we did this because of the sacrifices you made, the losses you endured, the love you showed for people you may never meet. years from now, people will look back on what we've done, and i hope they will remember not the frustration and pain we feel now, but the love we showed, the lives we saved. take pride in that, san francisco. find hope in that. each of those lives is a treasure. each of those lives is precious, every one of them. each one is one more grandmother, grandfather, mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter, who will be there for the next birthday. the next wedding. the next anniversary. each life saved is precious. so, yes, it has been hard. and, no, we're not out of the woods yet. but we have been fighting for something real. we have been fighting for each other. don't forget that.

and there is reason for hope. on monday, the stay-at-home order for the bay area was lifted, today, san francisco can begin to recover. today we can begin to re-open our doors, re-open our businesses, begin to resume our lives. with some restrictions, and many, many precautions, of course, but we are reopening. we are vaccinating more and more people each day, and very soon we will open another large vaccination site right here at moscone center. and with support from the state and -- thank god -- the new biden-harris administration in the white house, we have a plan to administer 10,000 vaccines a day. we can see the light. folks, our recovery starts now. so i want to say something to all the people who are writing us off -- to those who are writing obituaries of san francisco -- we've read all of these before. we've proved them all wrong

before. and we'll do it again. cities aren't a collection of buildings. if they were, the year 1906 would have been our last. cities are people. working from home doesn't spell the end of urban life, because cities aren't merely a collection of jobs. cities are people. cities are passions, culture, vibrancy, and change. but look, we san franciscans have thick skins. so we'll show the rest of you how we bounce back. when you get restless and wan to come dance to live music or to see steph curry do his thing on the court, eat at the world's best restaurants, drink at the best bars, start your next business, host a convention right here at moscone center, or just watch the giants from your kayak, we'll be happy to have you. san francisco has always been and will continue to be a magnet, a destination, a place that draws people. we are the city of pride. today, with hard lessons

learned, and so much yet to do, i believe we are at the start of an incredible recovery. we aren't just going to repair. we are going to reinvigorate. to come back even stronger. we will put people back to work. our businesses will flourish. opportunities will expand. and as we do all of that, our recovery will focus on moving our city forward and putting people first. we will continue our work to cut the red tape for small businesses, because it's more important than ever. for example, in november, voters passed our small business streamlining measure -- proposition h -- and it's already working. one small immigrant-owned business that wanted to convert a hair shop to an ice cream shop -- saw their approval time cut from the normal six to nine months down to one day.

one day. we'll build on this success and make it even easier to turn an idea into a thriving small business. bureaucracy can't keep getting in the way of people. our recovery also means building housing... now during this economic downturn. as we rise again, let's not repeat the mistakes of the past. we will put affordable housing dollars to work, and streamline the approval process -- even if it means going to the voters to do it. we will keep pushing to meet our goal of building 5,000 new homes each year. and can we finally put to rest the fantasy that supply-and-demand doesn't apply to our housing situation? you may have noticed, rent prices went down, way down, last year... why? because demand went down. when it goes back up -- and that is a "when," not an "if" -- let's be ready with more supply, more housing, so everyone can afford to live here.

we will continue to aggressively push forward our homeless recovery plan, which includes the large event expansion of permanent supportive housing in the last 20 years. and we will implement mental health reform, so we can get more people off the streets and safely indoors. we will continue to divert 911 calls from police through innovative solutions like our street response team. so people struggling with addiction and mental illness get better care. and so our police officers can address violent crime and the burglaries and break-ins happening in our city. we want nothing more than to prevent crime from happening in our city, and, sadly, when it does, it is just as important to hold people accountable for the crimes they commit. we will continue to enliven our neighborhoods through outdoor

dining on our sidewalks, our streets and in our public spaces. we will do more for families, starting with getting our kids back in school. our city can't fully recover until our students are supported, our schools are open. and i will continue to do everything i can to help get our kids back in the classroom. we will invest in people by investing in infrastructure. we can put san franciscans back to work by harnessing the power of public investments. we will strengthen our seawall, build parks, police and fire stations, and mental health facilities, and improve public transportation. yes, public transportation is the lifeblood of a great city, and making muni work -- better than ever -- is critical to our economic recovery. in all, i plan to move forwar on more than $3.5 billion in city projects.

