San Francisco Mayor London Breed reflects on her administration

SAN FRANCISCO - The end of the year brings an end to the Breed administration in San Francisco.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed served the city for six years and said she's proud of the work she's done. 

Breed is spending the last weeks of her administration much the same way she has the last six years, serving as the city's biggest advocate, now reflecting on her time in office.

A term that started in the turmoil following the death of her predecessor, Ed Lee.

Then-president of the board of supervisors, Breed briefly served as acting mayor and was elected to serve the remainder of Lee's term, guiding the city through its grief. 

"Along with trying to process it myself, I had to roll up my sleeves and just reassure the public that the business of the city will continue, that you do have a leader, but that we are also mourning and help the city get through that grief," said Breed.

Breed served San Francisco through the COVID-19 pandemic, taking decisive action early to shut down the city, a move she said saved lives. 

"San Francisco is one of the densest cities anywhere in the country," said Breed. "We had one of the lowest death rates of any major city. We didn't have our hospitals overflowing, our morgue overflowing."

Because of the pandemic, Breed said she grappled with a new economic reality, trying to reshape the city in the post-pandemic era.

Breed said among her proudest accomplishments is cutting the red tape, transforming a city that was slow to change to a city of "yes." 

"So, getting to 'yes,' providing more flexible uses and making downtown a 24/7 neighborhood, that's what starting to happen now," said Breed. 

"Removing the restrictions is important. So I believe that during my time, doing all this work, we have set San Francisco up for what is possible."

That post-pandemic period also saw a marked increase in crime. 

Breed said she brought on a new district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, to make sure there was accountability and consequences for those who broke the law, including drug dealers and users, as the city struggled with a surge in fentanyl use.

Breed also said she's worked to change the sometimes distorted image of San Francisco to make it a destination for police officer recruitment and helped usher in new technology, all of which she says are responsible for the city's declining crime rate. 

"We have the tools," Breed said. "We've changed the laws, we've built the capacity to address it a lot differently than we did when we came out of the pandemic. That is what led to these remarkable results that we're starting to see, and it's only going to get better."

The mayor said she also worked hard to find a solution to the homelessness crisis that spilled out into the streets. 

"I really focused in on the issues that, now, have changed for the better," said Breed. "More to do, of course, not where they need to be, but, we have helped over 20,000 people exit homelessness permanently."

As for her plans going forward, Breed is not offering a lot of details. 

"I'm looking forward to what the future holds," said Breed. "I gotta say, just being mayor of San Francisco has just really been the honor of my life. It's been a joy. Yes, it has had its challenges. Its up and its downs, but this is one of the most incredible cities in the world. I'm so proud that I have had the privilege to serve as the mayor of San Francisco."

The mayor did say that for now, her focus is on continuing to serve the city until Jan. 8 when a new mayor is sworn in.