Brooke Jenkins sworn in as San Francisco's interim district attorney
SAN FRANCISCO – Brooke Jenkins, the interim district attorney appointed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, was sworn into office at City Hall Friday afternoon.
San Francisco's former deputy district attorney, Jenkins was announced as the interim DA Thursday, replacing her former boss, Chesa Boudin, who was ousted in a June recall vote.
One of her top priorities it restoring the city's faith in the justice system.
"As the district attorney, I plan to restore the accountability and the consequences that have been lost in the criminal justice system in San Francisco. Violent and repeat offenders can no longer victimize this city without any consequences," Jenkins said Friday after being sworn in.
Jenkins said she would advocate for victims. She says she wants to put a stop to crimes against Asian-American and end gun violence in the Black community.
"Our Asian-American community can no longer be left feeling scared," Jenkins said. "We can no longer turn blind eye to violence in black community here. The families of this violence deserve justice."
Jenkins served as an assistant district attorney in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office from 2014 to 2021, where she worked her way up, serving in the misdemeanor and felonies units before working as the office's hate crimes prosecutor. Jenkins was later promoted to the sexual assault unit and, eventually, the homicide unit.
"I am confident that there is no one better to serve as District Attorney than Brooke Jenkins," Breed said at a Thursday press event announcing the appointment.
Jenkins is the first Latina and second African American female to hold the position.
Jenkins resigned from the DA's office last October, one of dozens of prosecutors to depart when Boudin took office in January 2020. She was outspoken in her criticism of Boudin's management of the DA's office and became a leading voice for the recall campaign.
On Friday, former DA Boudin issued a press release regarding the appointment, stating he had "reached out to Brooke Jenkins to offer any assistance I can provide in ensuring a smooth transition. I am tremendously humbled by the strong, talented team my administration has built, which will continue to serve San Franciscans."
"It has been my honor to serve as San Francisco's District Attorney as we worked for a safer and more just city. I am proud of the work we did to serve victims and to bring much-needed reforms and accountability to our justice system. This is work I will continue in the months and years ahead," the statement read.
The recall push to oust one of the most progressive prosecutors in the country bitterly divided Democrats trying to reconcile police reform and community safety. Boudin was narrowly elected in 2019 as part of a national wave of liberal district attorneys determined to reform a system they called racist and ineffectual.
Breed also clashed with Boudin over how best to crack down on unfettered drug dealing and opioid use in the city's troubled Tenderloin neighborhood.
Just over 55 percent of the city's voters in the June 7 election voted yes on Proposition H, the ballot measure to recall Boudin.
Organizers had gathered tens of thousands of signatures to get the recall on the ballot, arguing that Boudin, who was elected as district attorney in November 2019, was too lenient on repeat offenders and failed to prioritize public safety, while Boudin's defenders said he was being made a scapegoat for a city facing a number of challenges, including some like homelessness that were outside of the purview of a district attorney.
Jenkins has said that she identifies as progressive and is committed to criminal justice reform, but says there still has to be accountability to San Franciscans.
One of Jenkins's vocal critics includes criminal defense attorney and former San Francisco police commissioner John Hamasaki, who sharply refutes Jenkins's contention that she is a progressive prosecutor.
"Unfortunately Ms. Jenkins is probably the least acceptable to people who work around criminal justice reform just because of a long record of ethical issues and poor judgments as a prosecutor," Hamasaki said.
Political observers say Breed's choice was a political one -- an attempt to respond to the frustrations of San Francisco voters.