just this week, for example, we opened our new navigation center in the bayview. this 200-bed shelter will serve some of our most vulnerable residents. but the project also created 330 jobs, during the height of the pandemic. that's 330 people who can provide for themselves and their families. and our recovery also needs to be about the arts, our cultural institutions and culturally diverse neighborhoods, and the public spaces we all miss so much. we will also help music venues, clubs and bars -- who have lost so much -- get reopened and get back on their feet. 2020 was a year like nothing we've ever experienced. this terrible pandemic tore our neighborhoods, tore through our businesses, tore us from one another. it's taken lives, destroyed businesses, savaged our economy and tore at the very fabric of

community. and we always told ourselves that the sun will still rise tomorrow, until one day it didn't. the streets of san francisco and cities around the country erupted with protests as our nation's legacy of racial injustice, white privilege and prejudice against black people boiled over. i will never shake the image of george floyd on the ground, a knee on his neck. that knee, that knee has been on the necks of black americans for 400 years. and it's the knee of the chinese exclusion act, the briggs initiative, japanese internment, redlining and urban renewal and kids in cages and transgender discrimination. san francisco is in many ways a collection of people who were tired of living under someone else's norms or knee, and came

here to find common cause. our diversity, our acceptance, our spirit is what makes us strong. and no virus -- whether it's named covid or h.i.v. -- will ever take that away. quite the opposite -- it will only make us stronger. it is in times of crisis that san francisco has thrown its true grit. we've been tested before. earthquakes. fire. recessions. shocking assassinations. aids... every time, we were shaken, and we were tested. and every time, we didn't just bounce back, we pushed forward. out of ashes, we built an even greater city. out of despair, we formed even stronger alliances. out of tragedy, we forged even greater humanity. let's not remember 2020 only as the year we suffered. it was the year we learned what

matters most. what binds us together. it was the year we sacrificed to save each others' lives. the hard winter is almost behind us, and hope lies ahead. as amanda gorman said just two weeks ago at the inauguration -- even as we grieved, we grew. even as we hurt, we hoped. even as we tired, we tried. and when day comes we step identity of the shade, aflame and unafraid. the new dawn blooms as we free it. if there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. if only we're brave enough to be it. my fellow san franciscans, there is light. let's be proud. let's be hopeful. let's be brave. thank you.

>> january 25, 2021 with the meeting being called to order at 4:21 p.m. we thank sfgov tv for live streaming the meeting. members of the public who will be calling in, the number is 415-655-0001. again, that number is 415-655-0001.

the access code is 146 571 5259. press pound and pound again to be added to the line. again t access code is 146 571 5259. press pound and pound again to be added to the queue. whou will hear the meeting discussions but will be muted and in listening mode only. when the item of interest comes up, dial star 3 to be added to the speaker line. if you dial star 3 before public comment is called, you will be added to the queue. when you are called for public comment, please mute the device that you are listening to the meeting on. when it is your time to speak, you will be prompted to do so. best practices are to call from a quiet location and to speak clearly and slowly, and again, turn down the device that you

are listening to the meeting on. public comment during the meeting is limited to 3 minutes per speaker unless otherwise established by the presiding officer. an alarm will sound once the time is finished. speaker ares requested but not required to share their name. i will take the time to eare mind all of our presenters and commissioners to please mute themselves at this time. sfgov tv, please show the office of small business slide. >> today we'll be gin with a reminder that the small business commission is the official public forum to voice your opinions and concerns about policies that affect the economic vitality of small businesses in san francisco. the office of small business is the best place to get answers about doing business in san francisco during the local emergency. if you need assistance with small business matters, particularly at this time, you

can find us online or via telephone and as always, our services are free of charge. before item number one is called, i would like to start by thanking media services and sfgov tv for coordinating this virtual hearing and the live stream. and special thanks to jim smith for assisting with the public comment line. i would like to acknowledge the announcement from the mayor and dr. colfax made today regarding the reopening of certain businesses late they are week. we're making great progress towards containing the virus in the city and managing the surge of cases. we are hopeful that we are finally on the road to recovery. please call item number one. >> item one, call to order and roll call. commissioner adams. >> here. >> commissioner dooley. >> here. >> commissioner huie. >> is running late. commissioner laguana. >> here. >> commissioner ortiz-cartagena. >> here. >> commissioner zouzounis. >> present. >> mr. president, you have a

