San Francisco Voters to Decide on Hiring of More Officers

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a charter amendment that would fund and require the hiring of new cops. They will put it before voters in March.

"The proposed measure provides voters with a chance to express whether they desire more police presence," said Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who voted for the measure along with Supervisors Myrna Melgar, Connie Chan, Shamann Walton and Aaron Peskin. It was sponsored by Supervisor Ahsha Safai, ABC7 reports.

"We don't have to pass a new tax for this to be meaningful," said Stefani, adding that her goal would be to redirect dollars from existing tax funds, "which I think is very doable."

If the voters approve a future tax to supply additional revenue to fund the cost of employing more full-duty sworn officers, then the city will set a minimum staffing number for the next five years. That number would begin with 1,700 officers the first year and increase each year until it hits a maximum of 2,074.