In the year since Brooke Jenkins was appointed to lead the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, at least 45 employees have voluntarily left, Mission Local has learned. That’s on top of the 15 employees she fired en masse on July 15, 2022.
Their stated reasons include a culture of fear, politically driven office decisions, and regressive policies that have diminished a focus on reform.
“It’s a slow thing to do, to reform the criminal justice system,” said one former longtime employee who left the office after working through multiple DA administrations. “Each person I worked for took it a little further.”
With Jenkins’ arrival, the employee said, “suddenly, that was no longer going to be happening.”
The employee, like the others quoted in this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Earlier this month, Jenkins dismissed the last case against a police officer charged with homicide in a police shooting case. All of those cases were filed under Chesa Boudin’s tenure. She also gutted the division that investigated police criminal misconduct, shortly after taking office.
Jenkins, who worked for Boudin, left in October 2021 to help with his recall, and she became the person Mayor London Breed turned to when looking for a new District Attorney.
At the helm, Jenkins promptly reorganized her staff. She fired more than a dozen employees in upper management, as well as Boudin-hired assistant district attorneys and a data analyst.
And, in the 12 months since Jenkins took office, dozens more employees have trickled out of the office, a handful leaving to other nearby district attorneys’ offices or other city departments.
While some of those who left Jenkins’ office were hired during Boudin’s more progressive administration, many were longtime employees of the DA’s office who worked there long before Boudin, and through several administrations.
Fifteen victim services employees and supervisors, several of whom were working in the office before Boudin took over in 2020, left, including the acting chief and a supervisor.
“I knew that if I ended up in a situation where there was a disagreement with management, I could be out on my ass in a moment,” said one assistant district attorney who left. “It all added up to an environment where it was very very clear that there’s no job security — and anyone can be fired at any time, for little or no reason.”
Decision-making under Jenkins was “incredibly political,” the attorney said, feeling, like other colleagues, intensely micro-managed.
“Attorneys are no longer able to review cases in a way they think is fair,” the source said. Ironically, Jenkins left the DA’s office in 2021, accusing Boudin, her predecessor and former boss, of intervening in her case.
On top of the office environment, the attorney added, the job of prosecutor is a grueling one, so high turnover is not necessarily surprising.
But issues arise in cases when frustrated lawyers quit and have to be replaced — at least, that’s what Jenkins told the Chronicle in 2021, referring to her and other resignations from Boudin’s office. She noted then that Boudin’s office had lost 59 attorneys to firings and resignations in nearly two years.
Jenkins could lose close to as many attorneys as Boudin if the current rate of resignations continues. Other staff has left as well; some 35 in the last year. In her single year in office, at least 60 total employees have been fired or resigned.
Others pointed to questionable new hires made in the past year. Jenkins’ track and field teammate from James Logan High School in Union City, Monifa Willis, was appointed as chief of the gutted Victim Services Division — and continues to report a salary of more than $100,000 from the University of California, San Francisco, where she is employed as an assistant professor.
UCSF confirmed that Willis is still employed by the university.
“It’s really the culture of bullying, retaliation, and promotions based on not merit necessarily but on favoritism,” said another longtime employee who left the office shortly after Jenkins took over, but said the DA’s office had long had a culture problem. “It’s who comes in, who you know, who’s your friend?”
An attorney who left the office this year said that reshuffling and appointments of inexperienced people into leadership roles brought work to a “screeching halt.” The attorney was excluded from work “so that everything could be reviewed,” but months went by with no movement.
It left people “in a complete void and vacuum about how to continue,” the attorney said.
The former employee, who worked under multiple different DAs, called Jenkins “disingenuous” for blaming the city’s public safety issues on Boudin, and for now skirting responsibility for unchanged conditions. “It’s so easy to throw the stones, and then you’re in the role and you see that all of this stuff happens, regardless of who’s there.”
Not a mention of any staff hired on, specifically attorneys who left the now ultra progressive Alameda Co. DA’s office. The shift to hire prosecutors intent on punishing criminals other than just law enforcement officials doesn’t seem to register for this piece.