quorum. >> great. thank you. next item please. >> item two, presentation, small business and public safety. update and report from the san francisco district attorney's office and the san francisco police department on public safety and small business concerns. discussion item. the presenters are san francisco district attorney chesa boudin and deputy chief of police david lazar. >> welcome, district attorney, and deputy chief. we are pleased you are with us today to talk about this critical issue affecting our community. we are grateful for you spending time with us, and the commission is interested in having a dialogue with you. i know it is a sensitive and difficult subject in the community and the city as a whole, but we are here to be on both of your sides and to be as supportive and provide constructive advice as best as

we can. so with that, deputy chief lazar, i know you have another commitment shortly after this item, so we can begin with you. the floor is yours. >> good afternoon, commissioners. and thank you very much for the invitation to the small business commission. i am pleased to be here. i know that i have been here before you once before. one of my roles in the department is to chair the small business advisory. i have about 15 small business owners that i work with on a monthly basis that advise the department and sit as chair on behalf of the chief. i am greatty to be here today on behalf of chief scott. i am david lazar, a deputy chief in the san francisco police department. i oversee the investigations bureau. so essentially i'm responsible for investigators that work throughout the department that investigate crime, which also includes our crime scene investigators and our crime

laboratory. and today i'm just grateful to be on with the district attorney's office. i know commissioner laguana that we've worked very closely together over the years and you mention about size. it's very important that the police department and district attorney's office work closely together. and we skill actually do work very closely together. i work the closest with the d.a.'s office just because investigators bring cases forward to the d.a.'s office for presentation for decisions about prosecution and that sort of thing. but we're both in it together in terms of public safety. coming up with creative ways to figure out how to prevent crime and how to address crime. i know that during the pandemic, things have changed a little bit for us in san francisco. we were up on homicides last year from 48 homicides the year prior we were at 41, which is still some very historic lows in

terms of homicides for major cities such as san francisco. that 2019 number was a 59-year low which we're pleased to report one homicide is one too many. but during the pandemic, we have seen an uptick of violent crime. we have seen an uptick in shootings. i think this is also something that we're seeing across the country and major cities across the country are experiencing gun violence and violent crime in general. and so we're definitely working to address that. we have seen numbers are down and we have talked about auto thefts down by 50% last year. still we had 13,000. one of the main areas we're looking at, however, now is the burglaries. and i am sure that as a small businesses and folks have been affected by burglaries, we are up almost about 50% so between

45 and 50 and many are up against this year and we had about 561 reported case this is year. we know sometimes people don't report. we ask everyone to report crime, but we're up significantly as well. last year at this point we didn't have a pandemic. well, we did. we just didn't know it. and so we had less of this event. and now we're seeing the trajectory and all on the same path as it did in 2020. and it's really -- i am grateful for the d.a.'s office and i know that we're all trying to wrap our heads around how to address this crime. and one of the things that i want to say briefly before i conclude is crime prevention is the key and deterrent is the key. and we can talk about how to try to arrest our way out of

situation. and sometimes that is not the case. it is criminal justice coming together. and we do make arrests and the district attorney's office does charge cases and how do we prevent this from happening? if i am a small business owner, do i have adequate lighting? and do i have -- do i take out the most valuable items out of my window? do i take the trash out of the business? do i have a good alarm system? and really how we make a lot of cases is from video evidence. do i have a good video system that i can turn over to the police department or i request register the camera with the district attorney's office. and it is really the public, the community, small business coming together thinking about how can we prevent crime and when we are not able to do so, how do we report crime? and how do we work with the criminal justice partners to ensure that these cases are taken care of.

so that is my opening. again, very excited to be here with everyone and i definitely don't want to take up too much time and hear from the district attorney's office and field any questions that the commissioners have or the public may have about this. so thank you for the invitation. >> if i can just jump in, i am not sure if there is something else in between and i want to echo what deputy chief la zar said. we're in this together and we work together closely every day. i was really honored that he was honored to serve on the transition readvisory committee and with the district attorney's office and every step of the way as we collectively respond to historic, unprecedented challenges as a sfif and we know this because it is affecting every one of us in our personal lives and in our professional lives.

