SF leaders, law enforcement deploy 'full-court press' for safety ahead of big weekend

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- We are heading into a critical weekend for San Francisco and its reputation on the world stage and the pressure is on for city leaders.

The city is in the spotlight with the NBA All-Star Game plus the Chinese New Year Parade.

It's a full-court press this weekend from San Francisco Police and the sheriff's department.

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"Every member of this department, both sworn and professional staff that are dedicated to making sure that our city is prepared for this big moment," SFPD Chief Bill Scott said.

Chief Scott took to the podium Thursday alongside other public safety leaders, saying the city knows how to do big events.

"I think we've proven that year after year with the great Chinese Lunar New Year parade which is one of the best in the world," Chief Scott said. "APEC last year showed this world what the city is made of."

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The weekend is the first of major events under Mayor Daniel Lurie's leadership, who says the city has been planning for months to make sure they are prepared.

"Yesterday we activated the emergency operation center to strengthen our coordinated operations across departments," Mayor Lurie said. "Right now they are proactively monitoring events and providing support where necessary."

The weekend's festivities will also put to the test the mayor's newly announced Hospitality Task Force, a team of law enforcement exclusively dedicated to patrolling downtown tourist destinations.

"By working together as city leaders, law enforcement and community stakeholders, we will ensure that everyone can celebrate with peace of mind," Mayor Lurie said.

MORE: San Francisco Lunar New Year events will be safe and well-secured, police chief says

Some of that peace of mind is coming from millions of dollars in state grant money going towards public safety, including prosecuting crimes.

"Being able to have more surveillance evidence, things like license place reader data, drone surveillance videos," San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said.

Jenkins talked about the impacts of investing in new technology at a community meeting with local retailers Thursday afternoon.

"It has allowed us not only to charge more cases but then to make sure the defense understands when they need to take a plea because our case is so strong but feel confident when we need to go to trial," Jenkins said.

Confidence is exactly what the city's leaders are taking into this weekend's main events.