By choosing Jenkins, Breed hired an appointee with the most recent experience in office, name recognition and a strong campaign network that could provide a base of support when Jenkins runs in the November election. The fight could pit her against her former boss Boudin, who has not ruled out another route. Jenkins, who is Black and Latina, worked in the District Attorney’s office for more than seven years, prosecuting misdemeanors, domestic violence, homicides and as a former lead hate crimes prosecutor. Before that she worked in private practice and for the NCAA, according to her LinkedIn. According to the mayor’s office, Breed chose Jenkins because of her belief in the prosecution and accountability of repeat offenders combined with criminal justice reform, as she has family members who have been victims of violent crime and police brutality. Jenkins previously said she would like to see San Francisco prosecutors regain the power to ask for cash bail, gang enhancements, “strikes” from prior convictions and charge juveniles as adults. Boudin eliminated or repealed all of these policies soon after taking office, arguing that they disproportionately punished the poor and people of color. Jenkins said she agrees with the “spirit” of those bans, but believes the tools should be used in some cases. Jenkins initially praised Boudin’s creation of a post-conviction unit, which helps free people from long sentences and wrongful convictions. She said she still supports the unit, but has lost faith in Boudin’s orders that stripped prosecutors of important discretionary decisions. By choosing Jenkins, Breed gains a prosecutorial ally in her tough-on-crime streak. Since her decision, the mayor has become increasingly responsible for public safety and criminal justice as a leader who has now also appointed the district attorney, police chief and a former police spokesman as supervisor. Crime has become one of the city’s top issues as residents worry about high-profile break-ins and grabs, rampant car break-ins and brazen house burglaries as the city struggles to recover from the pandemic. While Breed has not taken a public position on Boudin’s recall, she has made clear her displeasure with the outgoing prosecutor, saying she wants to see him more aggressively prosecute repeat drug and violent offenders. Breed told reporters after Boudin’s recall that his ouster did not signal the end of progressive approaches to law enforcement and said it was a “false choice” to pit those efforts against the responsibility for public safety. Others who have thrown their hat in the ring for the appointment — and could still run in either November or 2023 — include District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani, Superior Court Judge Eric Fleming, former district attorney candidate Nancy Tung and former police officer, commissioner and civil rights attorney Joe Alioto Veronese. Breed has positioned herself as a public safety leader, declaring a crackdown on crime in the city in December and successfully pushing for more police funding to hire officers. But until the prosecutor’s recall, he did not take responsibility for this key part of the criminal justice system. Political consultant Eric Jaye, who has not worked on either side of the district attorney recall campaign, said there has been a “remarkable shift” among some of Breed’s supporters who have pushed the blame squarely on the district attorney for public safety challenges . He said they failed to recognize that the mayor oversees the police department and appoints its chief. With Breed selecting Boudin’s replacement, that responsibility may shift. “Breed is the leader of the moderate coalition in San Francisco. Now she will be held accountable for any car burglary and any other crime,” Jaye said. “Security will be 100% its political responsibility. If we become more secure, it will benefit. If we become less safe, he will own it.” John Hamasaki, a criminal defense lawyer, former police commissioner and Boudin supporter, said Breed’s tough turn on crime was a defense mechanism to stop the “angry mob” supporting the recalls. He said the mayor moved to align with an “antiquated” public safety idea of ”just putting more police on the streets,” while acknowledging that she also sought alternatives for mental health professionals to respond to low-level 911 calls. Nicole Derse, who did not work on either side of the recall campaign but has worked to support Breed’s past campaigns, said the mayor still believes in police accountability and criminal justice reform while supporting the officers in the department . “I don’t see it as a team pick and I don’t think the mayor would see it that way,” Derse said. “The team is the people of San Francisco and what we need to do right by the people of San Francisco.” How Breed’s appointee is performing and whether the drop in crime could be tied to her political fortunes since the two could be on the same ballot in 2023, said political consultant Jim Ross, who worked on the campaign against her. recall. It could also matter if he is running for higher office. While Breed has shied away from talking about her aspirations, the mayor’s office has long been a jumping-off point for moderate Democrats at the state and national level. But Ross pointed out that while Breed’s tough-on-crime rhetoric appeals to some, internal polling by Boudin’s campaign has shown that progressive criminal justice policies remain popular in San Francisco. That means, he said, Breed may soon face a difficult balance in appeasing voters between cracking down on crime while still supporting progressive reforms. Democrats nationally face that balancing act, said David McCwan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University. He said Breed’s appointment provides the mayor with an opportunity to realize her vision for public safety, which has evolved over time. He shifted from shifting resources away from the police in 2020 to pushing for more funding for the department in 2022. “It has an opportunity to reset what it looks like to measure success in both progress in reform and progress in lawlessness,” he said. “Now he has a political moment, not a momentum, to reset the direction and through this succession and appointment, set new priorities.” Mallory Moench and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: [email protected] [email protected]
