San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to San Francisco, calling the move unnecessary.
On Sunday, President Trump told Fox News that the National Guard would be sent to San Francisco as part of his administration’s ongoing efforts to reduce crime in major US cities, following similar actions in Washington, DC, Chicago, Memphis, and Portland.
In a statement Monday, Lurie denounced the decision, arguing that local and federal law enforcement are already working effectively to keep the city safe.
“As your mayor, my top priority every single day is keeping San Francisco safe. With the support of local law enforcement, community leaders, and the appropriate federal law enforcement partners, we’re achieving that goal without compromising our values or our laws,” Lurie said. He added that violent crime is down and that the “city is moving in the right direction.”
“I am deeply grateful to the members of our military for their service to our country, but the National Guard does not have the authority to arrest drug dealers — and sending them to San Francisco will do nothing to get fentanyl off the streets or make our city safer,” Lurie continued.
Trump defended his plan, saying, “I think they want us” in San Francisco, as the city continues to grapple with drug trafficking and street crime. His administration recently won a legal victory after an appeals court ruled that the deployment of the National Guard in Portland was lawful and authorized.
Earlier this month, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff also called for the National Guard to be deployed to San Francisco ahead of the company’s annual Dreamforce Conference. He told The New York Times that the event was forced to hire hundreds of off-duty police officers for security.
“We don’t have enough cops, so if they [National Guard] can be cops, I’m all for it,” Benioff said.
