'The world is watching': Mayor Breed says APEC will reset dialogue about San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO - All eyes are on San Francisco this week as the APEC conference gets underway, and in a city that has taken a beating in the national discourse, there's a lot at stake.

From security concerns to financial demands, Mayor London Breed spoke with KTVU about critical issues facing San Francisco ahead of the summit, as leaders from around the world, like President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and thousands of government heads, CEOs and journalists head to the city. 

Breed said she thinks it's an opportunity to reset the dialogue about San Francisco. She said when people get to the city, they realize "what's happening here, happens in any city in the United States."

Breed said when the city gets ready for any convention, they do everything they can to make sure the experience is good for visitors. From hotels to shopping to parking and public transportation, they spend the money to make people feel safe.

"These conventions are an important part of our economic engine," Breed said. "They take care of our parks, our police officers, and other parts of the city."

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Breed was also asked about how San Francisco is poised to buy hundreds of automated license plate readers and security cameras to be installed on police cars and street poles in the hopes of deterring criminal activity and catching perpetrators in the act. 

"San Francisco is notorious for bureaucratic confusion and also saying no," she said. "What we are trying to do is get to yes, get to yes, in terms of using this new technology."

Breed said San Francisco is facing real challenges with car break-ins, retail theft, and sideshows that the license readers will address, and she doesn't want red tape to stall the process.