I can’t wait until someone steps up to challenge Jenkins. She started out being the paid ‘volunteer’ liar and it’s getting worse
I completely agree. In addition hiding the fact that she was paid $100K by a Republican outfit outside of SF to lead the recall effort of Boudin, she has no management experience. Crime has not improved under her watch. In fact, I remember reading an article about how violent crime has actually increased on her watch. Time for the people to elect a new DA that embraces transparency and doesn’t hide the fact that they were being paid a pretty penny by a political group, Repub or Dem. Jenkins needs to go. I want an honest DA that puts her constituents ahead of her personal interests to climb the latter.
I think you need to acknowledge that the same thing is happening across the Bay with Alameda County DA Pam Price. Several experienced prosecutors in that office have quit and come to work for Jenkins. It’s not uncommon for attorneys who don’t agree with the head DA’s philosophy to leave and seek work elsewhere. Same thing happened under Hallinan years ago.
I don’t know what’s more depressing: being stuck with a crook for a DA or the right-wing voters similar to the commenters on this article. Chesa Boudin did not fire 12 DAs ala Crook Jenkins. Get your facts straight!
And Chesa Boudin didn’t allow employees double dipping with a second job.
If you don’t see anything wrong with an ethically compromised DA who claimed she was a “volunteer” for a campaign that paid her close to $200k to oust her boss in order to get his job, then you don’t see any problem with the lawlessness that we’re experiencing at every level of government in this city.
On the positive side, looks like SFPD has finally pissed off a bunch of white voters who may not only sue the city for big money but may actually show up in 2024 to put an end to the incompetent, right-wing, reactionary regime of London Breed.
It’s easy to destroy the legal system but much harder to restore it. The damage she has inflicted to the DA Office’s reputation could be irreversible- the city will not be able to attract the most qualified attorneys.
You had me at Monifa.
What’s the exact count of Boudin hires that left versus pre-Boudin staff that left? All the article says are unspecific things like “many,” “some,” and “a few.”
Get over it, she’s the boss, cut or fish bait. They work at the leisure of Jenkins, like any voted – in politician into office, they get to establish who’s on the team. So why the big uproar. Boudin had the same power, so what gives? equal play…ok.
Exactly, whoever cleans up San Francisco at least to the point where I can walk on the street instead of having to walk in the road because so and so homeless guy has a tent that takes the whole sidewalk.
I like to call myself liberal. After living in San Francisco the last twenty years I now have a new opinion. Reform can only happen when we have decent citizens worth reforming. We cannot hand over an apartment to a dope fiend and expect 100 percent conformity. California needs to establish at least fifty long term programs like HVRP in Menlo Park to get ahead of the fentanyl epidemic.
Isn’t this normal in a political transition? Biden was not going to keep Trump staff on board.
Please do consider reading the article before commenting.
Yes — and note that the criminal coddling Boudin did the same thing.
I am a fan of the arc of the universe bending towards justice-definitely not hapoening w Jenkins
Justice is putting criminals in jail.
I’d love to see a chart of exits from the DA’s office (staff and attorney’s) by leader, dating back to the willie brown era. Would give helpful context to understand this in whole, real numbers.
I know you’re fans of Chesa and his no crime goes punished philosophy but the majority of SF residents are tired of the crime and disorder policies brought to us by the anything goes so-called progressives.
She’s terrible and crime has continued. Gucci lost 50k in merch due to theft. Way to go Brooke!!
Who cares about Gucci? They can absorb the loss. Not so small businesses that are also being attacked.
That’s because criminals are use to smash and grab, it’s not a crime under Boudin. Did you see how many mom and pop shops had to put wood in their windows so it doesn’t get broken?*
DA Jenkins has hired many of Alameda Counties most experienced and highly competent trial experienced DDA’s and Inspectors who left Alameda County because of progressive policies of DA Price, included buy not limited to not filing enhancments for strikes, gun possessions by felons and gang enhancements to name a few. Perhaps, in the interest of accuracy and fairness, one needs to look into the resumes of the new hires and compare them against those that no longer are employees of the SF DA’s Office.
