San Francisco saw a 17% increase in its homeless population since its last homeless count, with numbers rising to levels that haven’t been recorded on these streets in 17 years. The increase comes amid an IPO boom in a tech industry that has the city’s rich growing richer, the wealth disparities starker and the cost of living more unaffordable than ever. “The cost of housing hasn’t gone down, so why does anyone expect that the amount of people experiencing homelessness would go down?” said Kelley Cutler, the human rights organizer for the Coalition on Homelessness. The city released a preliminary summary of its one-night street count on Thursday, tallying the number of homeless people at 8,011. The uptick, according to the mayor’s office, came primarily from people living in their cars, who totaled 68% of those counted. San Francisco conducts its homeless count every two years, as is required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The … [Read more...] about San Francisco homeless population rises amid tech IPO boom
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Bay Briefing: Will San Francisco ban facial recognition?
Good morning, Bay Area. It’s Tuesday May 14, and neighbors in the Mission are divided over spending more of their own money on cleaning public spaces, a San Francisco police raid gets national attention and a jury awards an eye-popping amount of damages. Here’s what you need to know to start your day. Nobody watching me San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors is considering a proposal to ban facial recognition software. The proposal by Supervisor Aaron Peskin would bar city departments from using facial recognition technology, except at federally regulated facilities such as the airport and port. Departments would also have to get board approval for any new surveillance technology it wants to acquire. Reporter Trisha Thadani takes a look at the arguments for and against the technology — as well as other cities considering similar bans. Green as in clean or green as in money? Would you pay more property taxes to ensure your neighborhood was free of animal and human … [Read more...] about Bay Briefing: Will San Francisco ban facial recognition?
Expert: San Francisco face ID ban would be warning to police
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that's creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras. Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze shoppers' facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it's far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that leaving it unchecked … [Read more...] about Expert: San Francisco face ID ban would be warning to police
San Francisco may ban police, city use of facial recognition
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco is on track to become the first U.S. city to ban the use of facial recognition by police and other city agencies, reflecting a growing backlash against a technology that’s creeping into airports, motor vehicle departments, stores, stadiums and home security cameras. Government agencies around the U.S. have used the technology for more than a decade to scan databases for suspects and prevent identity fraud. But recent advances in artificial intelligence have created more sophisticated computer vision tools, making it easier for police to pinpoint a missing child or protester in a moving crowd or for retailers to analyze a shopper’s facial expressions as they peruse store shelves. Efforts to restrict its use are getting pushback from law enforcement groups and the tech industry, though it’s far from a united front. Microsoft, while opposed to an outright ban, has urged lawmakers to set limits on the technology, warning that … [Read more...] about San Francisco may ban police, city use of facial recognition
Do voters want San Francisco to buy PG&E’s infrastructure? It seems most do
A majority of San Francisco residents queried in a recent poll say they’d support a city takeover of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. infrastructure — a proposal that’s being seriously considered since the utility company’s bankruptcy. The poll, conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, asked 435 registered voters a range of questions about PG&E and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The survey also required a fair amount of education, considering, at the outset, that 63 percent of respondents hadn’t heard that the city was considering buying up PG&E’s electrical infrastructure as a way to create a fully independent power system. Since 2016, the SFPUC has been automatically enrolling portions of the city in its CleanPowerSF program. The program sends a mix of energy — at least 43 percent of it from renewable sources — across power lines and other infrastructure owned by PG&E. In the coming months, the SFPUC will … [Read more...] about Do voters want San Francisco to buy PG&E’s infrastructure? It seems most do