and the ways in which the pandemic and this year, this past year, have also impacted business at the hall of justice and crime trends as well as the challenges that hardworking men, women, and the police department face every single day when they are out there trying to deter, prevent, and detect crime. just to give you one concrete example of something that i talked about with chief scott about over the past year. and it used to be that video footage, good quality video footage and enough to identify the suspect in the case. and it used to be that police saw someone running down the street and suspicious and it means video footage and is still essential and deputy chief la zar said and it makes it much harder and for police to identify someone they are looking for. and these are new challenges and

plaguing hand stopped and declined dramaticcally and 50% decline last year and compared to the prior year. it doesn't mean that committing those crimes stop committing crimes. we all go inside and so have they in many cases. it means that some people commit crimes or daylight in businesses that were open for businesses. and breaking in hours after garages and restaurants and those are trends that we have been working as hard and as cooperatively as we can with the police department. and haven't done enough for small businesses. and the separate parts and processes to do with the support and the critical feedback. and hopefully with the advocacy, not just with the police department and the d.a.'s office

but with tore justice partners to rely on to get the job done. and the first thing, the most important thing is prevention. and to prevent crimes and deterrents through simple adjustments we can make in terms of our own home or business security, we're way better off. it doesn't matter how many arrests police make and how many cases and team of lawyers successfully prosecute and are always better off when they are not victims in the first place. let's focus on prevention and strategies and d.c. lazar mentioned several of those already. and second thing when somebody is a crime, and my office is committed to doing as much as we can to provide victim services to help make you whole, to help you get back on your feet. and the harm and crimes and this past year we launched a pilot project in district five and

supervisor preston where small businesses in district five suffer from vandalism or broken windows can submit a claim to our office which we can process for reimbursement up to per calendar year. it may not cover all the expenses but is a step in the right direction. we would love to expand the program and make it citywide. we love to expand the program and make it a higher deductible amount that people are eligible for. when the police show up and document vandalism or broken window, submit the police report to my staff and help fix the window through city victim compensation fund. >> and when you make that police report, please report crimes. if you don't report them, we can't do anything about them. when you report to the police, they are going to do their best under difficult circumstances to identify the suspects, to identify the evidence.

and to gather all that together and make an arrest and present the team of lawyers with the investigation. and to arrest 100% of people who commit crimes and san francisco is not realistic. but if you report quickly and have video footage and other evidence and to do their job and in turn it will make it easier for my team to do their job. and just like the police can't arrest the crimes and can't prosecute the arrests to prosecute and hold people accountability and we know there are a number of people who are committing crime after crime and are in close communication and

get the case to struggle and make it stick. and hold accountable and break the cycle of recidivism. we know for decades county jails and state prisons have effectively been revolving doors of recidivism. people going in, coming out, often worse off than they were beforehand. my commitment and my vision is to make sure that our criminal justice system treats every single arrest and the hardworking men and women make as an opportunity for intervention and to turn people away from crime. for crimes they have committed and set them on a path and whenever they are released from custody that protects all of us from future crime. that is the partnership to get there and we love for you to join us in the process. thank you. >> thank you. i apologize for not properly introducing, but i was on mute. >> no problem at all.

you gave me a warm introduction at the beginning and i appreciate the opportunity to speak and thank all of you for your service on the commission. >> sure. commissioner, comments or questions? okay. i guess i will jump in here. commissioners and as always -- here we go. commissioner adams, please. >> first off, thank you. mr. district attorney and officer lazar, i appreciate all the comments. and especially when you said district attorney about stopping that revolving door. and in the castro and we see people who get arrested.

and they are at the same shop and getting arrested again. and the words that stated and to work on together and the prevention part is something we have to work on better. the more we have on prevention and around the businesses and the first story and small business and second story and prevention, prevention, prevention. and i really appreciate both of your comments today. that is all i have. >> thank you. and to respond and please feel free and move on to the next commissioner. >> to remind everyone about the

organization and affiliated with the department and fund the nonprofit and sf state and many of you are familiar with them. to facilitate watches and security service at home and for free and they do charge a fee to conduct the surveys on the businesses. and commissioners and talk about prevention and that is the service that is available and where you can look at the material that they have on prevention and schedule the appointment to come back with the security survey. and make sure he wasn't aware of it. >> commissioner zouzounis. >> thank you, both, district attorney, and deputy chief lazar

