>> good afternoon everyone and thank you so much for the warm welcome for the next district attorney for san francisco brooke jenkins. [applause] you know, going through this process really reminded me of just how resilient we are as a city. when i think about what we've been through over the years, whether it's earthquakes, a global pandemic, i put the challenges of what we

experienced during those times as we went through changes and challenges to what was happening in our city and how despite those issues, we persevered. and i want to also be clear that there is a lot of reddick out there about criminal justice reform, and how we're going to be setback. but let me tell you, that is not going to happen. [applause] i talked to so many people all over the city. i talked to folks who have never been politically engaged. i talked to people who cared

deeply about what they've seen happen in san francisco. and you know what i appreciate so much about the spirit of the people who are part of this amazing city? is time and time again, despite even being victims of crime and experiencing challenges with our criminal justice system, they have said, time and time again yes, we want accountability but we also don't want to abandon our valleys to reform our criminal justice system so that it is fairer and it provides the safety that we need in a city like san francisco. so i want to thank all of you because i see many of you in the audience here today. the people who took time to talk to me and to engage with my office in this process.

of the people who spent countless hours doing their homework and trying to figure out what is the best path for san francisco. this was not just my decision alone, this came about because of the input of people who were supporters and opposition of everything that was going on because it's important. that despite who supported or who opposed, at the end of the day this district attorney represents all san franciscoians. [cheers and applause] so you're going to meet her in a moment. but let me just say, to also those candidates who put themselves out there. i want to really acknowledge and recognize and thank

supervisor catherine stephanie for being here today. [cheers and applause] this was a very hard decision and supervisor stephanie thank you so much for your courage, your work and your love for this city and we appreciate you so much. and i also want to thank another candidate who is joining us today here today who is an extra san franciscoians, nancy tung. [cheers and applause] nancy has worked tirelessly for years to help give a voice to

victims in san francisco. and we are so grateful for her work and her commitment to the city so thank you so much for being here. we have term limits, we're not guaranteed these positions, it's up to the voters to decide in any event and so when we're the gate keepers in the roles, we have an obligation, an obligation to be there for the people of the city. and what i said what i heard time and time again, we want a prosecutor. we want somebody who has compassion.

we want somebody who understand the challenges what it feels like to not only be a victim but being on the receiving end of being wrongfully committed of a crime. growing up in the city, i know both sides. i know both sides too well and i've seen the dysfunction and the disparities that exist in the criminal justice system even today. so i didn't take this decision lightly and the fact is, when meeting and talking to brooke and hearing her understanding of the issues and the balance that she brings to the table, i am so proud that she stepped up, she put her career on the line because not only did she care about safety and the

future of this city for her own family, she cared about it for all san franciscoians. [applause] as somebody who has had to prosecutor for sexual assault, for issues around domestic violence, somebody who has had to deal with hate crimes and homicides, the stories i've heard of victims, the issues that exist i know firsthand that she has the ability to look at these cases, to work with a strong team and to come up with a decision where it makes sense for the case making sure that the victim is a part of the decision every step of the way. making sure, making sure that

when we have people who arrested multiple times, eventually there has to be consequences. when we know somebody has mental health issues, the fact is, there are things that need to be done within our criminal justice system when they cross that line to help get them the support and services that they need. there is not an easy solution to each of these individual case. there is not a one size fits all. and let me tell you, i'm confident and i am trusting and trust brooke jenkins to make the right decisions in the cases with the right team of prosecutors and community members by her side. [cheers and applause]

we know that there are challenges in this city. and let me tell you, again when i think about those mothers who have lost their children in the city to gun violence, more so disproportionately in the african community. i know brooke jenkins understands and will address those issues fairly. when i think about the grandmothers in the asian community who i see as my grandmother too, i know that she understands those issues and will deal with them appropriately. i know that the challenges around the people who we lost in the city to fentanyl overdoses is something that she will address appropriately so. [applause] we've been through a lot in the

