San Francisco DA hopeful wants to focus on car break-ins

SAN FRANCISCO - Election day is just a few weeks away. This year, the race for district attorney is San Francisco is hotly contested. There are four candidates. This week, KTVU introduces voters to Leif Dautch. 

On one evening, Dautch campaigned in the Lower Haight neighborhood. 

"Can I leave a flyer for you?" Dautch asked one woman as he went door to door, campaigning for votes. 
When one resident answered the door, Dautch introduced himself: "I'm running for district attorney. I'm focused on homelessness, car break-ins.

Auto break-ins is a signature issue that is highlighted in his campaign video on social media. 
On the campaign trail, Dautch spoke to a man who said his car was broken into twice. 
 
"We're going to start a five-person auto burglary task force within the da's office, working with the police, working with the sheriff's, going after these big organized rings that are responsible for the majority of them," said Dautch. 

To address the homeless crisis, Dautch says he would turn juvenile hall which is scheduled to close by end of 2021, into a mental health center with 150 beds.

"I work in the Tenderloin, so I see the homelessness crisis, the property crime, the opioid epidemic every single day. For those of us who care about the city, my wife and I are raising our family here. Wanted to do something about it," said Dautch.  

He has served as California deputy state attorney general for seven years. 

He says his experience as a prosecutor and a manager makes him uniquely qualified to be the city's next district attorney. 

At his campaign office on Union Street, he and volunteers phone-banked for support.

Dautch says he plans to address police officer involved shootings with town hall meetings within six months to explain charging decisions in each case.

He says he'll work to rebuild the contentious relationship the district attorney's office has had with the police department with a focus on helping crime victims.    

"They heard from the police that they're not going to bother responding, taking a report or pursuing the case because they know the district attorney's office isn't going to do anything. That's heartbreaking and that's got to change." 

Dautch says he's the candidate for voters who are looking for accountability and somebody who's focused on quality of life issues. 

Election day is Nov. 5.