for being here. we appreciate it. that was part of my question. so i would love to see a comprehensive list of the non-emergency numbers and intervention and nonviolence services and dpw and hot team and fire department teams that are on the street. i would love to have something like that that we can give small businesses so they know their only recourse and calling police and for the less invasive issues. and part of the reason that i bring that up is because to promote community trust and a hard time presenting camera footage and intel and on their community and there have been --

there's been cases of retribution and small business owners and providing information regarding crimes that may not even happen in the business but outside in the thoroughway outside their business. i would love to keep that in mind as a way to make sure that small businesses aren't implicated in situations that are going to break trust with communities they're situated in that do have concerns with the regular police presence and increased criminalization of neighborhoods. so alternative numbers would be and the different purposes for those would be great. with that, i have a question as to how both sfpd and the da's office as it relates to property crime triage with other

departments such as d.p.w. i know that there is nuisance abatement fees to be incurred from other agencies and whether that be graffiti and loitering that can lead to a need to involve police. i am just curious how do the departments interact and when it comes to property crime issues and how it overlaps with ordinances. >> thank you for raising these issues. i will jump in briefly. and primarily from the san francisco police department. and from c.h.p. and the

overwhelming majority of the cases that we consider filing charges are brought to us by the san francisco police department. and they are the primary investigative law enforcement agency in the city and county. and they see the vast majority of criminal complaints and as you point out nonemergency and may not be the best use of police resources to have them to send a patrol car over immediately and may be another agency that does the initial investigation in certain instances. if it is believed that a crime was committed and that investigation is completed whether it's the department of building inspection and d.p.w., sfpd, that investigation can always be presented to my team for evaluation of charges. the agency with the real expertise and the mandate for doing criminal investigations and is sfpd. and thank you.

>> a couple of things to mention on what i brought up. and one is to back up and mention about who to call and the numbers and all that. and the small business advisory to the chief and the small business advisory has come up with a one-page document that answers who to call in circumstances and just for the very reason that small business community didn't know who to call. and to all the constituents and the video and talked about the video camera and video evidence. as a small business advisory this year. and to figure out how to get video evidence to the police department. and i know that's been kind of

an issue and the to put together for 2021 and how to something to come and definitely try to figure out in terms of retribution and work closely with the community to prevent that and if i am a small business owner, i want to know the local police district and getting on the newsletter and subscribing or attending the community meetings and getting to know the station and staff and working on volunteer problems that may be happening. and outside the same individuals and the connection and in terms of what the d.a. mention and as

far as being primary and with regard to public works, they sometimes levy fines and talk to business owners and residents about graffiti and that happens at the district station level or the district station officers will work in partnership with the resident of the business and is a foot beat officer that works with public works to make sure graffiti is cleaned up and to prevent it. and if we have a case and to bring that to the district attorney's office for evaluation. i hope that answers the question and addressed everything that you raised. >> thank you, both. >> great. >> thank you for coming today. it is always nice to see you, former captain lazar, who did a great job in north beach and reappreciated what you did for us. it is very nice to see you

again. >> thank you. >> i have a couple of questions. i work in the tenderloin and i never see these officers where i work which is at post and larkin. and i know myself as an employee and i have my car broken into frequently. i never see anyone patrolling around there with the beat officers and nothing. and is just an ongoing thing there. i know the people at the glass repair and i get my car smashed, the windows smashed constantly. the same thing in another part of the city and live nearly vice plaza and we live there know we can never park our cars on the street below philbert street

because they will be smashed again. and once again, countless times, windows are smashed. is there any way to get some security cameras up? is there any way to have something we do to contact business, large buildings down there because it's just such a huge problem to the point and i wonder whether the vehicle will have a window broken even though there's nothing to steal. it is out of control. and just resigned to the fact that i will have the windows smashed a number of times each year. and i am wondering if you have any suggestions. and broken class ever morning and i have come out of the business i worked in and sitting in my car and unlocked the car and are sitting in there rifling

through it. nothing ever happens. can you just give me -- give us any suggestions? >> yes, absolutely. thank you very much for raising the question. i do miss the northeast community and my time at the station as a captain which was a very memorable time. and the same district and north beaches for the same district there and vallejo street station. and a couple of things to think about and this is for everyone. and nothing of value and saying nothing at all. and even the cell phone charger and may want to leave in out of convenience. and individuals who get in it cars and get in the trunk as well and nothing is valued. i will communicate w