Public Safety
Leland Yee’s record on public safety demonstrates a commitment not only to protecting California’s most vulnerable from further victimization (such as victims of domestic violence and human trafficking), but also for enhancing public safety locally in San Francisco. Yee was recognized as Legislator of the Year by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, received the Modern Day Abolitionist Award by the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, and was given the Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Neighborhoods by the Coalition for San Francisco Neighborhoods.
Victims of domestic violence are oftentimes victimized twice when the criminal justice system fails to account for the unique circumstances of these crimes. Previously, when the government sought to prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence, some victims were jailed in contempt of court for failing to testify against their abuser. There are many reasons why a victim might not want to testify against their abuser, not the least of which includes possible psychological trauma and fear of retribution from the abuser or the abuser’s family members. In 2008, Yee passed SB 1356 which prohibits the incarceration of victims of domestic violence for failing to testify against the accused. Yee is currently working on SB 782, modeled after a San Francisco ordinance, which prohibits a landlord from evicting a victim of domestic violence under the nuisance clause of the rental agreement and allows the victim to have the locks changed in a timely manner. Yee is also currently carrying legislation (SB 662) to allow local communities to raise a fee to provide more funding for domestic violence shelters, and authored legislation last year (SBx3 13) to provide emergency funding to shelters after the Governor slashed the funding in the budget.
Human Trafficking also remains a significant problem, particularly in San Francisco. According to the 2007 report released by the task force investigating human trafficking in California, 47% of victims are used in prostitution, 33% are used in domestic servitude, 5% in sweatshops and 2% in agriculture. Research by the Human Rights Center at the University of California found 57 forced labor operations between 1998 and 2003 throughout California. Yee is carrying SB 677 to provide law enforcement an additional tool to combat trafficking; if enacted, SB 677 would allow prosecutors to use California’s nuisance statutes to close any property that was used in human trafficking and impose a civil fine of $25,000.
Before Senator Yee’s intervention in 2008, the preceding nine out of ten years resulted in as many pedestrian fatalities as motor vehicle-related deaths in San Francisco. The portion of 19th Avenue between Junipero Serra Boulevard and Lake Street was particularly dangerous; between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2007, that road segment experienced a total of 555 collisions, 55 of which involved pedestrians. Six pedestrians were killed by motor vehicle collisions during that time period. In response, Senator Yee authored and passed SB 1419 in 2008, which established a double-fine zone on this stretch of dangerous road. As a result, pedestrian accidents are down significantly, leading the San Francisco Police Department to consider the double fine zone a success.
