In recent days SF Mayor Ed ‘Emperor’ Lee has come under fire about his public admiration of New York City’s infamous Stop and Frisk Police..The idea that he might adapt that policy led to a series of angry denouncements, demonstrations, lots of emails and phone calls to his office. Topping all of this was this recent stinging rebuke from Glen Ford of the Black Agenda Report..

MAYOR LEE’S STATEMENT CLARIFYING “STOP & FRISK POLICY”

AND SAN FRANCISCO

Mayor Edwin M. Lee today issued the following statement on San Francisco and “Stop and Frisk Policy”:

“The month of June in San Francisco experienced a spike in shootings and homicides in our Southeast

neighborhoods. This is unacceptable and while I take this issue extremely seriously, I want to be clear that I

have not considered implementing a policy in San Francisco that would violate anyone’s constitutional rights or

that would result in racial profiling. I have stated that I am willing to look at what other cities are doing to

reduce gun violence, including cities like New York and Philadelphia that both have stop and frisk programs.

I have been meeting with community leaders, have attended services to meet with congregants and have met

with law enforcement about this issue. We share grave concerns about gun violence and its disproportionate

impact on communities of color and youth in San Francisco. We need to do more.

Public safety can only be achieved through collaboration and partnership between law enforcement and the

communities we all serve. Community policing and community development efforts have important roles to

play in the prevention of violence, and I will continue to meet with community leaders and faith based

organizations to advance these priorities.

I want to be very clear. As a former human rights director and civil rights attorney, I hold the individual

protections afforded to us all under the 4th Amendment as sacrosanct. As we continue our discussions to reduce

violence and get guns out of our communities, I will not support, nor will I put forward any proposal that will

violate any such protections, but I am willing to move forward with bold ideas that get to results.

I will continue to work with the community to end gun violence in San Francisco.”

7.17.12 Clarifying Stop & Frisk Policy Statement