San Francisco passes law-and-order measures by large margins, including drug screening for welfare recipients

San Francisco voters passed a pair of law-and-order ballot measures on Tuesday night, including one that would require welfare recipients suspected of using drugs to undergo screenings to receive benefits.

It marks yet another rebuke of progressive policies in the famously liberal city, following the recall of far-left District Attorney Chesa Boudin in 2022.

The welfare requirement, called Proposition F, had 63 percent support as of Wednesday morning, according to the most recent election results online. Proposition E, which expanded some police surveillance powers and reined in some oversight, had support from 60 percent of voters. There are still votes to be counted but the measure's proponents declared victory, while left-wing detractors grumbled about the results, saying they would backfire and reverse progress.

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San Francisco voters passed a pair of law-and-order ballot measures on Tuesday night, including one that would require welfare recipients suspected of using drugs to undergo screenings to receive benefits. (Getty Images)

Democratic Mayor London Breed, who's up for re-election this year and had the measures placed on the ballot for voter consideration, celebrated on Tuesday night.

"It is clear that people want to see changes around public safety. What’s exciting about this for me is I get the kind of tools I need to continue the work we’re doing," Breed told reporters, according to local station KQED.

She added on X, "Thank you to the voters for passing Prop F to bring more treatment and accountability to San Francisco. This is how we get more people the help they need and change what’s happening in our City." She also wrote Prop E gives "our officers more tools to do their jobs."

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Democratic Mayor London Breed, who's up for re-election this year and had the measures placed on the ballot for voter consideration, celebrated the vote on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

A San Francisco business owner, Tom Wong, called for stronger support of local police from government officials, telling Fox News Digital that it was not fair to expect police to chase down and stop crime without community support. 

"Elected officials have to support local law enforcement," he said. "It's not the people." 

Wong also dove into the political scene in San Francisco, explaining that Breed's re-election campaign for mayor was an important factor in motivating her to talk about drug use and the police force in the city. 

"There's a high probability that she will not win," Wong said of Breed's campaign. 

On proposition E, which dealt with police powers to deal with crime, Arellano said that San Franciscans were "fed up and want more action to address crime."  ((Photo By Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))

San Francisco Mayor Breed's spokesman, Joe Arellano, spoke out on both propositions in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"Mayor Breed placed Prop F on the ballot to give San Francisco another tool to get people suffering from addiction into treatment and save lives," Arellano said. "Prop F will create more accountability and eliminate the ‘drug tourism' where outsiders come to San Francisco to secure government-funded benefits and buy illegal drugs."

On proposition E, which dealt with police powers to deal with crime, Arellano said that San Franciscans were "fed up and want more action to address crime." 

"Our current public safety policies are outdated and make it difficult for police officers to chase suspects, even in a felony or violent misdemeanor," he said. "Prop E makes common-sense changes to City rules to get more officers on the street fighting crime. It provides police with helpful new tools such as cameras and drones and expanded power to pursue criminals. Over the last few years, the City’s policies swung too far to the left. Now, it’s time to send a message that San Francisco is closed to criminals and brazen theft will not be tolerated."

Breed faces angry voters and a strong challenge to her re-election as the city has languished from drug deaths and crime.

The first Black woman to lead San Francisco, she said at a January campaign stop that residents from poorer, Black and immigrant neighborhoods are pleading for more police, and recovery advocates are demanding change as more than 800 people died of accidental overdose last year — a record fueled by the abundance of cheap and potent fentanyl, according to the Associated Press. 

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Fox News' Gabriel Hays and the Associated Press contributed to this report.