Security Tab Questioned in Newsom Guv Run

With yet another election season gearing up yet another month ahead of schedule, questions are being raised about the city's costs for protecting local officials while out of town on the campaign trail.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has been accompanied by his security detail nearly everywhere he goes, from his wedding in Montana to his travels around California while applying to the voters for the governor's job.

San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, who's running for the California Attorney General seat being vacated by Newsom's gubernatorial opponent Jerry Brown, also has an SFPD security detail while on the campaign trail.

And between the salaries, overtime and expenses it must all add up -- though no one outside of the SFPD knows to how much.

So San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who's efforts to get the expense figures released to the public have been stymied, has introduced a bill to demand repayment of security costs while city officials are out of town furthering their personal careers.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being used of city-subsidized peace officers," says Mirkarimi.

The bill would also demand that the mayor submit a more detailed schedule of activities, since Newsom has chosen to spend little time communicating with the Board of Supervisors.

A spokesman for the mayor's office responded by calling Mirkarimi a "bloviating politician" and accusing him of grandstanding and risking Newsom's health.

Photo by David Lytle.

Jackson West has gotten a call from Newsom's number by the non-existent "San Francisco secret service" in the past.