San Francisco Mayor Proposes Curfew on Businesses in Hopes of Deterring Late-Night Crime

With San Francisco facing rampant crime and public drug use, the city’s mayor, London Breed, is proposing a curfew on downtown retail shops — and hourly fines of $1,000 for businesses that don’t close on time.The pilot legislation, which Ms. Breed says will help disrupt open-air drug markets and nighttime crime, aims to prohibit stores that sell prepackaged food or tobacco products from remaining open from midnight to 5 a.m. in part of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. “Tenderloin residents, businesses, and workers deserve safe streets not just during the day, but also at night,” Ms. Breed said in a statement. “The drug markets happening at night in this neighborhood are unacceptable and must be met with increased law enforcement and new strategies.”The mayor’s office said residents had complained that the stores that are open late are a “contributing factor to the drug markets in the Tenderloin.”Some residents and business owners expressed support for limiting the operating hours of the retail shops, hoping that the legislation would curb sales of paraphernalia and other drug-culture purchases. Yet other business owners have expressed fury that their lawful businesses are being targeted instead of the illicit drug use, and fear the reduced hours could hurt an already-struggling local economy, as businesses face high costs of business and violence in the surrounding areas.Earlier this year, a beloved toy shop in the Tenderloin neighborhood that inspired “Toy Story” was forced to close, citing the “perils and violence of the downtown environment” and $20,000 in monthly rent. Ms. Breed — who is running for reelection — has faced criticism from residents for her handling of homelessness, drugs, and crime as the city has suffered a national reputation crisis. Polling last fall indicated that nearly 70 percent of San Francisco voters weren’t happy with the direction the city is heading, as the Sun has reported.The proposed legislation carries fines up to $1,000 each hour a store is open in violation of the law, and there are no limits on the number of fines the city could issue. If a store repeatedly violates the curfew, the city attorney could file a lawsuit forcing the business to comply, the mayor’s office notes. “Any resident of the Tenderloin area can also file their own lawsuit for enforcement,” the mayor’s office said. “The goal of this initiative is to improve the health and wellbeing of the families and children who live in the Tenderloin; it is not intended to punish small businesses.”

San Francisco Mayor Proposes Curfew on Businesses in Hopes of Deterring Late-Night Crime

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