By Lillian Tweten
San Francisco has begun to make several cosmetic changes throughout its crime-ridden neighborhoods ahead of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leadership summit in November, Bloomberg reported.
The city expects to welcome 20,000 visitors when APEC begins next month, and plans to shut down large swaths of roads and freeways near where the conference will take place, Fox2 KTVU reported. San Francisco plans to repaint its fire hydrants, scrub its sidewalks, replace older trash cans, fix broken windows at the planned conference site and find beds in shelters for more homeless people on the streets ahead of APEC to make San Francisco look like “one of the greatest cities in the world,” according to Bloomberg.
“It’s less of a safety issue and more of a perception of safety,” Ken Bukowski, the city’s convention director, said about cleaning up the city, according to Bloomberg. “We’re working with the city to make sure there is a lot of outreach ahead of APEC.”
Businesses in San Francisco launched a $4 million ad campaign to promote the city ahead of APEC and build an image of the area as a “great place to do business,” according to The San Francisco Standard. The city also relocated its famous Ferris wheel closer to where APEC will take place, and will rely on the Secret Service to provide additional policing in the city during the event.
Local politicians have also debated forcing hot dog stands and other street vendors to close ahead of the conference, according to Bloomberg. The local public health and safety commission has also vowed to start doing “patrols” in the APEC areas ahead of the conference to successfully keep the area clear.
Crime in San Francisco has exploded over the past few years as Democratic Mayor London Breed has attempted to shrink the police department and take a more lenient approach toward crime. The city has also lost many big businesses over the past few months because of the rampant crime and drug use that has begun to swallow the city.
Breed did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