city, and there is not one person that is going to fix this. but there is a strong d.a. that will take over and will do everything she can to ensure safety, accountability and justice. [cheers and applause] so before we get to the swearing in ceremony, i want to introduce a few speakers that have firsthand knowledge about brooke and her work in the district attorney's office who are going to give you the stories of their experiences. ronny sing, who worked as a prosecutor in the district attorney's office and currently now working in the sheriff's department. edward silva, somebody who will tell you his story about how

brooke impacted his life. and finally, commissioner larry ye who served as a commissioner for the police department. and before, ronny comes up, i want to also say something that is so many people in this community said to me that they wanted to see. yes, we want police accountability but we also want a district attorney that can work with the police department. and [applause] that can work with the sheriff's department. that can work with the board of supervisors that can work with the mayor. [cheers and applause] time forefinger pointing and blaming other people is over! [cheers and applause]

we have got in the interest of public safety, in the interest of turning things around in our city, we have to put the political reddick behind us and work together and move forward to get our city on the right path. [cheers and applause] and with that, i want to thank you all of you for being here today. and i want to ask each of the speakers to come up before we swear in our next district attorney. thank you all so much. >> standing room only, has how we like it in san francisco.

welcome everybody, i'm going to start by saying, there is no crying in city hall so i'm going to try to do this without shedding a tear. about 7 and a half years ago in then the hall of justice, third floor which has since been closed. i heard a voice coming down the hall, a loud one that equally matched mine. and the chief gave me a file, and said, ronny i volunteer for the mentor program and here's your mentee and it was none other than our district attorney brooke. and those who know me, know me as auntie, or pain in the you know what if i'm managing you.

but needless to say, it's been an honor and privilege and blessing to mentor brooke. she has been become more a mentee, she has become part of my family. she rows the ranks of the district attorney's office like a shining star. she always balanced, judgment, accountability, and progress. and i want to say something about this term, progressive prosecutor. the order inprogressive means moving forward, going forward, sinking innovatively and that's who brooke is. brooke was a staunch supporter of the collaboratives when i managed the courts for six years. she would bring me tough cases and put them on my desk and say, ronny, take a look, i think this is one that deserves a chance.

so when mayor breed so eloquently put that the city of san francisco believes in accountability, but also giving chances, she could not have made a better selection in a district attorney than brooke jenkins. [applause] now i have to say a special shout out to my current boss, sheriff miamoto who has let me continue to mentor brooke and when she left the office, she didn't tell me she was going to join the recall. she told me the day after she joined, and it was the first time in 8 years that she kept a secret from me and now i know why. because she had to be brave beyond belief, but somewhat silent in her conviction until

she made that choice. and let me tell you, she put it all on the line and i'm not going to cry. and she did what few people have the courage to do, she stood up for what was right. she stood up for the 100s of prosecutors that left that office because they couldn't do the work in good conscience, because they didn't believe in some of the implementation of some of the policies and they believed in public safety and they believed in criminal justice reform but not at the expense of victims. not at the expense of business owners, not at the expense of owners and renters of property. and that's why brooke understands the daunting task she has ahead of her.

brooke is a prosecutor, can be described as courageous, professional, strong in her conviction and empathetic. but more importantly, brooke is a human being can be described as loving, fair, trust worthy and loyal. you cannot get a better accommodation, a better symmetry of personality traits, a more fierce advocate for every person in the room regardless of your political convictions, because brooke will hear uno matter what. so i'm proud to call you friend, i'm proud that i've had the opportunity to see you grow, and i'm so excited to call you the next district attorney of san francisco.

>> hello everyone i'm edward silva. two years ago, on easter holiday, both my daughters and my life changed by a senseless act of violence where my daughter's mother was brutally murdered. brooke was the assistant district attorney on the case. the trial took place last summer in 2021. if not for brooke's hard work and diligence in seeking justice, the defendant in this case may not have been found guilty because of brooke, the defendant was found guilty. my daughters and i are forever grateful for how brooke handled the case. thank you so much, brooke. [applause]

