When serving as the District Attorney for San Francisco, Kamala Harris introduced a proposal aimed at drug dealers, suggesting that they should only face charges after being caught selling narcotics three times. The initiative, called “Operation Safe Streets,” was ultimately rejected by the city’s police force.
On October 24, 2005, the Chief of Police at the time, Heather Fong, formally declined participation in a letter, a document later shared by The Daily Wire. Fong criticized the proposal in her letter, stating, “This proposal asks us not to arrest, but instead detain and release observed narcotics sales suspects pursuant to Penal Code Section 849(b) P.C. When the same suspect is arrested the third time for narcotics sales, your office would then charge all three counts.”
This information has emerged as Harris represents herself as a staunch, law-and-order figure in her campaign efforts, emphasizing her proactive stance against a range of offenders during her tenure. Despite these claims, Fong’s letter from 2005 highlights concerns that Harris’s policy could lead to increased drug activity in San Francisco without immediate repercussions for offenders, particularly affecting youth in areas near schools and potentially escalating violent crime rates.
Furthermore, Fong pointed out that such a policy could tarnish the public’s perception, arguing that community and law enforcement alike lack tolerance for those exploiting addiction for profit. She also mentioned potential negative impacts on police morale, emphasizing that such a strategy contradicts fundamental law enforcement principles.
In April 2006, Harris’s office defended the proposal to The Daily Journal, arguing that the approach aimed to build more robust cases against repeat offenders, although the plan faced skepticism from both law enforcement and defense attorneys. Jeff Ross, then-chief of Harris’s criminal division, advocated for the program despite anticipated media backlash, highlighting the potential to imprison more dealers through this method.
