Here’s the latest in our “Meet the Candidates” series for District 5, in which we ask each candidate to answer one question per week leading up to the election. Four candidates are challenging incumbent Supervisor Dean Preston to represent District 5, which spans from the east end of Golden Gate Park through Haight-Ashbury, Japantown and the Western Addition, the Lower Haight and Hayes Valley, and most of the Tenderloin.
Proposition 47, passed in 2014, made it so some non-violent theft and drug crimes could only be charged as misdemeanors in California. The law has been blamed for homelessness and brazen shoplifting;ย stealing items worth $950 or less became a misdemeanor under Prop. 47, as did low-level drug possession.
This year, legislators are trying to roll that back.
Proposition 36, a state ballot measure in the coming election, attempts to crack down on organized retail theft, and would allow people convicted of certain drug or theft crimes to face longer prison sentences. It also creates a new crime category, a โtreatment-mandated felony,โ which would have charged individuals attend treatment or serve prison time.
This week, we asked candidates: Do you support or oppose Prop. 36 and why? How will it affect District 5 and the city?
A few candidates said they support Prop. 36, two oppose it, and one didn’t say.
Scotty Jacobs
- Job: Marketing
- Age: 30
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since November 2022, homeowner
- Transportation: Public bicycle
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Washington University
- Languages: English
I support Prop. 36 and its much-needed reforms on Prop. 47. I also support DA Jenkins, a fully funded SFPD, and believe we should amend our sanctuary policy to exclude convicted, undocumented fentanyl dealers.
Prop. 36 provides needed avenues for court-mandated treatment for specific drug-possession crimes, with the option of charges being cleared post-treatment. It creates the possibility that dealers will be held accountable for murder when their product kills users.* It will help us get a handle on the organized retail theft that has been crushing our business community, and has escalating severity for repeat offenders.ย
Any … read more.
* Note: Prop. 36 includes this warning, but prosecutors can already charge drug dealers with murder in these cases.
Endorsed by: Mark Farrell, Marina Times, Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club, Raoul Wallenberg Jewish Democratic Club, Connected SF, and UA Local 38.
Allen Jones
- Job: Activist
- Age: 67
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since November 2021
- Transportation: Wheelchair
- Education: Teaching Bible studies at juvenile hall
- Languages: English
I understand the frustration of those who support reversing course on punishment for petty crime/criminals, but I cannot support Prop. 36.
I supported Prop. 47 and, though some blame that law for an increase in crime, I am not one of them.
On my campaign website, I warn against ignoring our county jails. Before a person from San Francisco ends up in a California state prison, they will spend time in our county jail system. I suggest voters read Mission Local‘s report on our county jail crisis before supporting Prop. 36. Prisoners donโt riot because they are being treated right.
Autumn Looijen
- Job: School board recall co-founder
- Age: 46
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since December 2020, landowner
- Transportation: Public transit
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from California Institute of Technology
- Languages: English
I support Prop. 36, which will help stop the suffering on our streets.
Drug addiction is the biggest problem in San Francisco. It causes homelessness. It fuels shoplifting. And it took the lives of 810 people last year.
Prop. 36 gives us the tools we need to say, we love you and weโre getting you into treatment. Itโs not about going back to mass incarceration; itโs about mass treatment.
Prop. 36 will get people into treatment, so they can get their lives back on track โฆ instead of dying on our streets. Thatโs what compassion looks like.
Endorsed by: San Francisco police union, Marina Times, Chinese American Democratic Club.
Bilal Mahmood
- Job: Founder of private and philanthropic organizations
- Age: 37
- Residency: Tenant in District 5 since May 2023
- Transportation: Walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, master’s degree from University of Cambridge
- Languages: English, Urdu
Crime has risen dramatically under Preston: 31 percent* increase in larceny, 19 percent** increase in burglaries in the Tenderloin alone.
Theft, drug dealing, gun violence โ these crimes are already illegal. What we lack is enforcement, not severity of punishment. While Dean wants to cut our police budget, Iโve proposed a DMI approach to fentanyl and fully staffing our police to send a clear message: This is not a lawless city.
Iโm focused on ensuring Prop. F passes locally to tackle our staffing crisis. Iโll prioritize hiring more police, 911 dispatchers, and advocating for beat patrols in every neighborhood to deter crime.
* Note: The 31 percent increase refers to an increase from 16 to 21 thefts from vehicles comparing July and August. Total larceny theft increased 4 percent.
** Note: The 19 percent burglary increase refers to an increase from 16 to 19 burglaries comparing August 2023 and August 2024.