>> honorable mayor, distinguished guest i'm here to speak for brooke as a new district attorney. let's give it up for her! [cheers and applause] i met brooke during her campaign for and recall. and i answered, i asked my niece, i said do you know brooke because you work in the district attorney and she said, yes i do. she is one of the smartest attorney in that office and i'm looking forward to serving us here in the community. but again, in our community it's throughout the whole city, it's not just northbeach china town. engel side here in san francisco. we need to keep it safer for

us, for our grand, so we're looking forward to working with her and in the police department as we talked to our outgoing district attorney and when he did come before us and we did ask a question, it's one of the question that touched me in my heart, it was why did you release the person? after he shot somebody and almost killed the person. and his answer was, it's not me, it's the other police department. and i look again to brooks, to bring us out of this darkness and make it better and safer for us. making sure that we're accountable for both the victim

and the offenders and making it safe for all us here. so i'm looking forward to great day right here, i'm waiting for this and going forward, i thank you again mayor london breed, thank you! [cheers and applause] >> i want to thank our he likted officials including thank you so much for being here. thank you to our bart board member, leticia, we appreciate you very much. thank you to our treasurer jose, our fire chief nickel son

and our police chief phil scott. [cheers and applause] i want to thank our assesser, joaquin torres and my grandma, that's my grandma y'all. and i want to give a shout out to the former mayor of san francisco who comes time and time again trying to get his job back, mayor willie brown. [cheers and applause] thank you to our school board members who are joining here today and our city attorney david shu and now i'm done with all of that because i know people in the audience and

people from our district attorney, judges, and commissioners and our community. i'm so grateful that all of you took the time off your schedule to be here because i know how important this is for you. and now it is time to swear in brooke jenkins, and doing so as a presiding judge for the city of san francisco, judge hanes. [cheers and applause] >> raise your righted hand, repeat after me. i. >> i. brooke jenkins. do solemnly swear and affirm.

>> that that i will support and defend, the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the state of california, against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that i will bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the united states and the state of california. that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. that i will well and faithfully discharge, the duties upon which i am about to enter and during such times as i hold the office of district attorney for the city and county of san francisco.

congratulations. [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. and like my big sis and mentor ronny said, no tears today even if they're tears of joy. i want to again thank mayor london breed for giving me the honor of serving this city as your next district attorney. i know that she gave a lot of

thought to this decision and that there were several other very qualified candidates, candidates that are sitting in this room right now. and i am truly humbled by this opportunity and i want to thank nancy and catherine for being here and i want you to both to know that i hope we can continue our work because i will need your help. i first knew i wanted to be a lawyer when i was ten years old watching the mat lock show, that's how old i am. but as a child, you don't know what law that is it's just something you like. so when i first set foot in the university of chicago law school, i didn't know what kind of lawyer i wanted to be.

and i got sent down a path of civil law that lasted about 20 years. and it was in 2013 dha my husband and i found out that we were pregnant with our first child and you can imagine the excitement. we found out that it was a little boy, who we decided to name justice. later that year, i gave birth to justice and he tragically died shortly after his birth. it was in the search for my life purpose after losing my son that i decided to become a prosecutor. while justice had died from natural causes, i felt that the loss that i had experienced and the pain that i was feeling was the same as a mother who was

having to bury her son from gun violence. ttsz a feeling that you cannot describe and it was from that point forward that i was committed to serving my community and victims. and in 2014, i joined the san francisco district attorney's office and since the day i set foot in that office, i have been dedicated to fighting for justice, to being an advocate for victims and for being a fair prosecutor to whoever sat in the defendant's chair. as i said yesterday, unfortunately, we have reached a tipping point in san francisco. never in my 8 years of working in criminal justice have i ever heard san franciscoians express the level that they feel about the lack of safety in our city.

never have i heard and i was shocked to hear that crime and safety surpassed the concern over covid in the last two years. and we all know how concerning covid has been. the paramount mission of the district attorney's office is to promote public safety and we cannot forget that. as a district attorney, i plan to restore the accountability and criminal justice that has been lost in san francisco. [cheers and applause] violence and repeat offenders can no longer be allowed to victimize this city without any consequence.

