Jenkins quit her job at the district attorney’s office to campaign against her former boss, becoming one of the most prominent faces of the recall campaign.
In choosing Jenkins, Breed settled on an appointee with the most recent experience in office, name recognition and a powerful campaign network that could provide massive support when Jenkins runs for election in November. The race could pit her against her former boss Bouden, who has not ruled out running again.
Jenkins, who is black and Hispanic, has worked in the district attorney’s office for more than seven years, prosecuting felonies, domestic violence, homicide and as a former chief hate crimes prosecutor. She previously worked in private practice and for the NCAA, according to her LinkedIn.
According to City Hall, Breed chose Jenkins because of her belief in prosecution and accountability for repeat offenders, balanced with criminal justice reform because she has family members who have been victims of violent crime and police brutality.
Jenkins previously said she would like to see prosecutors in San Francisco regain the power to ask for cash bail, gang enhancements, “strikes” from prior convictions and to charge juveniles as adults. Budden eliminated or nearly eliminated these policies as soon as he took office, arguing that they disproportionately penalized the poor and people of color. Jenkins said she agrees with the “spirit” of these bans, but believes the tools should be used in certain circumstances.
Jenkins initially praised Budin’s creation of a post-conviction department that helps free people from long sentences and wrongful convictions. She said she still supports the department but has lost faith in Budden’s mandates, which strip prosecutors of important discretionary decisions.
By choosing Jenkins, Breed gains an ally in the prosecution in his tough-on-crime move. As a result of her decision, the mayor has become increasingly responsible for public safety and criminal justice as a leader who has now appointed both the district attorney, the police chief and a former police spokesman as supervisor. Crime has become one of the city’s biggest problems as residents worry about high-profile robberies, rampant car break-ins and brazen home burglaries as the city struggles to recover from the pandemic.
While Breed has not taken a public position on Budden’s recall, she has made clear her displeasure with the outgoing district attorney, saying she wants to see him more aggressively prosecute repeat offenders of drug trafficking and violent crimes.
Breed told reporters after Budden’s recall that his removal did not mean the end of progressive approaches to law enforcement and said it was a “false choice” to pit those efforts against the responsibility of public safety.
Others who had thrown in the hat for the nomination — and could still run in November or 2023 — include District 2 Supervisor Kathryn Stefani, Superior Court Judge Eric Fleming, former district attorney candidate Nancy Tung and former police officer commissioner and civil rights lawyer Joe Alioto Veronese.
Breed has positioned himself as a public safety leader, announcing a crackdown on the city’s crime scene in December and successfully pushing for more police funding to hire officers. But until the district attorney was recalled, she did not take responsibility for this key part of the criminal justice system.
Political consultant Eric Jay, who has not worked on either side of the district attorney’s recall campaign, said there has been a “tremendous shift” among some of Breed’s supporters, who are placing the blame squarely on the district attorney for public safety challenges. He said they failed to recognize that the mayor runs the police force and appoints its chief. With Breed selecting Budden’s replacement, that blame may shift.
“Breed is the leader of the moderate coalition in San Francisco. Now she will be responsible for any car break-in and any other crime,” Jay said. “Security will be 100% her political responsibility. If we become safer, she will benefit. If we become less safe, she will own it.
John Hamasaki, a criminal lawyer, former police commissioner and Budden supporter, said Breed’s tough-on-crime approach was a defense mechanism to contain the “angry crowd” supporting the recall. He said the mayor subscribed to the “antiquated” public safety idea of ”just putting more police on the streets,” while acknowledging she was also pursuing alternatives to having mental health professionals answer 911 calls at a low level.
Nicole Ders, who did not work for either side of the recall campaign but has worked to support Breed in past jobs, said the mayor still believes in police accountability and criminal justice reform, while supporting officers in the department .
“I don’t see it as a team pick, and I don’t think the mayor would see it that way either,” Dersey said. “The team is the people of San Francisco and what we need to do right by the people of San Francisco.”
How Breed’s appointee fares and whether the crime drop could be tied to her political fortunes, as the two could be on the same ballot in 2023, said political consultant Jim Ross, who worked on the recall campaign. It may also matter if she runs for higher office. Although Breed has refrained from talking about his ambitions, City Hall has long been a launching pad for moderate Democrats at the state and national level.
But Ross pointed out that while Breed’s tough-on-crime rhetoric appeals to some, Budden’s internal campaign polls show that progressive criminal justice policies remain popular in San Francisco.
That means, he said, Breed could soon face a difficult balance in appeasing voters between fighting crime while still advocating for progressive reforms.
Democrats across the country face that balancing act, said David McCwan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University. He said Breed’s appointment allows the mayor to carry out his vision for public safety, which has evolved over time. She turned from diverting police resources in 2020 to pushing for more funding for the department in 2022.
“It has the opportunity to reshape what success looks like in both reform progress and lawlessness progress,” he said. “Now she has a political moment, not an impulse, to redirect direction and, through this succession and appointment, set new priorities.”
Mallory Moench and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle contributors. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com mcassidy@sfchronicle.com
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