In 2005, then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris proposed a program that would have allowed drug dealers to be arrested and released twice before facing prosecution on their third offense. The program, called “Operation Safe Streets,” was rejected by the city’s police chief, Heather Fong, who warned it would lead to increased crime and harm public safety.
Fong’s letter to Harris outlined the concerns, noting that drug dealers would face little to no consequences for their actions under the proposed plan. “This proposal asks us not to arrest, but instead detain and release observed narcotics sales suspects,” Fong wrote, highlighting the potential for a spike in violent crime and a double standard where adults would be released while juveniles would be booked.
Harris’s office defended the proposal, saying the intent was to gather more evidence before prosecuting drug dealers to ensure stronger cases. However, the plan was met with widespread criticism from both police officers and defense attorneys, who questioned its effectiveness.
Despite the pushback, Harris’s criminal division chief suggested moving forward with the program, but it ultimately never took off. As Harris continues to campaign on her record as a tough-on-crime prosecutor, critics point to this proposal as evidence that her policies were often more lenient than she portrays.