our asian community can no longer be feeling scared to move about our city and conduct their most daily functions without a volunteer escort or without worrying if they're going to be attacked. that must end now. [cheers and applause] san francisco is the city built on the american dream, we know that we are a vibrant and community that comes from all over this world because people know that san francisco is a place that is welcoming to everyone. and we have to restore that to san francisco. it has to be a city that continues to be accepting, and respectful of everyone regardless of who you are or

where he come from. [cheers and applause] we can no longer turn a blind eye to the gun violence going on in our black community here. the families of this violence deserve justice. it is almost two years ago that my husband's cuss inwas murdered. the day before his murder, 6-year-old jason young was killed. i can never forget jason young's father saying, that he always knew that we as black people were disadvantaged as people but never expected to suffer that disadvantage as a victim.

we can no longer allow this continue, no parent should have to bury their child and feel that they are alone in their pursuit of justice. [cheers and applause] we vow pursuing justice for victims that is our job. we must end the open air drug markets and take back our streets and our neighborhood. [cheers and applause] starting today, drug laws will be enforced in this city.

we know the large percentage of children that live in the tineder loin and they should not have to pass through drug dealing, they should not have to endure drug violence and they should not have to see people die of overdose as they walk to school. with my years of experience as a hate crime prosecutor in the sexual unit, i do believe that i'm uniquely prepared to address the type of serious crime problems that we're facing in san francisco. but it's not just violent crime that has to be our priority, no longer will we dismiss certain crimes like drug dealing because we know better. chalk that up as a part of big

city life. these crimes affect us all, they affect our quality of life and they affect for many who own businesses here, their livelihoods. this is a world renowned city that we live in and we must restore it to what we know it can be. [applause] a city that is safe for everyone. now, i'm hoping that everybody in this room and across the city will get to know me, and get to know me not as a face of recall campaign for the previous d.a., there have been a lot of miss conceived notions about what i stood for when i fought to help us restore san francisco. i want to be clear that holding offenders accountability does

not mean that we cannot move forward with progressive criminal justice reform. [cheers and applause] as a black and latino women i have seen firsthand the inequities that exist in our criminal justice system. i've had family members charged with crime even in this very city. i've had family members receive sentences that would be more fitting for murder. for selling drugs. my family has seen and felt the impact of police misconduct and violence. the inequity in our criminal justice system is not something i read in a book or learned in a classroom, it's part of my lived experience and it's a part of why i decide today do

this work to bring more fairness into this system so that when we decide what is appropriate in a case it's not because of what what somebody looks like or where they came from, it's just in that situation. and ensure that everybody who comes into this system is treated fairly. i'm determined to enhancing the programs that serve as alternatives to incarceration so we can ghetto fenders serious of turning their lives around a second chance.

i'm dedicated to creating programs that can serve as alternative to incarceration. one thing that i'll be dedicated to is developing an alternative court for female offenders. because we know that it's often trauma and certain circumstances that lead women to engage in crime and we need to allow them to address those issues are and not just lock them up. as a return to tough on crime but i want to be clear that accountability and justice come in many forms. for some accountability may have to be prison but for the

majority of people it may be something else. and i want to make sure that every resource is available to us in san francisco and greater bay area to give offenders a chance to change their lives so we don't continue to have people committing crimes and recycling back into the system. [cheers and applause] justice and safety for all. but i cannot do it alone, i see so many of my former colleagues and now, current colleagues from san francisco d.a.'s office here today. your support means the world to

me. so many of you have not just been my colleagues but became my friends during my 7 and a half years in the d.a.'s office. i recognize that times have been tough. just a few short months ago, i was on the frontlines with all of you and i want you to know that i will be alongside every step of the way as you do your

job. i vow to balance what we need to to move this system to become more fair and make sure that every single one of us when we walk out the doors don't have to look over our shoulders and don't have to step over somebody where you're concerned if they're dying. don't have to worry about being attacked for the way you look or are that we will work tirelessly to keep you safe. and it will be a monumental task. so i ask today for your support, in this effort, i ask that you give me a chance to get to know me and what my

vision is for the san francisco district attorney's office and for san francisco and that, as i go through each community to find out what you're unique challenges are and unique problems that you're facing that you be honest with me and you tell me what we can do to support you and to make things better because i will listen to each and every one of you. and together we will make san francisco, stronger, safer and a for just place for everyone. [cheers and applause]

>> thank you again for joining us. our new district attorney brooke jenkins will stick around for a little bit. she does have to go to work today. so i ask for your patience and understanding. we'll try to get to people as much as we can but she will be pulled out eventually. but there will be opportunities throughout the course of the time to say hi and hopefully help support her efforts but we thank you all for coming. and let's hear it for the current district attorney, brooke jenkins.

