Mayor Daniel Lurie held a press conference with other city public safety leaders on Monday, unveiling a “comprehensive plan” to ensure a safe environment during Super Bowl LX. This includes increased police presence on city streets, the launch of a Human Trafficking Task Force by the district attorney’s office, and the use of the city’s Emergency Operations Center to monitor events, manage emergency response, and maintain city services and clean streets.
Among the department heads who appeared with Lurie at the early afternoon presser were San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Chief Derrick Lew, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, Fire Chief Dean Crispen, and Department of Emergency Management (DEM) head Mary Ellen Carroll.
City officials announced that San Francisco Police Department will be at full staffing levels with canceled days off, and Sheriff’s deputies will also be available to patrol downtown and other major corridors, maintain visibility, and respond to incidents.
Lurie stressed that while police and other law enforcement would have a heavier presence during Super Bowl week, and that they would work with state and federal sister agencies to keep streets safe and respond to incidents, they would also work to protect peaceful protest and other free speech and not target people based on immigration status.
“We will continue to uphold San Francisco’s longstanding policies that keep local law enforcement focused on keeping our city safe, not federal immigration enforcement,” he told reporters. “If you see SFPD on the street, they are there to keep you safe, not to assist immigration enforcement.”
Later on, while fielding questions from reporters that referenced incidents involving federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, Lurie said that “when it comes to an event like the Super Bowl, we have to partner with state and federal agencies around counterterrorism. I know the trust issue is there, but when it comes to protecting the people of San Francisco, we will do everything in our power to keep them safe. And I just want to reiterate to everybody who spoke today, we are all in lockstep, that we will not deviate from our policies. We are going to protect our community. And that requires also working with partners on counterterrorism, so we will continue to do that.”
If you see SFPD on the street, they are there to keep you safe, not to assist immigration enforcement.
— Mayor Lurie
San Francisco’s Emergency Operations Center will actively coordinate city departments at this time, including monitoring a variety of factors ranging from 911 call volumes to weather conditions, to support local agencies in their work, including response to street conditions.
A statement released during the presser noted that the center would support “street response efforts across public safety, public works, and outreach teams to ensure issues are addressed quickly and neighborhoods remain clean and welcoming.”
Chief Lew noted that his and other agencies’ assets were preparing for Super Bowl week as an event of national importance, with associated risks ranging from increased petty crime against visitors to possible terror threats.
“We’re also closely coordinating with our state and federal partners who are bringing significant public safety resources into San Francisco,” he told reporters. “We will be setting up local and regional command centers to monitor activity in real time so we can respond to any potential issues. We’re also very aware of the heightened tensions occurring both nationally and globally. The SFPD is closely monitoring events in Minneapolis and other cities, and we’re prepared to respond to any issues that may arise during Super Bowl week.”
Lew also noted street closures this week and asked for the public’s forbearance as traffic impacts are addressed. He encouraged the public to consult the Municipal Transportation Agency’s website for updates.
Jenkins told reporters that her office would work to hold those who commit crimes during the week accountable, and also outlined efforts focused on human trafficking, including the creation of the task force. Increases in crimes around human trafficking have been traditionally associated with Super Bowl Week.
“We know that at major events like this, oftentimes, those who come in to visit are seeking to engage in illicit activity with those who are being trafficked, and that traffickers are seeking to exploit these moments to garner more business,” she told reporters. “My office is proud to lead a task force that partners with the San Francisco Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, local, state, and federal, to ensure that we have the staff necessary devoted to ensuring that we are protecting victims of human trafficking and that we are doing everything in our power to arm the public with the information that they need to alert our agencies if you see what you believe to be a victim of human trafficking or someone engaging in any trafficking type behavior.”
DEM head Carroll noted that response to street conditions would be “a major focus this year.”
“Our goal is very simple. As issues arise, we address them quickly, essential services continue uninterrupted, and neighborhoods remain safe, clean, and welcoming for our residents and visitors, she told reporters. San Francisco has fundamentally changed how it responds to street conditions, using a year-round multiagency approach that brings together public safety, public works, outreach teams, behavioral health clinicians, and community safety ambassadors. During Super Bowl week, that coordination will continue in high-traffic areas, event corridors, and all neighborhoods throughout the city.”
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