San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell and Police Chief Bill Scott are at odds over a controversial ballot measure to arm San Francisco officers with TASERs.
On Thursday, Mayor Farrell issued a statement supporting the June ballot measure, characterizing the devices as a “less-lethal option” that corresponds with the San Francisco Police Department’s “most important priority” of “protecting the sanctity of life above all else.”
The mayor has long been a reliable ally of the powerful San Francisco Police Officers Association, the union that sponsored the ballot initiative, SFGate reports.
His support for the measure comes a day after Scott sent a letter to the city’s Elections Department condemning the initiative as ill-conceived, because it would neuter the ability of the Police Commission — the SFPD’s policymaking body — to decide rules about the devices’ use.
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