>> there is a lot of unique

characteristics about visitation valley. it is a unique part of the city. >> we are off in a corner of the city against the san francisco county line 101 on one side. vis station valley is still one of the last blue color neighborhoods in san francisco. a lot of working class families out here. it is unusual. not a lot of apartment buildings. a lot of single family homes. >> great business corridor. so much traffic coming through here and stopping off to grab coffee or sandwich or pick up food before going home. >> a lot of customers are from the neighborhood. they are painters or mechanics. they are like blue color workers, a lot of them. >> the community is lovely. multi-racial and hopefully we can look out for each other. >> there is a variety of businesses on the block.

you think of buffalo kitchen, chinese food, pork buns, sandwich. library, bank of america with a parking lot. the market where you can grab anything. amazing food choices, nail salons. basically everything you need is here. >> a lot of these businesses up and down leland are family owned. people running them are family. when you come here and you have an uncle and nephew and go across the street and have the guy and his dad. lisa and her daughter in the dog parlor and pam. it is very cool. >> is small businesses make the neighborhood unique. >> new businesses coming. in mission blue, gourmet chocolate manufacturing. the corridor has changed and is continuing to change.

we hope to see more businesses coming in the near future. >> this is what is needed. first, stay home. unless it is absoluteliness scary. social distancing is the most important step right now to limit spread of virus. cancel all nonessential gather everythings. >> when the pandemic litly land avenue suffered like other corridors. a few nail salons couldn't operate. they shut down. restaurants that had to adapt to more of a take out model. they haven't totally brought back indoor seating. >> it is heartbreaking to see the businesses that have closed down and shut because of the pandemic.

>> when the pandemic first hit it got really slow. we had to change our hours. we never had to close, which is a blessing. thank god. we stayed open the whole time. >> we were kind of nervous and anxious to see what was going to come next hoping we will not have to close down. >> during covid we would go outside and look on both sides of the street. it looked like old western town. nobody on the street. no cars. >> it was a hard eight or nine months. when they opened up half the people couldn't afford a haircut. >> during that time we kept saying the coffee shop was the living room of the valley. people would come to make sure they were okay. >> we checked on each other and patronized each other. i would get a cup of coffee, shirt, they would get a haircut. >> this is a generous and kind

community. people would be like i am getting the toffee for the guy behind me and some days it went on and on. it was amazing to watch. we saw a perfect picture of community. we are all in this together. >> since we began to reopen one year later, we will emerge stronger. we will emerge better as a city because we are still here and we stand in solidarity with one another. >> when we opened up august 1st. i will not say it was all good. we are still struggling due to covid. it affected a lot of people. >> we are still in the pandemic right now. things are opening up a little bit. it is great to have space to come together. i did a three painting series of

visitation valley and the businesses on leland. it felt good to drop off the paintings and hung them. >> my business is picking up. the city is opening up. we have mask requirements. i check temperatures. i ask for vaccination card and/or recent test. the older folks they want to feel safe here. >> i feel like there is a sense of unity happening. >> what got us through the pandemic was our customers. their dogs needed groomed, we have to cut their nails so they don't over grow. >> this is only going to push us forward. i sense a spirit of community and just belief in one another. >> we are trying to see if we can help all small businesses around here. there is a cannabis club lounge next to the dog parlor to bring foot traffic. my business is not going to work

if the business across the street is not getting help. >> in hit us hard. i see a bright future to get the storefronts full. >> once people come here i think they really like it. >> if you are from san francisco visit visitation valley to see how this side of the city is the same but different. a city like no other, san francisco has been a beacon of hope, and an ally towards lgbtq equal rights. [♪♪]

