Denny Wants Neighborhood Accountability for Police and Fire

San Francisco, March 13, 2003 - Libertarian candidate for mayor Michael Denny yesterday called for a radical restructuring of the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments, relying on competitive "citizen volunteers" instead of paid employees.

In an unpublished letter to Savannah Blackwell of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Denny lamented the government's detachment from the citizens and residents of San Francisco."The poor can never beat the rich in City Hall. So the best thing we can do is dramatically reduce the power of the Mayor's office and the police," he wrote.

While most police officers and firefighters are hard workers and dedicated to public safety, they serve under leadership that is increasingly beholden to political interests and not the public safety. Denny's friends in the Police and Fire Departments privately say the system has become so politically influenced that departments can't hire the best people, which puts our community at serious risk. They feel the job would be done much better if the police officers and firefighters had more control at the neighborhood level.

Denny proposes a radical solution: "We should be considering a more 'citizen volunteer' approach to our Police and Fire Departments, including their privatization.We should give the police and fire stations to the officers who currently work out of them, and let them compete with each other to provide service to the community, their customers."

The police officers and firefighters with whom Denny has spoken understand and appreciate that the community benefits from competition among service providers. "They are much more entrepreneurial and confident in their abilities than the politically connected top brass," he says. "We should be helping these valuable workers build their ability to serve us instead of subjecting them to this politically correct nightmare that serves special interests instead of our neighborhoods."

Denny also called again for abolition of the Vice Squad; "Vices are not crimes anyway."

After recounting an encounter with an absurd celebrity motorcade, Denny concluded, "But of course, it's never been about 'service' or protection.' It's about an arrogant display of City Hall and police power at the expense of the citizens and tax payers. In short, it's business as usual."

About Michael Denny:

Michael Denny is a husband, a father of four children, a small business owner, and a Libertarian candidate for mayor of San Francisco. His campaign Web site is www.michaeldennyformayor.com. Libertarians believe in personal freedom, in both social and economic spheres, and in minimal government to protect those freedoms.

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Denny's letter to Savannah Blackwell

Dear Savannah,

Your March 5th article, "It's the Corruption Stupid," stated that Tom Ammiano was the only mayoral candidate who believed the Mayor's control over the police should be shared. I am also running for Mayor. And I also want to distribute the Mayor's power to the supervisors including control over the police. In this race, it seems both the left and right are calling for a "strong mayor." I am the only candidate supporting a managerial rather than imperial role for the Mayor's office. District elections gave more control to the people, where it belongs. The Mayor's office needs to be more respectful of the people and rule of law. And the police department needs to be more responsive to our community. I'm going to tell you a little story.

Last Friday, I was on my motorcycle on the corner of Second and Mission. All auto and pedestrian traffic was stopped in both directions. I asked the police officer what was going on. He barked at me, "police escort." I asked who it was for. He looked at me with a look that said, "Shut the f--- up," and ignored me.

So I waited for about 5-10 minutes and nothing happened while everyone was waiting around wondering what was happening. Then one motorcycle officer came through with sirens scanning the crowd for threats to the "parade." He was followed by 15-20 motorcycle officers and a squad car with lights and sirens blazing. Behind him was a small group of cars, most young twenty-somethings in BMWs wearing cool shades and a couple of larger limos with rich looking "swells" who were enjoying that they could drive at high speeds through the city without concern for traffic and the people.

It was very clear that this police department and Mayor are in it for themselves and the "swells" they serve. We can't provide bathrooms so San Franciscans can pee, but we can rudely delay our citizens while showing off our power to the rich and famous?

The poor can never beat the rich in City Hall. So the best thing we can do is dramatically reduce the power of the Mayor's office and the police. We should be considering a more "citizen volunteer" approach to our Police and Fire Departments, including their privatization. We should give the Police and Fire stations to the officers who currently work out of them, and let them compete with each other to provide service to the community, their customers. With that, Police and Fire Departments not perceived as serving citizen needs would soon be out of business.

The Vice department should simply be cut. Vices are not crimes anyway.

And these silly and arrogant police escorts should not be performed unless their entire cost is born by the visitor including the lost time of thousands of our citizens. If the true cost was charged, someone would have to feel pretty threatened to get a police escort. And who wants someone like that around here anyway? But of course, it's never been about "service" or "protection." It's about an arrogant display of City Hall and Police power at the expense of the citizens and tax payers. In short, it's business as usual.

Thanks to Tom Ammiano for his position on the police. Please let him and your readers know that he has allies.

Thank you for your excellent article.