Endorsed by: Mayor London Breed, TogetherSF Action, San Francisco YIMBY, State Sen. Scott Wiener and DCCC Chair Honey Mahogany … read more.
Dean Preston
- Job: Incumbent, tenant attorney
- Age: 54
- Residency: Homeowner, in District 5 since 1996
- Transportation: Public transit
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, juris doctor degree from University of California Law, San Francisco
- Languages: English
Everyone deserves to be safe. Unfortunately, Proposition 36 will not prevent crime, house the homeless, or address drug dependence.
Instead, Proposition 36 would return California to paying for mass incarceration while diverting badly needed funds that we can use to invest in real public safety solutions and to increase mental health/addiction treatment.
There are already criminal laws on the books that can be enforced today against the behavior at issue. Suggesting otherwise is a red herring. We must invest in the resources our communities need to reduce crime, rather than peddling counterproductive solutions like Prop. 36.
Endorsed by: Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Public Defender Mano Raju, United Educators of San Francisco, San Francisco Labor Council, San Francisco Tenants Union, National Union of Healthcare Workers … read more.
The order of candidates is rotated each week. Answers are capped at 100 words, and may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at eleni@missionlocal.com.
Read all of the District 5 candidates' answers here, and the entire "Meet the Candidates" series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
Newly arrived to D5 (from Palo Alto, Marin and Los Altos) whipper snappers, party zoner zealots and law and order carpet baggers take note: SFPD cops are NOT neuroscientists, shrinks, anthropologists, social workers, pharmacologists, judges or nursery school teachers. Even candidate Allen Jones, a Republican Bible teacher and formerly homeless person gets this. THE MOST EXPENSIVE TOOL (cops and the military) in the tool box wonโt solve anything. Read the D5 room. Do better. Or move back to Marin, Paly and Los Altos. San Francisco and D5 are fine without any of you. Bye
Question: Do you support Prop 36?
Answer (Bilal Mahmood): I support Prop F.
Hello? Hello? Is there a neuroscientist in the room? Something must be wrong because the “cut the crap” candidate just ignored the question he was asked.
It’s also funny (or not) that Mahmood, who just sent an email saying he is all about supporting female candidates, doesn’t support Autumn Looijen in this race. It’s only him and Scotty Jacobs. Let me guess. He is sharing a friendship bracelet with Jacobs and going for the 1-2 ranked choice strategy because the both men on the list I guess share enough policy ideas that make the strategy consistent with whatever it is they pretend to stand for. Looijen doesn’t pass that test, so not even a choice number 3 – and I bet no friendship bracelet either. But Mahmood, ever the pretend feminist or whatever, attacks Supervisor Preston for supporting more men than women in political races.
Maybe policy matters. And a non-player politician supports candidates worth supporting because their policy and legislative priorities overlap. I mean, would Mahmood proudly give money and endorsements to Phyllis Schlafly and Margaret Thatcher and Condoleeza Rice? Is he for or against the effort to recall Oakland’s current mayor, Sheng Thao? Hint: she’s a woman and Mahmood is totally and always pro-female politician/candidate. Or, wait, is the email he sent last week just more of the ignorant posturing of candidate that will make up a whole bunch of things just to prove himself wonderful and suited for the job of supervisor? Also, it’s weird he jumped into the fray when I am sure GrowSF could have found a female carpet bagger to move to the TL and become a renter.
By candidate Bilal Mahmoodโs flawed metrics, one is left wondering why then he does not support incumbent D1 Supervisor and asian female (both groups Mahmood claims to champion at every public appearance) Connie Chan and D9 Supervisor candidate Jackie Fielder (the only Latinx, Native American, LGBTQ and female candidate) running for D9 Supervisor. Why support the white dude Bilal? Are you a fake feminist too?
Lawlessness is lawlessness
The current level of law enforcement and penalty for the crimes is not enough yet to deter crime .
Look outside the box .
In other countries , law and order and civil liberties work well.
The babysitting here and enabling needs to end .
The current behaviors of many today who feel entitled to break laws and show blatant disrespect for others demonstrate they need to be arrested and removed .
Why in Singapore are there no drug dealers or addicts ? The punishment is severe . And there is no drug activity .
In many countries if you steal you lose a hand .
These are drastic and I donโt think we are there yet ; however , we are done with the idiots and thugs who destroy and steal property , engage in illegal activity and then whine when they get arrested have a record and claim to be victims
Growup
Get a life get a job Quit rotting away and mature a little .
Well Mr. Dean, what do you propose to handle the massive petty theft and drug dealing that is rewarded by doing nothing. Psych wards statistically do not help. You love this crime crap that is going on?? Think this is all working well? Wow.