This episode: In the wake of San Francisco’s mayoral election, public pressure to “clean the streets” has intensified — and so has the city’s response.
Civic looks at how the San Francisco Police Department is taking a lead role in street-level interventions in areas with visible drug use and homelessness amid treatment bed shortages and jail overcrowding.
The strategy has deepened rifts between public health advocates, housing providers, and small business leaders — each with starkly different ideas about what safety and community care look like. This story was reported by Sylvie Sturm.
Civic is the flagship radio program and podcast from the San Francisco Public Press. It engages listeners with civic life by approaching San Francisco’s inner workings from the standpoint of curious stakeholders — whether they are residents, workers, visitors or otherwise connected to the city. It asks smart questions and takes an investigative approach to the stories people might wish were in the news more often. Civic aims to inspire and empower listeners to become involved in making sure their city works for them.