Lately, San Francisco has been perceived as a city in decline, with significant problems including filthy streets, a rising number of homeless people, and a general impression of lawlessness.
Videos of shoplifters seeming to take advantage of a law which set a threshold of $950 for shoplifting to be considered a misdemeanor, not usually attracting arrest or jail time, haven’t helped.
Now a new program which aims to tackle rising gun violence is also causing controversy – because it’s being accused of “paying people not to pull the trigger”.
“A new guaranteed income pilot program is designed to curb violent crime by providing resources to people in gangs or groups that have been identified as the source of most of the shootings in The City.” the San Francisco Examiner reports.
The authorities argue that a small number of people are responsible for most of the shootings, and that a payment of $300 a month might be an incentive to stay out of trouble and get help to turn their lives around. Participants will be paired up with life coaches from the Street Violence Intervention Program, who will help services.
However, critics say it amounts to “cash for criminals” and query how it can be monitored. The €300 a month, they say, is guaranteed income, without having to meet any milestones. Participants will be able to earn up to $200 more a month by achieving additional goals in the program, such as landing a job interview, and meeting with a mentor.
10 participants will kick off the program in October, and authorities hope it will be extended to another 30 individuals before the end of the year.