>> known as the gay capital of america, san francisco has been at the forefront fighting gay civil rights for decades becoming a bedrock for the historical firsts. the first city with the first openly gay bar. the first pride parade. the first city to legalize gay marriage. the first place of the iconic gay pride flag. established to help cancel policy, programses, and initiatives to support trans and lgbtq communities in san francisco. >> we've created an opportunity to have a seat at the table. where trans can be part of city government and create more civic engagement through our

trans advisory committee which advises our office and the mayor's office. we've also worked to really address where there's gaps across services to see where we can address things like housing and homelessness, low income, access to small businesses and employment and education. so we really worked across the board as well as meeting overall policies. >> among the priorities, the office of transgender initiatives also works locally to track lgbtq across the country. >> especially our young trans kids and students. so we do a lot of work to make sure we're addressing and naming those anti-trans policies and doing what we can to combat them. >> trans communities often have not been included at the policy

levels at really any level whether that's local government, state government. we've always had to fend for ourselves and figure out how to care for our own communities. so an office like this can really show and become a model for the country on how to really help make sure that our entire community is served by the city and that we all get opportunities to participate because, in the end, our entire community is stronger. >> the pandemic underscored many of the inequities they experienced on a daily basis. nonetheless, this health crisis also highlighted the strength in the lgbtq and trans community. >> several of our team members were deployed as part of the work at the covid command center and they did incredit able work there both in terms of navigation and

shelter-in-place hotels to other team members who led equity and lgbtq inclusion work to make sure we had pop-up testing and information sites across the city as well as making sure that data collection was happening. we had statewide legislation that required that we collected information on sexual orientation and our team worked so closely with d.p.h. to make sure those questions were included at testing site but also throughout the whole network of care. part of the work i've had a privilege to be apart of was to work with o.t.i. and a community organization to work together to create a coalition that met monthly to make sure we worked together and coordinated as much as we could to lgbtq communities in the city. >> partnering with community organizations is key to the success of this office ensuring lgbtq and gender nonconforming people have access to a wide range of services and places to go where they will be

respected. o.t.i.'s trans advisory committee is committed to being that voice. >> the transgender advisory counsel is a group of amazing community leaders here in san francisco. i think we all come from all walks of life, very diverse, different backgrounds, different expertises, and i think it's just an amazing group of people that have a vision to make san francisco a true liberated city for transgender folks. >> being apart of the grou allows us to provide more information on the ground. we're allowed to get.

and prior to the pandemic, there's always been an issue around language barriers and education access and workforce development. now, of course, the city has been more invested in to make sure our community is thriving and making sure we are mobilizing. >> all of the supervisors along with mayor london breed know that there's still a lot to be done and like i said before, i'm just so happy to live in a city where they see trans folks and recognize us of human beings and know that we deserve to live with dignity and respect just like everybody else. >> being part of the trans initiative has been just a great privilege for me and i feel so lucky to have been able to serve for it for so far over three years. it's the only office of its kind and i think it's a big opportunity for us to show the country or the world about things we can do when we really put a focus on transgender issues and transgender communities.

and when you put transgender people in leadership positions. >> thank you, claire. and i just want to say to claire farly who is the leader of the office of transgender initiatives, she has really taken that role to a whole other level and is currently a grand marshal for this year's s.f. prize. so congratulations, claire. >> my dream is to really look at where we want san francisco to be in the future. how can we have a place where we have transliberation, quality, and inclusion, and equity across san francisco? and so when i look five years from now, ten years from now, i want us to make sure that we're continuing to lead the country in being the best that we can be. not only are we working to make sure we have jobs and equal opportunity and pathways to education, employment, and advancement, but we're making sure we're taking care of our most impacted communities, our

trans communities of color, trans women of color, and black trans women. and we're making sure we're addressing the barriers of the access to health care and mental health services and we're supporting our seniors who've done the work and really be able to age in place and have access to the services and resources they deserve. so there's so much more work to do, but we're really proud of the work that we've done so far. [♪♪]

>> good morn and welcome to rules committee of the san francisco board of supervisor monday july 18. i'm the chair of the committee aaron peskin