As District Attorney of San Francisco, Kamala Harris introduced a controversial plan in 2005 that would have delayed charging drug dealers until their third arrest. Known as “Operation Safe Streets,” the proposal faced immediate opposition from then-police chief Heather Fong, who refused to participate, citing concerns about public safety.
In a letter to Harris, Fong explained that the policy would have allowed drug dealers to be detained and released twice before being charged on the third offense. “This proposal asks us not to arrest, but instead detain and release observed narcotics sales suspects,” she wrote, warning that the policy would encourage more drug activity, particularly in areas near schools.
The plan was intended to allow prosecutors more time to build cases, but both the police department and defense attorneys criticized the approach. Defense attorneys described the proposal as unworkable, while Fong warned that it would harm police morale and increase crime.
Harris’s office argued that the program was not about letting criminals off the hook but building stronger cases. Nevertheless, the backlash from law enforcement led to the program being shelved. This incident highlights Harris’s past policies that some see as soft on crime, as she continues to campaign on her record of being a law-and-order prosecutor.
