 paves the way for Californians to hold firearms manufacturers accountable for the harm their products cause. AB 1621 requires that ghost gun parts and kits cannot be sold in the state until they are treated as firearms under federal law, the parts must be sold with a serial number, and the buyer must undergo a background check.

In 2021, I was the first lawmaker to introduce legislation banning ghost guns in California. In San Francisco, the number of ghost guns seized by local law enforcement jumped 2,733% from 2016 to 2020. In the first two months of 2021, ghost guns seized by law enforcement in San Francisco increased by 350% compared to 2019. Ghost guns represent a substantial increase in the proportion of all guns seized. In 2016, ghost guns were less than 1% of all firearms seized. But in 2020, they represented over 16% of all firearms seized. 

My legislation made San Francisco among the first cities to ban ghost guns which helped to put pressure on other cities and counties to do the same, ultimately leading to the change we were hoping for in State law, which we accomplished when AB 1621 was passed. 

In March, I also introduced a resolution urging the Biden Administration to close the “Dating Partner Loophole.” Although federal law prohibits those convicted of committing acts of domestic violence from having guns, it only does so if they have been married to, have lived with, or have a child with the victim. This loophole has allowed those convicted of domestic abuse to purchase firearms for far too long. Thank you to President Biden for signing the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which closes this gap in federal law.

This past fall, I joined United Playaz to support their annual community gun buy-back event. Guns collected during these events are recycled to create jewelry and other goods that are sold to finance future gun buy-back events. More than 100 guns were safely turned in. 

In May, I participated in a conversation with Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts where we discussed the rise of ghost guns and how we can work together to combat gun violence locally. Thank you, Shannon, for hosting the conversation!

And in June, I joined Moms Demand Action during National Gun Violence Awareness Day on a march across the Golden Gate Bridge to demand an end to gun violence. It was truly an honor to march alongside my hero, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, to honor the victims and survivors of gun violence and to demand an end to the carnage tormenting communities across our country.

Small Business Support

This past fall, I introduced legislation to waive street sale permit fees and promote sidewalk sales during the holiday season. By activating commercial corridors, small businesses can actively engage with the neighborhood in a fun and visible way. With support from the Office of Small Business, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and Shop Dine SF, we also created our own District 2 Holiday Shopping Guide. Small businesses employ hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans and are an essential engine for our local economy. I hope you continue to shop locally and visit some of our beloved Legacy Businesses, including Books Inc., Sue Fisher King Co., Shaw Shoes, Valentino Market, California Wine Merchant, and Fireside Camera. 

Francisco Park Finally Opens

This year, Francisco Park finally opened. This 14-year journey was possible because of the dedication of community members who never gave up. I began working on this project as a legislative aide to Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier in 2008 and continued with then-Supervisor Mark Farrell. An old concrete reservoir is now 4.5 acres of open space, gardens, and panoramic views. In addition, this park has a new children’s playground, a picnic area, a protected dog run, a community garden, and an incredible ADA-accessible pathway. 

I’m so proud to be part of a city that values open space and continues to expand the number of beautiful places for people to gather outdoors. This is a great example of how communities and government can work together to achieve incredible things.

Looking Ahead to 2023

I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve accomplished in 2022 and cannot wait to tackle the challenges of 2023, especially with a new Board of Supervisors. We need safety, accountability, and fairness. I will start the new year taking on several priorities that will include:

Tackling the Public Safety/Drug Crisis

On November 30th, a 10-month-old baby ingested fentanyl while playing in the grass at Moscone Park in District 2, and Narcan had to be administered by paramedics to revive the child. This incident is indicative of our reality: our drug crisis is out of control, and it’s affecting all corners of our city. It is absolutely unacceptable that children can’t safely play in our parks because traces of fentanyl or drug paraphernalia may be present.

After this incident, with TogetherSF, I led a panel discussion with Mothers Against Drug Deaths and Supervisors Dorsey and Mandelman on the city’s drug crisis and response. The unfortunate reality is that although there are many laws regarding drug possession, the rates at which they are being enforced are paltry compared to the scale of the crisis. Ongoing political and ideological conflicts have also prevented solutions and practical measures for several years. With new voices on the Board of Supervisors in January, I’m hoping to have more allies that will help me to push for common-sense and effective strategies. 

It is clear that the status quo is not working in our city, and we must have difficult conversations about what needs to change. In that regard, I sent a letter of inquiry to the San Francisco Department of Health questioning their current approach to our drug crisis and the efficacy of their harm reduction strategies, along with what efforts are being made to get people into abstinence-based recovery. Substance use disorder demands that we treat the disease and not just the symptoms. I will be holding a hearing to discuss their response early next year. 

Demanding Non-Profit Accountability

San Francisco heavily relies on nonprofits to provide social services but needs a consistent way to track their effectiveness. The Controller’s Citywide Nonprofit Performance Audit found that we need to be doing a much better job of evaluating the programs and the services the city funds and whether they are meeting the needs of the community. Therefore, I am working with the City Attorney’s Office to draft legislation that would standardize and streamline existing processes and strengthen performance measurement and monitoring. The legislation will also require a level of transparency that currently does not exist so that the Board of Supervisors and the public will have easy access to such audits.

In early December, I also held a hearing on the state of the city’s Jail Health Services. Jail Health Services workers are on the frontline of the City’s medical, psychiatric, and substance abuse crisis. I called for this hearing to examine how staffing shortages affected conditions within the jails, especially given the widely publicized leadership issues. It is vital to ensure our essential workers have the support they need. After the hearing, I submitted a letter of inquiry to the Department of Public Health to demand more answers regarding staffing and secondary employment. I will be holding a subsequent hearing on the matter early next year. 

Fixing Muni Pier

Sadly, the iconic Muni Pier at Aquatic Park was closed permanently for safety concerns due to severe deterioration and instability from this year’s October 25th 5.1 earthquake. The entirety of Aquatic Park, Ghirardelli Square, and Fisherman’s Wharf depend on Muni Pier for protection from erosion and flooding. In December, I joined the community in a call urging the federal government to save one of San Francisco’s most beautiful sites. I will continue in the effort to ensure the pier gets rebuilt. For more information on how to help us save Muni Pier, visit aquaticparkpier.org.

I do not do this work alone, and I am extremely grateful to my amazing staff, all of our neighborhood leaders, community advocates, and like-minded public servants who want the best for San Francisco. We face many challenges heading into the new year, including reviving our downtown, addressing our public safety challenges and drug crisis, and working to hold agencies and non-profits accountable so that everyone has faith in their government. With your support, I have the resolve to meet these challenges head-on. I'm ready to start the new year with bold, tangible action.

I hope you have a very happy holiday season and a wonderful new year! 

Office of Supervisor Catherine Stefani
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 273, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 554-7752 Fax: (415) 554-7843