SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, October 6, Board of Supervisors President, London Breed, announced that she requested a drafting request for legislation mandating a reward system to award people who assist in the resolution of unsolved homicide cases.

Breed indicated that there have been approximately 50 deaths in San Francisco per year from homicides. The proposition has gained widespread attention due to the city’s unequal treatment of homicide cases, particularly Mayor Edward Lee’s support of creating a memorial for the murder of Kathryn Steinle, but neglecting to allocate similar attention to other homicide cases.

In addition to announcing the proposed legislation at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Breed also took her announcement to social media, stating: “When it comes to the worst crimes our city faces, we should put our wealth to use – both to help families of victims and get the most violent offenders off the streets.”

Board of Supervisor President London Breed announces legislation drafting of a reward system for people who assist in the resolution of unsolved homicide cases.
Board of Supervisor President London Breed announces legislation drafting of a reward system for people who assist in the resolution of unsolved homicide cases.

Breed’s introduced legislation would create a fund to reward up to $250,000 to any person who presents evidence that leads to an arrest in an unresolved murder investigation. According to the proposed legislation, the case would have to be open for at least one year, and reach a point where police have considered all investigative leads in order for a person to be eligible to receive the reward. San Francisco’s Chief of Police must also determine whether a reward is necessary.

As it currently stands, Breed remarked that the city of San Francisco currently offers rewards on a case-by-case basis, however, there is no established fund. Breed mentioned that the lack of established funding can potentially “lead to the perception that some cases are more important than others, which they are not… Each one is a tragedy. Each one is a lost son, sister, father, or friend. Each one never should have happened. And each one deserves our every effort to bring justice.”