Wonderful news!! The people leaving were largely corrupt pro-criminal, anti-victim, cronies of the failed prior DA Chesa Boudin. They are responsible for coddling and supporting fentanyl-dealing murderers and vagrants who have been migrating into and destroying our City and preying on vulnerable San Franciscans. Thank District Attorney Brooke Jenkins! The media love to attack black women in power like our wonderful DA and Mayor, but the data speak for themselves. Arrests, convictions, and confiscation of weapons, guns, and stolen property have already improved dramatically under Jenkins.
Nothing has improved since Jenkins took over. She even declined to bring charges against that drive by embarcadero shooter. She’s all tough talk with no tangible results.
“Sarah”, I only hope that one day you escape from the troll farm that spawned you.
Ah, Selkirk, calling names because you can’t refute the logic. Pathetic.
I don’t think we read the same article, Sarah.
Wonderful news, most people consider the source when reading comments like yours.
I am a 100% supporter of DA Jenkins. The Boudin “prosecutors” should return to the Public Defender’s Office from whence they came.
Seems very similar to what Boudin did when he took over, not sure how Mission Local covered those firings.
They can go work for the public defender’s office. That’s where they should have been all along, rather than the DA’s office.
Haha….for reals, during Boudins time I personally saw police officers not even want to catch criminals because waste of time, they get OR the next day. And that really jeopardize the public. Does the reformers not see this? Ask the supervisor Dean Preston to go walk the TL and south of Market a few times at night and see if he still feel the same.
First, before you read, I am NOT a fan of boudin.
I also personally saw police officers ignore shoplifters as they ran away from a security guard at Walgreens.
Unlike you, however, I do not think a policeman can “not” enforce crime because they FEEL like it. Even if the DA decided to *never* prosecute, and the police felt really really really bad about it, it is still their responsibility to do their job.
However, I don’t believe the police are weak minded, petulant children, and if the DA isn’t prosecuting their arrests, then they believe it’s ok for them to just watch criminals run free. Do you? I’m 100% certain that they may *excuse* it openly, but their supervisors certainly don’t. Their supervisors are the upper echelon officers within the department – they are politicians.
So why? Why stop enforcing crime? And the statistics show just low level property crime fell off, not violent crimes.
The only *reason* I see was because Boudin pressed charges against a police officer. (the guy who shot someone running away, right out his car window, on his third day on the job). The Police commissioner publicly pressed hard to get the charges dropped, as well as the police union.
Suddenly there was a recall campaign and arrests for property crimes dropped by almost a factor of 3.
Jenkins, who worked for Boudin, comes out and says it’s all Boudin’s fault. Then someone says she took 100k from some of the Recall supporters. Denies it and then later admits once proof comes out. Then people accused her of having a quid-pro-quo with the police. She denied it. Then, she got appointed and the next WEEK, property crime arrests tripled. She fired or reassigned almost everyone involved with the case against the cop (actually 2 cops) over the course of 2 months, and then boom, suddenly there’s no case and she *has* to drop charges and the cop goes free.
So, I don’t know whether or not Boudin is a monster responsible for every wrong in the world, but I DO know that Jenkins is a revolting politician who back-stabbed her boss for money and his job, paying for it by releasing a murderer. Making it clear that You and Me have Zero power in this city because we’re so easily manipulated.
You forget one important thing:
It is unethical for a police officer to arrest a person for an incident they know will not be prosecuted. The SF Police Commission would go after the job of a cop who did.
I feel DA Jenkins is doing an excellent job of patching holes that Boudin created. Reform has been taken way out of context. All I saw was the wild wild west. On any given day, I will see at least 3 people just act homeless, or play dumb and walk right into Safeway, Walgreens and go directly to the fridge and pop open the priciest drink and gulp it down.
Or McDonald’s go in, don’t purchase anything and use a dirty cup and self serve himself some soda, and sit down like he was a VIP and takes his shoes off. Total disrespect and disregard of law and order and fellow humans. Does anybody see how many broken windows there is? For no reason, I would say if it was a burglary or it was for money, it’s at least for a reason. What I see disgusts me of why a human would do things like that, and expect community to help!!!