♪ ♪
>> Laura: I’M HERE TONIGHT IN
SAN FRANCISCO AND REMEMBER
NANCY PELOSI’S CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT FOR MORE THAN THREE
DECADES.
WOULDN’T YOU KIND OF THINK THAT
THE HOMETOWN OF THE HOUSE
SPEAKER WOULD BE A DESIRABLE
SAFE PLACE TO LIVE, WORTH
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
HERSELF AFTER ALL, BUT THE
REALITY HERE IS MUCH DARKER,
SINCE 2019, HOMICIDES HAVE RISEN
30%, BERG LEASH SHOT UP 51% AND
THE HOMELESSNESS SITUATION, YOU
CAN’T REALLY DESCRIBE IT.
YOU HAVE TO SEE IT, SAME THING
WITH DRUG ABUSE, RAMPANT.
SO I WENT DOWN TO THE TENDERLOIN
DISTRICT TODAY AND I SPENT SOME
TIME WITH SOME OF
SAN FRANCISCO’S FINEST POLICE
OFFICERS IN THE ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT TONY MONTOYA TO SEE
THE CITY’S DECLINE FIRSTHAND AND
LEARN HOW IT’S CONNECTED TO
THESE DESTRUCTIVE POLICIES OF
THE D.A.
>> A LOT OF THE VIOLENT CRIMES
ARE UP BECAUSE OF THE POLICY IS,
THE CATCH AND RELEASE, THE
SWIFTEST REVOLVING DOOR IN
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
WHERE IT’S A SMALL GROUP OF
PEOPLE COMMITTING THESE CRIMES
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND THEY ARE
DOING SO BECAUSE THEY
REALIZED AS LONG AS HE IS IN
OFFICE, THERE ARE NO
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE BAD
BEHAVIOR, PEOPLE ALL OVER THE
PLACE, JUST A MINUTE AGO, WHERE
THE WHITE MAN IS PART, THERE WAS
A GENTLEMAN SITTING ON THE
SIDEWALK, WITH KIDS SMOKING
CRACK COCAINE.
RIGHT HERE BY THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
>> Laura: SO THE POLICE
STATION IS HERE AND CRACK
COCAINE IS RIGHT HERE.
>> 30 FEET AWAY, AND THEY DO SO
KNOWING THAT IF THEY WERE TO GET
CAUGHT, THERE WILL BE ZERO
CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR.
>> Laura: ZERO CONSEQUENCES
FOR SMOKING CRACK AT 25 FEET
FROM THE POLICE AND 25 FEET FROM
SCHOOL.
>> ONCE I GET HOOKED ON THE DRUG
GETS A DOWNWARD SPIRAL, IT’S NOT
FROM LACK OF RESOURCES,
SAN FRANCISCO SPENDS 1 BILLION
WITH A B FOR ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT NONPROFITS AND
SERVICES THEY OFFER, BUT SOME
PEOPLE JUST DON’T WANT TO HELP.
>> Laura: IF I WANTED A BUY
CRACK WITHIN THE THREE BLOCK
AREA, HOW HARD WOULD IT GET
CRACK?
>> NOT HARD AT ALL.
>> Laura: HOW LONG WOULD IT
TAKE ME?
>> LESS THAN A MINUTE.
>> Laura: HEROIN?
FENTANYL?
>> SAME THING.
>> TO LIMIT >> Laura: TAKING
$500 OF MERCHANDISE FROM AN
HISTORIC?
>> ONE OF THE COAUTHORS OF THAT
AND SOLD IT AS A SAFE STREETS,
SAFE SCHOOLS.
>> Laura: IT’S MEANT TO HELP
YOU GUYS SO THAT POLICE WOULD
NOT BE INUNDATED WITH
SHOPLIFTING AND SO FORTH.
>> I WAS TOLD THAT WAY TO THE
VOTERS AS MAKING THINGS SAFER,
WHAT IT DID WAS TURN A LOT OF
FELONIES AND MISDEMEANORS,
SPECIFICALLY THEFT, ANYTHING
VALUED AT $900 IS A MISDEMEANOR,
NOT A FELONY, SO YOU WILL SEE
PEOPLE ON CAMERA WITH A
CALCULATOR WHETHER IT’S HANDHELD
OR ON THEIR PHONE ADDING UP THE
COST OF THE MERCHANDISE THEY ARE
STEALING TO STAY UNDER $900.
>> Laura: IN THIS BLOCK WE
HAVE A ROW GOING UP THE BLOCK OF
HOMELESS PEOPLE LIVING IN
OUTDOOR TENTS AND PEOPLE DOING
THEIR LAUNDRY IN THE STREET, I
GUESS THEY ARE SIPHONING OFF THE
FIRE HYDRANT HERE, AND GOD BLESS
I’M TRYING TO DO SOME LAUNDRY
WITH SOME DETERGENT.
HUMANS CRYSTAL AND A CRACK PIPE.
>> THIS IS WHAT THE TENDERLOIN
IS ABOUT, IT’S TRULY SAD, THIS
IS A RELATIVELY QUIET BLOCK AT
THE MOMENT.
>> Laura: THIS IS A QUIET
BLOCK IT?
>> THERE ARE OTHER BLOCKS THAT
ARE A LOT WORSE.
>> Laura: WHERE DO PEOPLE GO
TO THE BATHROOM?
>> RIGHT HERE ON THE STREET
CORNER, THAT’S THE UNPLEASANT
ODOR WE ARE SMELLING.
>> Laura: IT’S THE SMELL OF
POT, HUMAN, ALTOGETHER.
>> AND THEY ARE LIVING IN THESE
CONDITIONS, THESE ARE SOME THIRD
WORLD COUNTRY CONDITIONS.
>> Laura: YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO
TO AFGHANISTAN TO SEE THE BAD
CONDITIONS.
RIGHT HERE.
AT SOME OF THE LOCALS SAW US
FILMING HERE IN THE TENDERLOIN
DISTRICT AND HAD THEIR OWN VIEWS
ABOUT WHY THESE PROBLEMS
PERSIST.
>> A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS ARE
HAPPENING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
YOU CAN GET A FREE MEAL, YOU CAN
ALSO GET HOUSING, BUT WE NEED
PERMANENT HOUSING FOR FOLKS DOWN
HERE AND TENDERLOIN, BECAUSE OF
THIS CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC.
>> Laura: AND THEY HAD THEIR
OWN THOUGHTS ABOUT SENDING
BILLIONS OVERSEAS WHEN THERE IS
SO MUCH SUFFERING HERE AT HOME.
>> HOW CAN I HELP THE PEOPLE IF
WE HAVE PEOPLE RIGHT HERE.
>> Laura: YOU THINK THAT WE
SHOULD HAVE ALL OF THESE WARS IN
AFGHANISTAN?
>> NO, WE NEED TO START TAKING
CARE OF HOME.
>> Laura: WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN
HOMELESSNESS, THE LAST 25 YEARS,
EXPONENTIALLY WORSE.
>> CONTINUES TO GET WORSE, AS I
POINTED OUT, AND THE OPEN-AIR
DRUG MARKET, MORE PEOPLE DIED
LAST YEAR OF FENTANYL OVERDOSE
THAN THEY DID OF THE COVID
VIRUS.
AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH
CHESA BOUDIN REFUSING TO
PROSECUTE PEOPLE OUT THERE
SELLING DRUGS, A SLEEPING GIANT
WITH YOUR AVERAGE CITIZENS
BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING FED UP